The Feminine Imaginarium in Traditional Legends about Fate (The Predestined Death – ATU 934)<br>Feminini imaginarijum u predanjima o sudbini (Predodređena smrt – ATU 934)</br>

Abstract

This paper deals with the presentation of female characters in legends about fate (ATU 934) from Serbian sources. They appear as the Fates, a bride, or a sister, and express various aspects of the feminine imaginarium. The Fates are chthonic in character and appear in a negative aspect. If the legends are reviewed in the light of rites de passage, they prevent the separation of a male hero from the chthonic world towards the status of a bridegroom. In some variants, the figure of a bride appears, as another aspect of the feminine imaginarium that sacrifices a part of her life, thus bringing about the hero’s successful separation and new integration.

Keywords

• fates
• folklore
• legends
• rites de passage
• separation
• chthonic
• folk belief tales