SACRAL AND CEREMONIAL STRUCTURES IN EVENTS DEDICATED TO THE "BRÂNCOVEANU YEAR"

Abstract

The ceremonial structures of heroic myths have perpetuated in true "histories" of common events, with distinct sacred and ritual charge. Depending on the context of a certain era, the cult of heroes or martyrs - original and ancestral - gave substance to people, nation-states or religions. Many ceremonies and festivals are celebrating and commemorating events or personalities through manifestations built on consecrated scenarios and make use of certain, sacred symbols which function as memory bridges (lieux de mémorire) between generations. The martyrdom of Constantine Brâncoveanu and his sons had its 300th commemoration in 2014. This article aims to analyze, from the perspective of media anthropology, the ceremonial and sacred structures of events that marked the "Brâncoveanu Year" and the construction of Constantin Brâncoveanu’s martyric image as reflected by the press.

Keywords

• ritual
• ceremonial
• mass-media anthropology
• constantin brâncoveanu