Revista Română de Sociologie (Mar 2012)
The Sun: Profane Meanings in the Romanian Hora Dances in Northern Mehedinţi...
Abstract
In this work, we aim to present the way in which the “hora”, as a form ofmanifestation of folk culture, retains, in the rural area of Northern Mehedinţijurisdiction, certain elements of the pagan forms of manifestation of pre-Christianreligiousness – dating back to the Geto-dacians – afterwards coexisting andinterwoven with the Christian-Orthodox values.We also show one of the most expressive aspects of this phenomenon, namelythe way in which the sun is projected, through its complex form and meanings,implying the sacred perception of the world, but also as a source of warmth,protection, purification, at the level of the ludic compartment of social life. The horaphenomenon is depicted in 18 specific forms and followed within the currenttraditional daily life, as a means of perpetuating ancient beliefs, of Dacian origin, in apastoral-agricultural context, throughout life, as it is marked by its great moments:christening, wedding, funerals.
