Sacred Objects Research Articles

Settlement of Pratima Theft According to Customary and National Law in Klungkung Regency and Gianyar Regency

The theft of sacred objects, especially Pratima in Bali, is a pressing issue that involves legal complexities between customary and national legal systems. This problem is not only materially damaging, but also threatens the continuity of religious traditions and practices. This research aims to analyze the settlement process of Pratima theft cases from the perspectives of customary and national law, and to identify the challenges faced in integrating the two legal systems. The approach used in this research is a qualitative method with in-depth interview techniques with traditional village leaders and police investigators. The data obtained was analyzed using a thematic analysis method to identify emerging patterns and themes. The results showed that there is a mismatch between the practice of customary law and national law in the resolution of Pratima theft cases. Many cases remain unresolved due to a lack of understanding and cooperation between the two legal systems. This research concludes that a more integrative approach between customary and national law is needed to improve the effectiveness of Pratima theft case resolution. Recommendations for policy makers and law enforcers are also provided to create a more sustainable solution for the protection of Bali's cultural heritage.

The British Museum and the Abyssinian Campaign, 1867–8

AbstractIn 1867–8, the British Museum sent a staff member on the Abyssinian Campaign. Richard Holmes, an assistant in the Manuscript Department, was embedded in the military invasion and looted important and sacred objects and manuscripts from the fortress of Emperor Tewodros II at Maqdala. This is one of the most significant examples of a museum colluding in colonial violence to gain objects for its collection. The article re‐examines the case of Holmes, drawing on new research in the British Museum's archive and with important primary documents that have not yet received scholarly attention. The analysis focuses on the museum's objectives for the Campaign, the planning process and the actions of Holmes. I argue that while the museum was complicit in the violence perpetrated at Maqdala, its relationship with the military was complex. Multiple competing agendas became increasingly apparent as the actions of Holmes were progressively militarised. The article also examines the wider institutional links to the Abyssinian Campaign, including close political relationships that are important for understanding the trajectory of events and history of the British Museum's collections. More broadly, it sheds new light on the relationship between museums and colonial‐military interventions in nineteenth‐century Africa, demonstrating the tensions that were inherent in these projects.

Sacrilegious Theft in First-Millennium BCE Babylonia

Scholars have long wrestled with the question of why the Laws of Hammurabi provide two different sanctions for the theft of temple (and palace) property: the death penalty (§6) and thirtyfold restitution (§8). While reviewing Neo- and Late Babylonian evidence on sacrilegious theft, this paper argues that Babylonian law neatly distinguished between the theft of sacred objects and the theft of nonsacred temple property, which incurred different penalties, corresponding to those that §6 and §8 of the Laws of Hammurabi impose. It further seeks to identify the criteria that determined the classification of certain objects as res sacrae and the legal and cultic consequences of sacrilegious theft.

Religious, Cultural, and Modern Influences on Tibetan Thangka Paintings

This research paper explores how cultural, political, and religious contexts have shaped the tradition of Tibetan Thangka paintings. The Tibetan Thangka acts both as religious sacred objects and as an artwork. My interest in this subject began when I first saw a tangka painting in real life, and I was so curious about this art style which led me to further investigate this topic. This research paper analyzed journal articles, looked at many thangkas from different time periods in different styles, and interviewed Tibetan and non-Tibetan people about their perceptions of a few Thangka paintings with varied styles. This study found out that Tibetan thangkas have changed by a lot of influences globally and locally, including political influences of mainland China and the western cultural influences. This research highlights the importance of preserving the spiritual and the culture of the Tibetan Thangka paintings and acknowledges that some are slowly adapting to become more modern.

Современные практики бытового ислама у лезгин Дагестана

The article is based on ethnographic field material collected in Lezgin villages The authors describe modern practices associated with the cult of Muslim saints and the veneration of pirs and ziyarat. These shrines are used by the local population in rituals of mantika, weather magic, “binding” the wolf's mouth and in traditional medicine. The origins of these views are in the antiquity and relate to early forms of religion – magic, animism, fetishism, shamanism, cults of ancestors, stone, wood and water. Being near sacred objects dictated to the ritual participants a certain ethics of contact with their boundaries, which (through attributes) emphasized their otherworldliness. With the Islamization of Dagestan, these forms of religious views were transformed and be-came an organic part of popular Islam, manifested in collective and individual prayers, the ritual of zikr, the distribution of sadakah (alms), performed in rainmaking rituals, agricultural rituals, and the healing of people and livestock from various diseases. The preservation of ancient pre-Islamic cults and practices in the ritual culture of the Lezgins and the Sufi form of Islam they profess in the first quarter of the 21st century testifies to their importance in the system of mental values, ethnic, na-tional, cultural and religious identities of the Lezgin ethnic group in the era of globalization.

Stylistic and architectural art trends of worldwide experience in designing orthodox churches and complexes

Currently, in the scientific and practical space of Ukraine, there is no substantiated and systematized concept of the sacred architecture of the Balkan countries and the countries of the near abroad. Many countries have experienced a number of important changes and transformations over the last fifty years, which undoubtedly influenced the development of sacred architecture. In this study, the author proposes to consider the modern development of Orthodox churches and complexes of the specified countries of world Orthodoxy. In order to solve the tasks, literary sources were analyzed, highlighting the peculiarities of the analysis of sacred architecture. The fundamental researchers of the analysis of modern architecture include: C. Jenks, O. E. Gutnov, V. L. Hight, A. V. Ikonnikov and others. Modern researchers in the field of design and analysis of sacred objects include the works of O. S. Sleptsova, Yu. I. Kryvoruchko, M. Yu. Kesler. Taking into account the diversity and multifacetedness of the studied sacred objects, this analysis helped establish the directions and criteria for the analysis of Orthodox churches. The article presents the results of the analysis of the practice of sacred design of temple buildings of the countries that are included in the list of Orthodox autocephalous churches of the World Orthodoxy, in particular the temple architecture of the countries: Poland, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Cyprus, Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Belarus. Most of the general finishing has close ties with historical prototypes and stylistic polyphony of development, primarily Byzantine architecture, South Balkan and other architectural schools of a certain region. Also, isolated cases of modern and innovative searches for the modern image of the national temple have been established. As illustrative material, the article is supplemented with images with an analysis of the influence of historical prototypes on modern samples, as well as a table indicating general trends.

BLASPHEMY LEGISLATION IN INDIA: SPOTLIGHT ON PUNJAB'S NEW LAW AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

This article delves into the contentious issue of blasphemy and the specific context of blasphemy laws in India, with a focus on the introduction of such legislation in Punjab, a state in northern India. Blasphemy, defined as the act of showing contempt or disrespect towards religious beliefs or sacred objects, has long been a sensitive subject with implications for religious freedom and social harmony. The article examines the historical and legal background of blasphemy laws in India, highlighting the recent development of Punjab becoming the first state in India to enact its own blasphemy legislation. Through an analysis of the Punjab blasphemy law, the article explores the provisions, controversies, and potential ramifications of such legislation on freedom of expression, religious tolerance, and communal harmony. It also considers the various perspectives surrounding blasphemy laws, including arguments for their necessity in protecting religious sentiments and arguments against them, emphasizing the potential for misuse and stifling of dissent.

Protection of sacred traditional cultural expressions: a perspective from Taiwan

In international debates regarding the protection of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs), some propose legal instruments with stronger sui generis protection for secret and/or sacred TCEs. But what would constitute stronger protection responsive to the needs of the holders of sacred TCEs? This article takes the Lalu case in Taiwan as a starting point for considering the sui generis protection of sacred TCEs, including what should be regarded as a protectable TCE and what is the proper scope of protection of sacred TCEs. The Lalu case reveals the difficulties of protecting Indigenous peoples’ essential sacred knowledge if a strict definition of TCEs is adopted. Therefore, this article reconsiders the idea–expression dichotomy and traditional knowledge (TK)–TCEs distinction by observing the characteristics of Indigenous peoples’ sacred culture and analyzing different international instruments related to TK/TCEs protection. Criticism of these dichotomies highlights the importance of the moral right, on the basis of which TCEs can be protected as a whole and the integrity of sacred culture can be maintained. Finally, this article discusses the possibility of supporting the protection of tangible sacred places or sacred objects by enhancing the sui generis right to sacred TCEs.

ІСНУЮЧІ ПІДХОДИ У РЕВІТАЛІЗАЦІЇ САКРАЛЬНИХ СПОРУД ТА КОМПЛЕКСІВ

Sacred objects play an important role as symbols of identity and traditions. It is noted that as a result of changes in society and technological progress, many of these buildings are at risk of neglect and destruction. The article explores different approaches to the revitalization of sacred objects, pointing to their role in preserving cultural heritage and creating active centers for different segments of society. Revitalization becomes an opportunity to open new chapters of history and create space for communities. Such projects help to preserve not only the material aspects of buildings but also allow them to renew their role in modern society. The revitalization of sacred buildings becomes an act of connecting the past and the present.

НОВІ ВІДКРИТТЯ, ПРОБЛЕМИ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ТА ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ ПІДЗЕМНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ ДАВНЬОГО ГАЛИЧА

The long history of changing ideas is considered and the hypothesis of the urban structure of ancient Halych of the 12th-13th centuries is demonstrated. according to archaeological sources. Based on the analysis of stratigraphic, planning and construction-technological features, the relative chronology of the appearance of the 16 studied relics of monumental architecture was established. The earliest monuments of the first half of the 12th century are examined in detail: an ensemble of palace buildings with a post construction of log walls, the use of a plinth and a tin roof on Kryloska Hill, a complex of churches on Tsarynka, the Church of the Savior on Karpytsia Hill, as well as other objects, on which recent discoveries have been made. The appearance of early sacred objects outside the city is explained by the gradual Christianization of the population of Halych. Analysis of the construction periodization of the Dormition Cathedral in the middle of the 12th century. allows you to review its graphic reconstructions until now and raise the question of developing a new hypothesis of the three-dimensional appearance of the building during the first construction period, from which the recently found detail of a large alabaster ornamentally decorated capital with traces of false gilding comes from. The results of architectural and archaeological soundings at the outer contours of the foundations of the Panteleimon Church confirmed the presence of regular external protrusions of the foundations, which calibrates the construction of the object together with the early paleographic dates of the early 90s of the 12th century. Part makes it possible to argue the use of a measuring foot of 30 cm. Attention is drawn to the problems of preserving a number of known architectural and archaeological objects and the search for unknown monuments by non-invasive research methods.

Representation of the Sacredness Phenomenon of Khortytsia Island and Cossack Culture by Means of Cinema and Photography

The purpose of the article is to analyse the means of cinema and photography used to represent the sacredness of Khortytsia Island and Cossack culture. To investigate the impact of audiovisual art on the perception and interpretation of the sacred aspects of Cossack culture and the history of Khortytsia Island as a sacred place through cinema and photography. The research methodology is to apply the following methods: theoretical (to analyse the source base of the study, collect information about the sacredness of Khortytsia Island and Cossack culture, review historical material, articles and scientific studies, compare information in these sources; select films and photographic materials that reflect the sacred aspects of Cossack culture and Khortytsia Island); comparative-analytical (to analyse the means of cinema and photography to identify the features and tools used to represent sacredness); empirical (to take photographs representing sacred objects and places in Zaporizhzhia). Scientific novelty. The article analyses for the first time how visual media can be used to preserve and reproduce the cultural traditions and intangible values of our people. The influence of audiovisual art on the formation of cultural discourse is investigated, and the role of visual culture in the modern world is studied. Conclusions. The article analyses the means of cinema and photography used to represent the sacredness of Khortytsia Island and Cossack culture. Examples of the successful use of cinema and photography tools and instruments to represent the sacredness of Khortytsia Island and Cossack culture are presented. It has been proved that these tools are effective in embodying the spiritual significance of the island in a visual form, helping viewers better understand and perceive the sacred aspects of the Cossacks and the history of Khortytsia, and can be used to preserve and reproduce cultural traditions.

The Embodiment of Orthodox Christianity in Central Asia: Sacred Objects and Orthodox Nationalism in Revolutionary Turkestan

The Embodiment of Orthodox Christianity in Central Asia: Sacred Objects and Orthodox Nationalism in Revolutionary Turkestan

О сакральных местах коренных малочисленных народов Севера в Арктической зоне Республики Саха (Якутия)

The traditional culture of the indigenous peoples of the North in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is one of the priority values, but the active industrial develop-ment in their places of residence in the Arctic zone implies the vulnerability of their traditional way of life. This necessitates the formation of measures to pro-tect and preserve traditional culture, lifestyle and habitat. Sacred objects are also included in the system of specially protected natural territories along with the ter-ritories of traditional nature use of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North. Taking into account the need to take urgent organizational measures to protect sacred sites and give them a legal status, work is underway in the republic to compile a Register of sacred sites of indigenous minorities of the North and their mapping. Taking into account the relevance of the work on compiling the Register, this article is devoted to the problem of sacred places of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North living in extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic zone of Yakutia. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the total area of the Arctic zone is 1,701 thousand square kilometers, which is 55.2% of the territory of the republic and which includes 13 territories of municipalities of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

‘Sacred objects’ display discredits Golgi and Ramón y Cajal’s rivalry: Q&A with curator Daniel Colón Ramos

‘Sacred objects’ display discredits Golgi and Ramón y Cajal’s rivalry: Q&A with curator Daniel Colón Ramos

ҚАЗІРГІ ҚАЗАҚ, ҚЫРҒЫЗ ЖӘНЕ ӨЗБЕК ӘҢГІМЕЛЕРІНДЕГІ ФОЛЬКЛОРИЗМДЕР

The article examines folkloric motifs as an active artistic unit describing the (post)colonial scene using comparative typological, qualitative interview, and genetic methods in contemporary Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uzbek stories. In the analyzed stories, superstitious prohibitions associated with the cult of the tree, the reasons for connecting toponymic legends with the work serve the interpretation of such folklore samples of diverse postcolonial significance, such as the motive of turning a person into a stone or mountain or mythical transformation. The wooden totem in the stories “The Tree of Life” by the rep-resentative of Uzbek literature, Muyassar Tilovova, and “The Deity of the Apple Tree” by the Kazakh writer Lira Konysa, taken as the object of study is defined as an archetypal image expressing historical periods, the national worldview of each people, then in the literary works “The Stone Bride” by Top-chugul Shaidullaeva and “Earth” by Sultan Raev demonstrates the mutual associative connection of the phenomena of the promised land, the native land in the consciousness of the ethnic group. Writer Serik Sagyntai’s “Monster,” in its theme, idea, and style, is considered a specific story based on a mourning motif about the deplorable situation of the Kazakhs in KarLag. The etymological aspect of the toponymic legend in the story “Stone Bride” by Isajon Sulton is comprehensively interpreted from a literary study perspective. During the analysis of the story, an examination of some views in science on the secrets of the universe and the miracle of nature, told concerning sacred places, was also studied. Along with the specificity inherent in the Turkic peoples in general, the images of sacred places and the holy tree, the native land, the mystical and religious properties, and the symbolic and semantic meaning of sacred objects are analyzed.

중국 장백산 신성한 사물의 변천에 관한 연구

In order to diachronically examine the transformation of the sacred things of Changbai Mountain China, based on historical sources, the study focused on the hierophany that occurred in the relationship between the religious culture of the peoples of the space of Changbai Mountain. The research results are summarized as follows. In the pre-Qing Dynasty era, the natural gods and animal gods of Changbai Mountain appeared as sacred objects, during the Jin Dynasty, the Changbai Mountain Shrine appeared as sacred objects, and during the Qing Dynasty, the mountain itself appeared as a sacred object and the Wangji Temple appeared as sacred objects. In modern times, the Bagua Temple and the Shanshenlaobatou were given divine status and regarded as sacred. Currently, when it is transformed into a tourist destination, the newly designated sacred objects only serve as tourist resources. The sacred area of Changbai Mountain expanded from an area where ethnic groups worked for survival during the pre-Qing Dynasty when it came under the imperial regime, and shrank into a living area for immigrants during the modern era. Now, as it has been transformed into a tourist destination, the sacred area has disappeared.

傳記的 관점에서의 지석묘 상석

Dolmen capstones in the Bronze Age remained on the ground even in later times and existed in people's consciousness, forming their own biography as part of the landscape. During the Bronze Age, the so-called Altar dolmens were a symbolic megalith as a place of ritual. Even in ancient times, megaliths such as dolmen capstones were used as objects of faith. In the case of the Goryeo Dynasty, it can be seen from the literature records that dolmens were considered sacred objects. On the other hand, in the case of the Joseon Dynasty, cases used for folk beliefs in various ruins have been confirmed, and it is still used as a place of faith in various parts of the country and is designated as a monument by local governments. Therefore, dolmen capstones are archaeological materials with ritual continuity from prehistoric times to modern society. And many stories have been told in dolmen capstones since ancient times. Among them, ‘Mago Grandmother’ often appears as the main character of the story of giants related to shrines, fortresses, and rocks as well as dolmens. Mago, who appears in ancient literature, was a young fairy admired by the intellectuals, and since the late Joseon Dynasty, she has changed her appearance to a female giant who is friendly to the common people. The appearance of a female god deeply penetrating the folk beliefs of the common people has continued from the late Joseon Dynasty to the present through dolmen capstones. In addition, dolmen capstones next to the ancestors' tombs were not just rocks, but were considered a sacred symbol protecting the family, so they should not be damaged or moved recklessly. As such, megaliths installed in the prehistoric times had a very deep relationship with the lives of later people. Dolmen capstones, the object and place of rituals, have continued to serve as social and personal medium of memory throughout various periods to the present. While rituals for megalithic monuments in the Bronze Age were collective events led by the ruling class, since the Middle Ages, they have often been held at the level of personal wishes along with village rituals. The tendency of weakening collectivity and strengthening individuality in the megalithic faith will continue beyond modern society to future society.

Book review: Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. A short global history of holy mountains since 1500

Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. A short global history of holy mountains since 1500. 155 pp. 11 figs. The White Horse Press. Winwick 2023. ISBN 978-1-912186-716, 30 £. eISBN 978-1-912186-72-3, OA ebook.Mathieu, Jon: Mount Sacred. Eine kurze Globalgeschichte der heiligen Berge seit 1500. 192 pp. 11 figs. Böhlau. Wien 2023. ISBN: 978-3-205-21702-2, eISBN: 978-3-205-21703-9, 35 €.
 The topic of sacred mountains has been fascinating for mountain researchers that had access to varied peaks on different continents and opened up comparative perspectives. Edwin Bernbaum’s (1990) famous book on Sacred mountains of the world was published a generation ago at the same time when Karl Gratzl (1990) edited his book on Die heiligsten Berge der Welt. It was a time when the human sphere of mountain regions attracted more attention by anthropologists, archaeologists and geographers. Embedded in a less prophane approach their descriptive books hinted towards more rigorous studies on indigenous practices and rituals, emphasized the historical rootedness of mountain communities and led to changing appreciations over time on the path to highlighting mountain exceptionalism and its exalted representation of pristine environments.The recent publication of Jon Mathieu’s Mount Sacred is a welcome reflection about how mountains became sacred objects and sanctified entities covering a period of half a millennium. The author, himself an authority on European Alpine history, has been fascinated by global mountain studies earlier on in his seminal work on the ‘third dimension’ (Mathieu 2011). This as well as the present book were simultaneously published in German and English.It is fascinating to read how sacred mountains have been created and imagined, how belief systems and scientific approaches shaped the perception of mountain peaks. The opening two chapters are devoted to an enquiry that is inspired by seminal works on Eurasian studies with a focus on place and position of mountains in structuring human environments, environmental control and scientific approaches. Eight chapters are devoted to selected mountains, among which we find at the beginning Mount Kailash and at the end Uluru. The former has probably gained the highest attention among Western readers and has been further promoted since being popularised as the ‘holiest mountain’ (Tichy 1937) suggesting a hierarchy of sacredness. In contrast, Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock in Australia, has been rather neglected in the above-mentioned books, probably because the mountain towers only 350 metres above the surrounding plains. Uluru has gained in popular appreciation and became a symbol in the recently debated treaty for Indigenous Australians.The two cases from China and Korea – Tai Shan and Paektusan/Changbaishan – have been canonized in their respective political contexts. Beginning with ritual importance and a deep historical rootedness they have been instrumentalized for less religious purposes and fixed on the political maps of China and North Korea. Presenting cases from the Christian realm in the European Alps seemed to be more challenging as there were pilgrimage places in villages and valleys, rather than a tradition of attributed sacredness and mountain worship on Alpine peaks and passes. Jon Mathieu entertains the reader with a number of anecdotes and historical turns in placing crosses there and in a subsequent chapter on erecting crosses in Italy and neighbouring countries on places in order to celebrate Catholic Christians’ persistence at the beginning of the 20th century. Here a comparison with the wider Himalayan arc and its manifold iconography and materiality on passes, springs and rivers would have been interesting because of its pilgrimage practices, plentiful stocks and great variety of expression and ritual veneration. The chapter devoted to North America puts the Black Hills where Black Elk and Lakota Sioux used to pray to their ‘six grandfathers’ (Tunkasila Sakpe Paha) into the centre of attention; it is the same place where the conflict about Mount Rushmore with the rock sculptures of four American presidents emerged. Competition about sacred places occurs as well where adventure sports and rock climbing take place in spiritually laden or only respected places and peaks. This applies for North American national parks obviously more than for the East African volcanoes; the latter having become attractive tourism destinations with the Kilimanjaro and victims of myth creation. Marketing of mountains has often contributed to generating legends and stories about alleged sacredness and spiritual capacities of mountains. In this context many more prominent case studies and mountain regions would come to our mind that are not covered or mentioned in this book. Jon Mathieu made his selection in order to investigate the underlying processes of creating Mount Sacred.Jon Mathieu’s approach to unearth the roots of the sacredness of some mountains and telling us revealing stories about influential actors and changing factors over time has resulted in an entertaining and enlightening text that broadens the horizon of mountain veneration. His book is highly recommended to interested members, promotors and curious visitors of mountain communities.

Great Evacuation of Vilnius in 1915

Due to the threat of Vilnius being captured by the approaching German troops, the tsarist authorities decided to hastily move to the empire not only government administration units, industrial plants, and educational and financial institutions, but also the most valuable resources of cultural institutions, movable sacred objects, and Russian monuments. The population leaving the city also took with them valuable items, including objects of historic and commemorative value, as well as works of art. At the time, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania suffered colossal losses of movable cultural heritage objects collected over several centuries. Thanks to the dignified attitude of the local community remaining in Vilnius, it was possible to partially secure and save many items of cultural property from being exported, destroyed or dispersed.

The Cabinets of the Sacristy of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan and the Representation of Architecture

After Beatrice d’Este’s death in 1497, the duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro, commissioned cabinets for the storage of sacred objects (‘armariis ... ad res sacras custodiendas’) for the sacristy of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where he planned to be buried. Although the archival sources are not unanimous, the cabinets are identifiable with those that nowadays occupy the eastern and western walls of the Dominican room, decorated with coats of arms and mottos of the Sforza family. Existing scholarship focuses on the cabinets’ unusual decorative technique and the general composition of the cycle, based on a calculated perspective, but their place within a broader architectural culture has largely gone unnoticed. Whilst the question of their attribution remains open, this paper argues that the buildings depicted in the background of the biblical scenes give us an insight into the architectural and figurative practice of the anonymous masters.