VERIFICATION OF MYTHOLOGICAL MATERIAL ON CELEBRATIONS AS RECORDED BY MATTHAEUS PRAETORIUS: THE CELEBRATION OF GRAIN HARVEST (SAMBORIOS / SĄBARIOS)

Abstract

In analyzing the pre-Christian culture of the Balts, the nucleus of which consists of pagan religious logic and mythology, there is a problem of the value and reliability of the recorded writings concerning the forner. The following article reviews and verifies the mythological information that directly relates to the grain harvest ( Samborios / Sąbarios) celebration recorded by Matthaeus Praetorius ( Matthäus Prätorius) in «Deliciae Prussicae oder Preussische Schaubühne» ( Deliciae Prussicae or Prussian Theater, late 17th century). Thereon, the paper discusses the interpretations made by the researchers in the 19th – 21st centuries who analyzed the mythological material on grain harvest recorded by Praetorius ( Samborios/Sąbarios ). The context of the research conducted in the 19th – 21st centuries reveals that the scholars of earlier periods gave different assessments to the reliability of the aforementioned mythological material provided by Praetorius: they did not question authenticity, but considered the information to be quite reliable, and used it in their works; the scholars noticed the authenticity problem, but did not try to solve it. The analysis suggests to determine whether the mythological material related directly to the grain harvest (Samborios /Sąbarios) celebration recorded by Praetorius is to be considered authentic and reliable.