Gáti Csilla (szerk.): A Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 54., 2016-2017 (Pécs, 2017)
RÉGÉSZET - Gábor Olivér: Az avarok meghatározása és mitológiája
A Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve ( 2017 ) 346 Régészeti tanulmányok Lőrinczy Gábor 60. születésnapjára. Opitz Archaeologica MTA BTK MÖT Kiadványok 2. Budapest, pp. 409–425. Wenskus, R. 1961 : Stammesbildung und Verfassung. Das werden des frühmittelalterliches Gentes. - Köln–Graz, 672 p. Werner, J. 1950 : Zur Enzstehung der Reihengräberzivilization. - Archaeologica Geographica 1: 23–32. Werner, J. 1953 : Slawische Bronzefiguren aus Nordgriechenland. - Berlin, 12 p. Werner, J. 1984 : Zu den Bügelfibeln aus den völkerwanderungszeitlichen Brandgräberfeldern Masuriens. - Germania 62/1: 74–77. Wiesner, P. 1983 : Style and social information in Kalahari San projectile points. - American Antiquity 48: 253–276. Wolfram, H 1979 : Die Goten. - München, 596 p. Zoll-Adamikova, H. 1990 : Slawisch-avarische Grenzzone im Lichte der Grabfunde. - A Wosinszky Mór Múzeum Évkönyve 15: 97–102. Identification of Avars and their mythology Olivér Gábor ?e depictions on excavated artefacts unified Avar material of the 8 th centurian culture shows, that they should have had common mythology and identity, too. To research this lost mythology, it important to describe the ethnicity of the Avars, even if not only the their contemporary identity was flexibile, but the assesment of the past is always changing and the birth of an ethnic and its origin myth is also just a construction. Avar mythology should be a fragmentarily reachable part of their Traditionskern , which should point the inner characteristics of their ethnicity. ?erefore, alongside the question of ethnicity, the mythological fragments will be the focus too. ?e mixed and uniformed Avar mythology of the 8th century (which is actually lost) should be of partly Eastern and partly of antique European origin. ?e Eastern steppean elements (ultimately Mesolithic heritage), were fetishtic, totemistic and shamanistic components, which came from the contemporary steppean world. ?e Hellenistic and antique motifs were conveyed mainly by Byzantium. ?ere is no doubt that, as a part of the Avar mythology, there was a Genesis story (with tree of life, astral symbols, and god Tengri), an origin story of the princely family (Turul), origin myths of the folks (totem animals), legends of heroes (fighting against animals, fighting/hunting prince) and also helping animals and malefic demons.
