Research on Traditional Folk Knowledge on the Pages of “Folk Art and Ethnology” Journal

Author

Vasianovych Oleksandr

a Ph.D. in History, a deputy director for research of the State Scientific Center for Protection of Cultural Heritage from Technological Disasters (Kyiv, Ukraine).

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9360-6447

Research on Traditional Folk Knowledge on the Pages of “Folk Art and Ethnology” Journal

Abstract

The article is an attempt of a comprehensive analysis of the development of research on traditional folk knowledge (medicine, meteorology, astronomy, metrology, mathematics) on the pages of “Folk Art and Ethnology” journal during the century of its existence. The main thematic areas of ethnologists’ published works are identified: regional aspects and generalized studies of traditional folk knowledge of Ukrainians, features of folk knowledge of other peoples, interethnic mutual influences, etc.

The 1920s are marked by research on individual aspects of folk medicine, astronomy, mathematics. During the 1930s – the first half of the 1960s traditional folk knowledge has not been at all in the field of view of ethnologists. Since the second half of the 1960s separate studies on traditional folk knowledge have been started to appear. In the Soviet times scientific discourse is largely limited by ideological frameworks that leveled folk knowledge over the scientific one. Scientific published works are permeated with the search for a rational, applied side of traditional folk knowledge, the nullification of archaic worldview beliefs and ideas. Despite this, the achievements of Ukrainian ethnologists in the field of folk knowledge are based on a solid source base and do not lose their relevance to this day. The subject matter of scientific research has become richer, and their geographical boundaries have been expanded with the weakening of ideological pressure. Since the early-21st century, a number of regional studies on folk knowledge has increased, and studies by foreign authors have appeared.

Historiographic review of published works on folk knowledge is a rethinking of the journal’s scientific contribution to the study and preservation of the intangible cultural heritage of Ukrainians and other peoples, an attempt to comprehend the scientific interests of Ukrainian and foreign ethnologists. Despite the ideological layering, the relevance of research on traditional folk knowledge for modern ethnological studies remains.

Keywords

history of the scientific journal “Folk Art and Ethnology”, traditional folk knowledge, folk medicine, folk meteorology, folk astronomy, folk metrology, folk mathematics, historiography.

References

1. BEKH, Kateryna. Wedding and Marriage-Ritual Themes on the Pages of “Folk Art and Ethnology” Journal. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2025, no. 2, pp. 22–36. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2025.02.022. [in Ukrainian].
2. BOLTAROVYCH, Zoriana. From Ukrainians’ Folk Medicine (Methods of Disease Prevention as an Essential Element of the Traditional Folk Culture of East Slavic Peoples). Folk Art and Ethnography, 1991, no. 2, pp. 24–31 [in Ukrainian].
3. BOLTAROVYCH, Zoriana. From the Folk Medicine of Ukrainians of Polissia. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1986, no. 2, pp. 32–38 [in Ukrainian].
4. BORIAK, Olena. On the Issue of Modern Mechanisms of Functioning of Knowledge in Traditional Medicine (After the Materials from Mewspaper Periodicals). Folk Art and Ethnology, 2011, no. 1, pp. 38–45 [in Ukrainian].
5. BORIAK, Olena. Presentation of Traditional Medicine Topics in Ukrainian Internet Resources. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2010, no. 3, pp. 71–77 [in Ukrainian].
6. VARKHOL, Nadiia. Folklore of Ukrainian-Ruthenians of Slovakia. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2012, no. 4, pp. 33–45 [in Ukrainian].
7. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Meteorological Signs in the Folk Calendar of Ukrainians of Polissia. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2005, no. 2, pp. 86–92 [in Ukrainian].
8. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. The Similarity of the Weather of “Jewish Holidays” with Ukrainian Holidays. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2014, no. 2, pp. 75–83 [in Ukrainian].
9. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Folk Meteorology of Ukrainians of Polissia in the Context of Inter-Slavic Ties. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2005, no. 6, pp. 94–100 [in Ukrainian].
10. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Folk Meteorological Knowledge of Ukrainians in Electronic and Printed Media (Analysis of the Source Database). Folk Art and Ethnography, 2010, no. 4, pp. 69–75 [in Ukrainian].
11. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Harvest Forecasting by the Inhabitants of Ukrainian Polissia: Agrometeorological Experience. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2023, no. 4, pp. 61–68. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2023.04.061. 
    [in Ukrainian].
12. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Modern Meteorological Knowledge and Beliefs of the Hutsuls. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2013, no. 6, pp. 13–26 [in Ukrainian].
13. VASIANOVYCH, Oleksandr. Ukrainian-Jewish Ethnocultural Parallels (After the Materials of the Folk Meteorological Calendar). Folk Art and Ethnology, 2013, no. 2, pp. 69–77 [in Ukrainian].
14. ANON. Information about Folk Land Surveying. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1928, no. 9, pp. 5 [in Ukrainian].
15. ANON. Beliefs about Heaven. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1927, no. 6, pp. 3 [in Ukrainian].
16. HAIDAI, Mykhailo. The Potion Rite and Songs Associated with it. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1926, book 3, pp. 95–101 [in Ukrainian].
17. HANUS, Dzvenyslava. Folk Etiology of Childhood Diseases in the Ukrainian-Polish Border Region. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2016, no. 6, pp. 77–83 [in Ukrainian].
18. HOPPAL, Mihai. Hungarian Folk Tradition about Medicine. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2005, no. 3, pp. 26–34 [in Ukrainian].
19. Hudchenko, Zoia. One-Day Towel (According to the Memories of Displaced People from Radiation-Stricken Polissia). Folk Art and Ethnography, 1998, no. 1, pp. 94–98 [in Ukrainian].
20. DMYTRUK, Nykanor. From a New Life. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1926, book 2, pp. 31–37 [in Ukrainian].
21. DMYTRUK, Nykanor. Famine in Ukraine in 1921. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1927, book 4, pp. 79–87 [in Ukrainian].
22. DOROSHKEVYCH, Liubov. Folk Mathematics. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1929, book 8, pp. 152–167 [in Ukrainian].
23. DUMKA, Mykyta. Medicine of Carpathian Ukrainians. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1968, no. 5, pp. 45–46 [in Ukrainian].
24. ZINYCH, Volodymyr. Folk Mathematics and Metrology. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1967, no. 2, pp. 57–63 [in Ukrainian].
25. MINKO, Leonid. From Belarusian Folk Medicine. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1968, no. 6, pp. 56–60 [in Ukrainian].
26. MOISEI, Antonii. A Complex of Rituals for Invoking and Stopping Rain among the Romanians of Bukovyna. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2005, no. 4, pp. 45–52 [in Ukrainian].
27. MOISIIENKO, Viktor. On Pre-Christian Deities and Symbolic-Magical Clichés in Polissian Incantations. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1992, no. 2, pp. 43–49 [in Ukrainian].
28. ANON. People’s Calendar. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1926, no. 2, pp. 2–3 [in Ukrainian].
29. ANON. People’s Calendar. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1927, no. 3, pp. 6–8 [in Ukrainian].
30. ANON. People’s Calendar. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1927, no. 4, pp. 1–4 [in Ukrainian].
31. ANON. People’s Calendar. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1927, no. 5, pp. 1–2 [in Ukrainian].
32. ANON. People’s Calendar. Bulletin of the Ethnographic Commission of the UAS, 1927, no. 6, pp. 1–2 [in Ukrainian].
33. PETROV, Viktor. Belief in the Whirlwind and the Black Disease. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1926, book 3, pp. 102–116 [in Ukrainian].
34. PETROV, Viktor. The Mythologeme of the “Sun” in Ukrainian Folk Beliefs and the Byzantine-Hellenistic Cultural Cycle. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1927, book 4, pp. 88–119 [in Ukrainian].
35. PORITSKYI, Anatolii, Mykola PRYKHODKO. Let’s Study Folk Medicine. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1965, no. 4, pp. 69–72 [in Ukrainian].
36. POSHYVAILO, Oleksandr. Folk Counting Systems in Pottery on the Left Bank of Ukraine (19th–20th Centuries). Folk Art and Ethnography, 1988, no. 1, pp. 46–49 [in Ukrainian].
37. SYDORENKO, Olena. Traditional Folk Metrology. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1976, no. 4, pp. 61–68 [in Ukrainian].
38. TEMCHENKO, Andrii. Dialogue as an Information Model (After the Materials of Traditional Culture). Folk Art and Ethnography, 2005, no. 1, pp. 84–59 [in Ukrainian].
39. TEMCHENKO, Andrii. Time Categories in Ukrainians’ Folk Medicine. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2003, no. 1–2, pp. 106–112 [in Ukrainian].
40. TEMCHENKO, Andrii. The Mythologeme of Travel in the Locative Constructions of Ukrainian Medicinal Texts. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2020, no. 3, pp. 45–62. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2020.03.045. [in Ukrainian].
41. TEMCHENKO, Andrii. Semantic-Modulative Vowel Constructions in Ukrainian Medicinal and Ritual Texts. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2021, no. 1, pp. 31–45. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2021.01.031. [in Ukrainian].
42. TEMCHENKO, Andrii. Syntactic Figures of Incantations as a Suggestive-Psychological Mediator. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2002, no. 4, pp. 104–111 [in Ukrainian].
43. TERESHCHENKOVA, Sofiia. Belief in the Sun. Ethnographic Bulletin, 1928, book 7, pp. 133–137 [in Ukrainian].
44. TUREISKYI, Ihor. Ukrainian Folk Clothing in the Discourse of the “Folk Art and Ethnology” Journal. Folk Art and Ethnology, 2025, no. 3, pp. 23–39. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2025.03.023. [in Ukrainian].
45. FEDORIV, Oksana. Folk Meteorology of Ukrainians of Polissia. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1984, no. 6, pp. 52–55 [in Ukrainian].
46. FEDOROVYCH, Nadiia. The Sun in the System of Astronomical Concepts and Beliefs of the Ukrainian People (Based on the Records in the Villages of Uman and Mankivka Districts of Cherkasy Region). Folk Art and Ethnology, 2012, no. 1, pp. 89–95 [in Ukrainian].
47. FEDOROVYCH, Nadiia. The Milky Way in Ukrainian Legends and Poetry. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2001, no. 5–6, pp. 91–94 [in Ukrainian].
48. KHAKІMOVA, Nubar. Traditional Folk Medicine (Turkegare Folk Medicine and Folklore). Folk art and Ethnology, 2014, no. 1, pp. 59–61 [in Russian].
49. CHYBYRAK, Svitlana. Folk Metrology of Right-Bank Polissia (Mid-20th – Early 21st Century). Folk Art and Ethnology, 2019, no. 4, pp. 56–66. DOI : https://doi.org/10.15407/nte2019.04.056. [in Ukrainian].
50. SHVYDKYI, Serhii. Wild Herbs in the Folk Medical Culture of the Population of the Ukrainian Slobozhanshchyna (Mid- to Late 20th – Early 21st Century). Folk Art and Ethnology, 2011, no. 6, pp. 45–52 [in Ukrainian].
51. SHKARBAN, Andrii. Along Milky Way Paths: Findings of Folk Herbal Treatment Recipes. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1991, no. 5, pp. 62–64 [in Ukrainian].
52. SHUMSKYI, Kostiantyn. Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Belarusians and Their Transformations in the Mid- to Late 20th – Early 21st Century. Folk Art and Ethnography, 2009, no. 6, pp. 42–49 [in Ukrainian].
53. SHCHERBІNA, Konstantіn. An Experimental Program for Collecting Data on Folk Mathematics. Poltava: Poltava Governorate Statistical Committee Publishing House, 1893, 18 pp. [in Russian].