Pásztor Emília (szerk.): Sámánizmus és természethit régen és ma - Bajai dolgozatok 23. (Baja, 2019)

Peter Toth: Rituális tevékenység Szlovákiában a neolitikum és rézkor idején

Ritual practices in the Neolithic and Eneolithic in Slovakia

A peculiar scene was depicted on a carination of a storage vessel from Kosice-Barca-Cervenÿ Rak dated to the Early Neolithic. It shows an intentional rhythm of a human figure - orant and a bull, which indicates its significance in domestic rites (fig. 13). According to some researchers, bull symbolism is a reminiscence of the Early Neolithic symbols from Anatolia (c.f. Çatal Höyük; Kaminská - Kaczanowska - Koztowski 2008, 85). Another bull representation is known from Biha in the form of a pedestal. On

Fig. 12. Anthropomorphic vessel from Vcelince, dated to the Ózd-Piliny culture (after Furmánek 2004,16).

12. kép Ember alakú edény, Vcelince, Ózd-Pitiny kultúra (Furmánek 2004,16).

its back, there is a narrow hole for storing some content. Break marks on the pedestal suggest a presence of some other object (Pavúk 1981, 67).

Very realistic are plastic applications of bullheads on pottery of the Zeliezovce group from Stúrovo. A triangle on bull's forehead could symbolize fur or even a female gender. This scene as a whole could represent a fusion of male and woman principle. Unique is a depiction of a snake on the interior of a bowl from Dvory nad Zitavou, which was found in a grave (fig. 14). Snake for its regular skinning could have been a symbol of rebirth and part of the perception of the afterlife (Pavúk 1964,13-14).

In the Lengyel culture, animal depictions are appearing less frequently. Domestic animals and game can be recognized; from these can be mentioned a bull figurine with holes in the back from Santovka. With pierced knobs on the body, it was suitable for hanging. It was suggested they could be considered as domestic ritual items substituting a real cult facility used during occasional collective ceremonies (Pavúk 1997, 76). Representation of a bear-shaped vessel from

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