Kryžių kalnas - dvasinės kultūros objektas

Abstract

Nagrinėjamos netoli Šiaulių esančio Kryžių kalno atsiradimo aplinkybės ir vaidmuo dabarties kultūroje. Tai dvasinės kultūros objektas, meno paminklas - monumentalūs, meniški kūriniai ir kuklūs kryželiai. Ši nereglamentuota liaudies kūryba rodo lietuvių liaudies religinio meno ir dvasingumo tradicijas, kurios atskleistos nagrinėjant simbolikos ir religinių apeigų prasmę

The Hill of Crosses is 12 km north from Šiauliai city, not far away from the highway to Ryga. Nowadays it is under the subordination of Šiauliai diocese. People call this hill differently: Jurgaičiai, the Hill of the Castle, Jurgaičiai cemetery, the Hill of Crosses or simply the Holy Hill. Following the scientific principles, the author's aim is to question where the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses lies. The objectives of the research are the following: a) to present ethnological-historiographic sources of the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses; b) to reveal devotional practices of the spirituality on the Hill of Crosses; c) to do research and present ritual customs of the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses. The conducted research enables to draw the following conclusions: 1. Traditionally the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses is expressed by placing the symbol of the cross, by 14 Stations of the Cross and the Rosary in the Name of Jesus - folk devotional and ritual practices; 2. The innovation in the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses consists of singing different charismatic hymns or prayers with the accompanying of guitars, organizing nocturnal vigils and concerts. These are the ways of modern young people to express their spirituality and devotions; 3. The research claims that nowadays the spirituality on the Hill of Crosses cannot be controlled. Spontaneous building of religious monuments, singing of new prayers and hymns will still be popular in future because of their vitality. The Hill of Crosses is the symbol of modern Catholic Lithuania. The conclusions made substantiate the hypothesis of the research, that the spirituality of the Hill of Crosses is a mound, holy place of the pilgrims, the castle of the spirituality of the devotional practice of the cross, its defensive cemetery and the religious cult place