A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 39-40. - 1997-1998 (Nyíregyháza, 1998)

Néprajz - László Szathmáry: Beliefs Attached to Prehistoric Flint Implements

Szathmáry László Beliefs Attached to Prehistoric Flint Implements The author summarizes the animistic beliefs which attach to prehistoric flint implements. As the outlined data make it evident, the vernacular used for ancient stone implements is strikingly similar to the vocabulary of the recent body of beliefs. These designations are found to be associated with leather pendants {varjúköröm - rampion; varjúkarom „crow-claw"; szamárköröm - horseshoe) on one hand and the thunder and the lightning {Isten nyila - thunderbolt; mennykő- thunder-blast; égcsattanás - thunder-clap; lebkövek - „meteorite-like stones") on the other hand. As a third kind of denominations suggests, flint and obsidian „grow" {parlagi kova „flint from fallow ground"; varjúkova - „crow-flint"). From among all these denominations there are only two {mennykő - thunder-blast and kígyókő -snakestone) which are used to refer to polished stone implements. All the other designations are connected with chipped flint implements. It is remarkable, however, that the group of polished stone implements, part of which is widely known as kígyókő (snake-stone), include plenty of rounded quartz rock and flint rolled by rivers. Translated by the author László SZATHMÁRY Vasvári Pál Museum Tiszavasvári FM440, Pf 56. KITE Department of Human Biology Debrecen H-4010, Pf 6. 162