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Abstract

The aim of the present article is to analyse the image of Jews in the Lithuanian folklore. Folklore reflects relicts of religious, estate and ethnical reticence as well as reactions to other of modes of life, customs, psychology, cases of disagreement between peasants and tradesmen. The majority of folklore about Jews is international because superstitious beliefs about Jews who maltreat Christians were spread all over the Europe and the attitude towards them was similar everywhere. The Jew infidel is the most popular theme. Different customs and mode of life, influenced by Judaism, are often described in folklore. The second theme according to popularity is a different social stratum. A jew is portrayed as a tradesman or innkeeper. In addition, such features of character as avidity, tortuosity, selfishness, importunity, and timidity are mocked. The masks representing Jews raised the same characteristic features found in folklore. That is why we can say that they show the main differences (profession, clothing, anthropological and temper features) between the Lithuanians (and all Christians) and the Jews. Even when the image of the Jew is negative, folklore does not fix elements of anti-Semitism. Most negatively he is represented as a culprit. This guilt is connected with crucifixion and ritual murders of Christians. Beside negative features, ambivalence in the characterization of the Jew can be observed: sometimes he is a victim of cheating but he is also able to win against others by tricking them. In the other part of folklore his image is neutral: he is merely different.