Demon Research Articles

This paper explores the patterns of self-division in the narrative structure of Revenant, focusing on the transformation of San-young Koo into a resistant subject through possession. According to Seong-min Hong, subjects construct their selfhood through the symbolic system in interaction with ideology, and their attitude toward reality is shifted by the dynamics of affective structures. The protagonist, San-young, experiences a divided state while constructing an identity aligned with various ideologies of reality. This division is manifested in two opposing drives: the drive for self-preservation, which seeks to protect oneself by violating societal taboos, and the superego, which enforces compliance with the principles of reality dictated by ideology. The ideologies represented in the drama are divided into survival ideology and moral ideology. The self-preservative drive achieves its goals for capitalist survival through extreme means, such as murder. The evil spirit, Hyang-yi Lee, is a violent eruption of the will to survive derived from survival ideology. As a figure enjoying forbidden jouissance, Hyang-yi is an inverted manifestation of survival ideology, created through Byung-hee Na's taejagwi. Byung-hee represents the control and regulation of survival ideology and is portrayed as a villain who uses Hyang-yi to eliminate her obstacles through malevolent bargains. Through possession, San-young relives the events of the cursed amulet's creation, witnesses the violence enforced by survival ideology, and transforms into a resistant subject seeking to exorcize the spirit. This resistance does not aim to eliminate Hyang-yi's violent drive but to break free from the coercion of ideology, restore balance, and reclaim her subjectivity. However, this resistance remains within the influence of ideology, which highlights its inherent limitations. The somewhat fragmented plot of the drama reflects the persistent nature of self-division, which the narrative ultimately fails to resolve. Nevertheless, Revenant suggests the possibility of San-young's emergence as a resistant subject, demonstrated by her resolve to live on despite the cost of blindness.

Zâr is one of the culture-bound syndromes mentioned for the first time in DSM-IV. Zâr is believed to be an evil spirit or wind that possesses people, causing various mental symptoms. Those affected rarely seek psychological help, believing the illness is of supernatural origin, with its cultural basis remaining largely unknown. The DSM removed this syndrome in subsequent editions, reasoning that it is only tied to cultural expressions of distress and can be classified within recognized diagnostic categories. The perspective of cultural criticism of psychological diagnostic systems highlights that the issue goes beyond simplification for diagnosis. It requires understanding syndromes within a broader framework of (1) beliefs of spirit possession, (2) distress perception and symptom expression, and (3) healing rituals. Without this, modern psychological systems cannot intervene effectively in specific cultures. This fieldwork study in southern Iran, using ethnographic methods and interpretive-thematic analysis, aims to comprehensively describe the three mentioned dimensions. It addresses questions about how beliefs about distress influence individuals' pursuit of healing and how the cultural function of these healing practices leads to recovery. Furthermore, the study assesses the need for Western diagnostic systems to effectively integrate these cultural frameworks to address such syndromes.

The Rongmei, otherwise referred to as “Kabui“, is a significant indigenous ethnic community and one of the prominent Naga tribes having their beautiful vibrant cultural heritage, traditional music, dance and customary rites and rituals, inhabiting primarily in the northeastern states of India, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura. The Rongmei people still contribute to the rich tapestry of cultures in this region of India, and their distinctive traditions continue to play a vital role in shaping the cultural mosaic of this ethnically diverse part of the country. Large numbers of this tribe concentrate in the state of Manipur, particularly in Nrianghluang (Tamenglong) district, north-west of Manipur and speaking the Language know as “Ruanglat” with their currently written in Roman Alphabets, but also they are working on developing a new Script. Infertility problem in traditional Rongmei family is believed to be caused by the evil spirit called Kairoa. Kairoa are the evil spirits of the ancestors who died an unnatural deaths (e.g. suicide, lightening strike etc.) in order to perform a ritual successfully the family has to study the history of their ancestors to find out if there is any Kairoa in the families in the past. Before performing the fertility Ritual, the family members has to make appease with this spirits. Adoption on the other hand is an age old tradition of Rongmei infertile parents to have an offspring outside of their marriage. In spite of all the rituals perform for fertility of the married couples, if the infertile couple did not have a child, they look forward to adopt a child. Rongmei community in traditional way has their own way of child adoption practices. Generally there is no definite rule exist in the Rongmei tribal community. It is mainly the married couple to decide whom to adopt as their offspring. This research paper will study on the fertility rituals adoption practices perform by the village elders and this work will be a significant contribution to the lacking documentation of the oral traditions which are richly practice by this community, Rongmei. It will also give light to the future generations to consider their traditional laws and customs significantly beyond legalities.

Mental Health as a condition has not been fully demystified and elaborated thoroughly. In Africa, it is attributed to either curses, spiritual causes, witchcraft or some other cause due to their traditional worldview or belief systems, thus how they interpret phenomena, incidences, events and diseases included. This has led to rampant mental health cases as high as 25% of total population compared to other parts of the world. It could be factual that witchcraft and curses exist in Africa, but they are not the only causes of mental health. Proper understanding to expose the gaps is overdue. Therefore this study set out to debunk and demystify mental health by assessing reasons for limiting mental health to worldview causes and analyzing scientific and possible other causes/characteristics in Africa, prevention and healing of mental health. Mitigation of African world causes, interpretations and challenges provided multifaceted solutions to mental health today, such as clinical, psychological, cultural, and African worldview and beliefs notwithstanding. The purpose of this study is to establish why mental health is still attributed to curses and witchcraft despite modern scientific medical ways of treatment and why mental health is rampant and access to treatment not effective in Africa? The study used qualitative approaches to analyze library information: to collect and describe data, summarize, drew conclusions and recommendations made. The study found out that mental health is only skewed and shrouded in mystery and that it is a health condition like any other and not caused by curses or evil spirits, or witchcraft. It can be treated using conventional and other medical measures. Besides demystification and debunking, the revitalization of traditional methods alongside scientifically proven and conventional approaches to mental health is highly recommended in this paper.

This article explores the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT by analyzing the form, function, and meaning of Jaran Kepang art across Java. The research investigates how ChatGPT can aid in understanding and preserving traditional cultural arts like Jaran Kepang. ChatGPT offers advanced methods for data analysis, pattern recognition, and preservation of intangible cultural heritage. This study employs cultural anthropology and traditional communication theories, enhanced by ChatGPT-driven analysis, to examine Jaran Kepang's regional differences and thematic patterns. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the research combines literature review, direct observation, and ChatGPT technologies to analyze data. Central Java's Jaran Kepang emphasizes mystical and spiritual elements to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. East Java's version, associated with legends like Ki Sasmita, involves trance performances and moral storytelling. In West Java, linked to the spread of Islam by Sunan Gunung Jati, the art features diverse horse forms in rituals reinforcing community identity. ChatGPT technologies facilitate the analysis of these variations, revealing how each region's Jaran Kepang reflects local adaptation and cultural evolution. The research underscores ChatGPT's potential in enhancing academic knowledge of Javanese culture and advocating for preservation efforts, ensuring traditional arts' legacy in a rapidly advancing technological era.Keywords: jaran kepang; ChatGPT; Javanese culture; mystical value; legend

IntroductionMorbidity and mortality associated with congenital anomalies are higher in low-income countries. People’s knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards congenital anomalies vary from community to community. In some communities, it is believed to be untreatable and the burden remains devastating. Studies addressing the societal perspectives were scarce, therefore this study aimed to explore beliefs and perceptions in the community about congenital anomalies.MethodologyThis study was conducted in Southern Ethiopia, Dilla town from September to November 2023. A qualitative study with a community-based exploratory study design was implemented. A total of 33 participants who were selected conveniently among permanent residents of Dilla town were included. Data were collected using face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and translated into the English language. Data analysis was implemented thematically using Open Code 4.03 software. Finally, the result was presented descriptively based on the themes that emerged. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout the data analysis.ResultIn this study, most participants poorly understood congenital anomalies. God’s punishment, curse, parents’ sin, magical practices and evil spirits, illness, lack of pregnancy care and contraceptive pills were the believed causes of congenital anomalies. The burden of congenital anomalies dismantles the social, economic, and psychological dimensions of the life of parents. In addition, the study identified attitudinal variations and doubts about treatment outcomes and prevention strategies of congenital anomalies.ConclusionThis study highlights that people’s perceived knowledge, beliefs, and awareness of congenital malformations were limited to socio-cultural and religious roots. Understanding beliefs and perceived knowledge would be significant in planning risk-reduction strategies. Hence health education, behavioral change communications, and information dissemination strategies should be strengthened at each community level.

From the Russian folklore, ideas about the Chuds – an ancient people, as well as their name, were borrowed into foreign oral traditions. In the Komi-Permyak language, the word Chud’ underwent not only a phonetic (chud, pl. chuddes), but also semantic transformations. The authors of the article were attracted by the development of the meaning of ‘evil spirit, demons’ in this word. We analyze hypotheses explaining this semantic shift, and also characterize the current state of the oral tradition. The work highlights mythological and linguistic factors of two types – both those that contribute to the convergence of the images of the Chuds and chuddes, and those that prevent their contaminations. As in Russian dialects, in the Komi-Permyak language there is an “attraction” of the word Chuds to other loanwords with the initial component chud- (chudo, chudotvorets, chudichchyny ‘to wonder’, etc.). As bilingualism spreads, adjectives such as chudlivöy, chudsköy, etc. are incorporated into this morpho-semantic field, which are used in mythological chrononyms denoting the ancient era when the Chuds lived or when evil spirits were more active than they are now. In the Komi-Permyak language, the number of nominations based on the component chud increases (banya chud, kuznecha chud, övin chud, etc.), the word develops special demonological meanings (‘spirit of the bathhouse’, ‘spirit of the house’, ‘spirit of the forest’, etc.). Among the northern Komi-Permyaks, the word Chud in the meaning of ‘ancient people’ is included into a special mythological and ritual traditions presupposing the collective commemoration of ancestors, and stands in a series of special names for the dead (vazh otir, pöris’ otirrez, etc.), capable of punishing for the absence of the required rites. Such mythological ideas are one of the factors that prevent the mixing of the images of the Chuds – the ancient inhabitants of the region and the chuds – evil spirits in this territory.

The article offers a philological reading of Gogol’s “A Bewitched Place.” The aim of the proposed approach is to examine features of its artistic structure that remain understudied in Gogol scholarship and require special consideration. Hence the attention to the title of the story, which derives from the name of the locus — both plotwise and semantically tied to Dikanka as the primary setting. The text of the story is marked by its spatial quality, “Dikansky,” where the key event that determines its specificity is the clash of a human with the demonic sphere. The author interprets the title as a self-designation of Gogol’s spatial text, centered on the paradigm of the bewitched place. This semiotically charged spatial point functions as an opening into an unreal world inhabited by evil spirits, from which demonic influences that have captured the hero emanate. They lead to his temporary corruption, as he succumbs to the temptation of quick enrichment. The “devilish force,” as the narrator calls it, lures and seduces the hero, aiming not to destroy but to fool and mock him. It manipulates his perception, through optical and acoustic illusions, and appears to succeed. However, because of this trial, the hero discovers a readiness and determination to resist devil temptations in the future, should he encounter them again. This underscores the story’s significance as the concluding piece of the cycle, casting a retrospective light on the preceding tales.

The article deals with the theme of initiation into “the knowing ones” on the example of bylichkas (true stories) and legends collected by folklorist D. N. Sadovnikov in the 1860–70s. Despite the fact that D. N. Sadovnikov collected his materials in Samara region, these texts are typical for the Middle Volga region in their content. Therefore, they are a reflection of the Middle Volga folklore tradition. The novelty of the study lies in the highlighted ways of initiation into “the knowing ones”: direct interaction with evil spirits, parental curse, reading magic books, having an unusual appearance, travelling. These methods of initiation are fantastic in comparison with the facts of comprehension of secret knowledge given in ethnographic literature and reveal the depth of human fears of the unknown and supernatural.

When looking at studies on folk beliefs in Turkey, we generally find two types of publications. The majority of research focus on revealing the origins of folk beliefs, which identified through fieldwork, in old Turkish religion and mythology, and establishing connections between the past and the present. The studies in the second group involve analyses of folk beliefs collected from one region of Turkey with those from other regions, or with folk beliefs from different regions of the Turkic world using a comparative method. There are scarcely any studies that address the functional dimension of folk beliefs and examine them from this perspective. The existing studies are quite narrow in scope. There is no study that extensively examines folk beliefs collected from a specific region according to the functional theory, as done in this study, which is one of the context-centered theories used by many researchers in the field of folklore. In this study, folk beliefs obtained through the field collection method from the district of Yomra, located in the Trabzon province of the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, were analyzed according to functional theory. As a result of the examination conducted, it has been found that the folk beliefs in the region have eleven functions which are: helping to protect public health, assisting public veterinary, protecting from evil spirits and beings, ensuring abundance and prosperity and protecting from famine, bringing good luck and averting bad luck, predicting and directing natural phenomena, transferring intangible cultural heritage, helping to make prophecy, establishing a connection with sacred, reconciling the old and the new, and securing social unity. Thus, the folk beliefs of a region have been examined for the first time with a holistic approach, from a functional perspective, and a model is developed that can be applied to other regions as well as folk beliefs will remain.

En dépit de son titre singulier, le Voyage autour de mon jardin d’Alphonse Karr se définit contre les pérégrinations traditionnelles outre-mer. Au lieu du tour du monde, l’auteur propose le tour de son jardin dans la lignée du « voyage excentrique » de Sterne et Xavier de Maistre. Cet article interrogera les aspects qui témoignent de la rupture avec le modèle conventionnel : la parodie du voyageur traditionnel, de son mode de voyager et du prétérit emphatique de son récit, la valorisation de la découverte de ce qu’on croit bien connaître, l’éloge du proche aux dépens du lointain, etc. On évitera pourtant d’appliquer à l’ouvrage de Karr l’étiquette d’un anti-récit de voyage car, malgré la révocation des règles formelles, la visée documentaire et didactique du genre est conservée et valorisée.

Cet article a pour objectif de partager de manière authentique le vécu d’un parcours doctoral par nature singulier et de le faire résonner chez le lecteur et la communauté académique. Pour ce faire, je présente l’intérêt de l’auto-ethnographie à la fois comme narration de soi et comme méthode de recherche pour étudier le vécu de l’expérience doctorale au prisme des concepts d’« épreuve » et d’« identité professionnelle ». Puis je soumets au lecteur des vignettes auto-ethnographiques d’épreuves « typiques » illustrant les luttes prosaïques auxquelles j’ai été confrontée en tant que doctorante, ces sources de tensions favorisant l’émergence et la construction de mon identité de chercheuse. Enfin, j’interroge les apports de cette expérience transformatrice rendue possible par le phénomène de la formation doctorale et appelle à la conservation d’espaces liminaux pour permettre l’exercice de la liberté académique en toute altérité.

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the perspectives of snake owners in Indonesia regarding snakes, venomous species, and snakebite management. A survey was distributed to 1,109 respondents, with 109 participants) forming the core group for analysis. The research aims to assess snake owners’ knowledge about venomous snakes, handling snakebites, and myths surrounding these reptiles. Findings indicate that while the public generally fears snakes, many reptile enthusiasts in Indonesia keep snakes as pets for reasons such as hobby, conservation, and education. However, a significant gap in knowledge exists regarding the identification of venomous versus non-venomous snakes, with some respondents unable to distinguish between them accurately. Additionally, while most respondents recognized the importance of immobilization following a snake bite, some still believed in outdated and dangerous practices, such as suctioning or cutting the wound. The study also uncovered that while most participants view snakes as ordinary creatures, a small portion still holds superstitions, such as believing snakes are evil spirits. This perpetuates fear and misunderstanding of snakes. In conclusion, the research highlights the need for better education on snake identification, proper bite management, and debunking myths to improve the safety of snake keeping in Indonesia. Increased public awareness and accurate information can help mitigate the risks of keeping snakes as pets and foster a more informed and responsible approach to reptile care.

Shaman's melisma (tune) is one of folklore and spiritual treasures of Kazakh literature and have their roots in ancient traditions and beliefs. In nomadic Kazakh life shamans had a wide functional activity, they became zhyraus(folk poet and singer), voodoo healers, clairvoyants, spiritual leaders of the people. Shamanic motifs in literature are rooted in distant mythology, continued in legends, songs, stories, not only played a special role in social life, but also became an element reflecting the attitude of the people towards life. The works of Kazakh folklore and the image of the shaman found in them are evidence of the antiquity of the theme. In literature through various phenomena of life, actual characteristics of the reality of life, image-living manifestations the image of the shaman took a full-fledged place. In the Kazakh steppes in the XVIII century, special attention was paid to witchcraft, researches were conducted, imagery on paper began. In addition to Kazakh researchers, shamanism in the Kazakh steppe was searched and analysed by Russian scholars with great interest. The article studies the theme of shaman in Kazakh literature, shows the relationship and specificity of literature and myth, folklore to reveal the image of the shaman in the stories. Its artistic features, subject, content meaning and reflected in literature will be analysed. Definitions of the name of diffenert nation ‘shaman’ are given and an overview of the rules according to the research works of prominent scholars. The image of the shaman, which is the premise of the research, is portrayed in the stories not only as a soul engaged in healing, but also as a symbol of tradition and culture, understanding the problems of humanity and society, providing moral support. Such an image is often revealed in a dialogical relationship, creating a complex image. The article emphasises the analysed pastime of the shaman, his actions in the process of the game, demonstrates that the shaman's entertainment is based on spiritual-attractive ancient knowledge. The game of the shaman is analysed with specific examples from works. In Kazakh literature, the subject of study were the works of Zhusupbek Aimautov ‘Black Shaman’, Zhumeken Nazhmidenov ‘Shaman’, Duman Ramazan ‘Shaman and Evil Spirit’, where the role of the shaman was evaluated. Assertions about shaman and shamanism in different epochs of literature are expressed through stories. The place of the shaman in the folk worldview and belief system is reflected in the works, the influence in the society is determined.

In African diaspora Pentecostalism, spiritual warfare theology configures ‘spiritual deliverance’ as an integral aspect of healing, prosperity, and wellbeing. In the United Kingdom, deliverance practices, including exorcisms, are booming in immigrant communities, particularly the Pentecostal churches. African diaspora Pentecostals believe in a spirit-filled world consisting of the Holy Spirit, ancestors’ spirits, evil spirits, demons, and Satan. African diaspora deliverance practices proffer existential solutions in a spirit-filled world. This study used the desktop research approach to explore the lived tensions of African diaspora Pentecostal deliverance practices in the United Kingdom, where such practices are not generally part of the cultural and social worldview. The study findings were that African diaspora Pentecostal deliverance practices clash with scientific mental health approaches, and overtly can be abusive, especially around consent, ethical concerns and post-deliverance trauma. This article concluded that African diaspora Pentecostals’ spiritual deliverance therapy practices create tensions with the lived reality in the United Kingdom and recommended the need to negotiate questions about psychological well-being, dignity, and abuse on the part of the deliverance candidate. This study contributes to knowledge by highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of deliverance practices in a more scientifically grounded multicultural context of the United Kingdom. Keywords: African Diaspora Pentecostalism, Migration, Spiritual Abuses, Spiritual Deliverance, Spiritual Warfare Theology, African Traditional Religion.

The rock art of the Middle Yenisei often depicts shamans with various shamanic attributes. The local shamanism has its roots in the Bronze Age. It influenced the plots and patterns of the Middle Yenisei rock art. The earliest images of shaman figures with shamanic attributes date back to the Tesin period. Shamanic images also appear in the art of the Tashtyk culture. However, it is the shamanic images of the Modern Era that are the most numerous. They show shamans in dynamic poses. The images are either individual or incorporated into complex multi-figure compositions. The shamans are wearing coats decorated with ribbons, long robes or fur coats, and hats trimmed with feathers or adorned with animal / bird ornaments. The shamanic attributes include large or small tambourines depicted as circles divided with vertical lines into two or four parts. Some shamans are holding bows or arrows instead of tambourines, which they probably use to fight evil spirits. A shaman’s wand is the least popular attribute. With three claws on a handle, it resembles a bird’s foot.

The phenomenon of "evil spirits", widespread in many cultures and social groups, has already been studied from various angles, but the philosophical meaning of this phenomenon remains insufficiently studied. The purpose of the current study was to identify sources in the human psyche and social structures that make belief in the evil eye possible and, even more, universal across cultures. The study was based on a phenomenological approach, using elements of structuralist and hermeneutic approaches. In the course of the research, it was determined that humanity has always associated the evil eye with the "evil eye of the Other", and the "look of the Other" is already well-studied in the phenomenological discourse. It is considered concepts of E. Husserl, M. Merleau-Ponty, J. P. Sartre, M. Buber. The phenomenological concept of "The Look" was expanded by structuralists, first of all, M. Foucault. It was he who introduced the concept of "The Gaze" into the philosophical discourse and analyzed its social models ("panopticon") and its consequences for man (dialectic of subjectivation and objectification). The concepts of psychoanalysts of the Kleinian orientation, which are related to the paranoid-schizoid position, and therefore to the "escape-struggle" with the evil Other, were also considered. It was determined that the fear of the evil eye is a universal feature of the human psyche, which is connected with the processes of containerization of one's own mental elements in a conditional Other. Five hypothetical sources influencing the emergence of belief in evil spirits and xenophobic ideologues have been identified. Four of them are identified as key. The study brings to social philosophy and philosophical anthropology a new understanding of the phenomenon of evil spirits and can be used for further research in the field of philosophy, the history of emotions, etc.

The meaning and representation of melancholy in culture have changed from ancient times, when the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers about the four humours, the connection of black bile with the spleen, were dominant. These approaches developed and improved in the Renaissance and Enlightenment until the beginning of the 20th century, when the rapid development of psychoanalysis included new premises, significantly reconstructing the values and beliefs of previous eras. Melancholy is successively connected with the divine spark of creativity, loneliness and sadness, evil spirits and the “acedia” disease. The difference between the sexes should be evaluated as an important aspect: the analysis of research sources allows us to conclude that creative and writing women have historically often been excluded from the discourse of melancholy. According to the historically dominant view, a loss connected to a man’s world could be perceived as more special and significant than a loss affecting a woman and her world and successively reduced to a banal and irrelevant ‘mourning’. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to characterise the interpretation of melancholy in Western culture, particularly from the perspective of psychoanalysis, while defining the distinguishing features of the concepts of melancholy and mourning, as well as to identify the presence and relevance of melancholy motifs in Latvian women’s writing. The following works by Latvian women writers have been selected for analysis: Sabīne Košeļeva’s story collection “Ministry of Loneliness” (Vientulības ministrija, 2019), Krista Anna Belševica’s story collection “Grey Dog Dreams of Goldfish” (Pelēks suns sapņo par zelta zivtiņām, 2021), Laura Vinogradova’s long story “River” (Upe, 2020). The research approaches chosen for conducting the study and analysing the literature included psychoanalysis, narratology, and feminism. The analysis of the prose texts allows us to establish that melancholy, in general, can be evaluated as a topical motif in the analysed works. At the same time, it can be concluded that all texts are also united by the motif of (real and/or imaginary) loss, which often acts as a transforming force, thus helping to stimulate and/or solve the problems of the heroes’ growth. A unifying element is also the depiction of the traumatic experience, often related to parental inaction (the concept of “parental sins”) and the heroes’ expectations regarding the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of family models/roles accepted in society.

Background. In todayʼs globalized world, scholarly inquiries that delve into the peculiarities of mentalities and uncover the cultural richness of various ethnic groups have become increasingly relevant. This statement is also applies to linguistic studies, which focus on comparing the verbal manifestations of the cultural heritage of the Polish and Ukrainian peoples.Сontribution to the research field. Based on the phraseological and paremiological material of the Polish and Ukrainian languages, the author conducts a comparative analysis of the verbalization of stereotypical perceptions of women. The stereotypical views on the character traits of women, their attitude towards their appearance, and the creation of a family are highlighted. The typical character traits attributed to women are identified, and the means of their verbalization are characterized; the ways and means of demonizing women, reflected in proverbs, are shown. The differences in stereotypical perceptions of women in Polish and Ukrainian cultures are revealed.Purpose. The research aims to compare the peculiarities of verbalization of stereotypical perceptions of women in Polish and Ukrainian paremias.Methods. The primary methods employed in this article include descriptive analysis and analytical and synthetic methods, such as structural, quantitative, and comparative analysis. The descriptive method enabled the systematization of semantic varieties of Polish and Ukrainian paremias reflecting stereotypical views of women. The classification method was applied to systematize the results of the study of Polish and Ukrainian paremias reflecting stereotypical views of women, as well as to identify semantic varieties of paremias on the studied topic and structure their means of verbalization. The analytical and synthetic methods ensured the processing of the achievements of scholars in the field of phraseology. They made it possible to characterize paremias that reflect stereotypical views of women. The structural analysis method enabled the identification of components in paremias, the establishment of relationships between them, and in particular, made it possible to determine the semantic dominants among the means of verbalizing stereotypes about women in the phraseological and paremiological material of the Polish and Ukrainian languages. The quantitative analysis method was used to characterize the frequency of representation of various semantic varieties of paremias on the studied topic. The comparative analysis method was applied to compare Polish and Ukrainian paremias reflecting stereotypical views of women in terms of semantics and the linguistic means presented in them.Results. Polish and Ukrainian paremiology reflects stereotypical assertions that women aspire to create families, cannot fulfill themselves without a man, and are unable to be happy without one. The phraseology and paremiology of both languages reveal a shared understanding of motherhood as a normal and expected state. Evaluations of women based on their appearance and a focus on female beauty are more prevalent in Ukrainian phraseological and paremiological material. However, the claim of womenʼs excessive attention to their appearance is present in the paremies of both compared languages. The stereotypical assessment of womenʼs intellectual abilities, physical strength, and endurance, as reflected in Polish and Ukrainian paremies, is characterized by ambiguity. A common feature of both languages is the allusion to the irrationality, illogicality, tearfulness, and emotional instability of women. The large group of paremies reflects stereotypical notions of womenʼs character traits. The demonization of women is vividly expressed in the phraseological and paremiological material of both Polish and Ukrainian languages, manifested in statements that a woman can surpass evil spirits in wickedness, is similar to them, and is the embodiment of evil. The image of a woman as a temptress and the stereotypical notion of women as timid and wasteful are typical of Polish and Ukrainian paremies. Ukrainian paremies emphasize the flexibility and compliance of women, especially young ones, and their preferences — a love for dancing, sweets, and fussiness in food.Discussion. While Polish and Ukrainian proverbs often position women as guardians and keepers of the domestic hearth, negative stereotypical characteristics of women dominate. The analyzed phraseological and paremiological material reveals views of womenʼs work as being easier and less valuable, and of women themselves as being unable to hold leadership positions or perform significant social roles. A promising avenue for future research is a comparative analysis of the individual traits of women as depicted in Polish and Ukrainian proverbs.

This article analyses encounters of Quechua peasants in the Potosí region of Bolivia with sajra espíritus (evil spirits). In order to ensure that these spirits do not cause them too much harm, they must not be afraid and this fearless state is achieved by means of what they call capricho. This word refers to a set of courageous actions during the encounter, which mainly allow the waylaid person to recognise the spirit and therefore to know how to deal with it. But this whole process must be shared and verbalised. Thus, capricho extends beyond the event and is also present in the transmission of the experience.