Beliefs and superstitions during the construction of foundation for new houses then and today
Session
Architecture and Spatial Planning
Description
The man against the need to have as much living space as possible, through the construction of a new house, has also expressed a series of desires, which reinforce the social opinion, that the dwelling house solves many social problems, in the first place. But to be calmer spiritually, the person who has decided to build a new house, he continues to be influenced by some beliefs and superstitions, which have nevertheless played and continue to play an important role in Albanian society. Among these beliefs and superstitions that have accompanied the Albanian society are the slaughter of ram and in the absence of money, they slaughter turkeys and put their heads on the foundations.
In this paper, I will bring the data collected in the field in some ethnographic areas both in Albania and in Kosovo. Above all I will talk about the act of slaughtering a ram, or turkey that is associated with certain beliefs, such as the age of the ram, the turkey, sprinkling the foundations with blood, placing the head on the foundation, placing valuables in the ram or turkeys: gold rings, mirror, children's hair, cattle wool, and other beliefs during the opening ceremony of the foundations of residential buildings. The difference between the beliefs then and today, will be part of my work, understood from a social point of view.
Keywords:
House foundations, Ram head, beliefs, Ram mouth, rings, mirrors, etc.
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-550-47-5
Location
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
Start Date
30-10-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
30-10-2021 12:00 AM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2021.39
Recommended Citation
Cocaj, Nexhat, "Beliefs and superstitions during the construction of foundation for new houses then and today" (2021). UBT International Conference. 225.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2021UBTIC/all-events/225
Beliefs and superstitions during the construction of foundation for new houses then and today
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
The man against the need to have as much living space as possible, through the construction of a new house, has also expressed a series of desires, which reinforce the social opinion, that the dwelling house solves many social problems, in the first place. But to be calmer spiritually, the person who has decided to build a new house, he continues to be influenced by some beliefs and superstitions, which have nevertheless played and continue to play an important role in Albanian society. Among these beliefs and superstitions that have accompanied the Albanian society are the slaughter of ram and in the absence of money, they slaughter turkeys and put their heads on the foundations.
In this paper, I will bring the data collected in the field in some ethnographic areas both in Albania and in Kosovo. Above all I will talk about the act of slaughtering a ram, or turkey that is associated with certain beliefs, such as the age of the ram, the turkey, sprinkling the foundations with blood, placing the head on the foundation, placing valuables in the ram or turkeys: gold rings, mirror, children's hair, cattle wool, and other beliefs during the opening ceremony of the foundations of residential buildings. The difference between the beliefs then and today, will be part of my work, understood from a social point of view.