Kapliczka na ul. Prądnickiej. Fot. Bogusława Kania
A little shrine on Pradnicka st. Photo by Boguslawa Kania
Misty morning
The cross on the Holly Mountain near Lubawka, Poland, in Krucze Mountains.(via ran-tes)
roadside shrine
Polish ethnographers claim that kapliczki, or roadside shrines, have their origins in ancient pagan traditions and Christian religious beliefs. In the times of our ancient pagan ancestors, the outer boundaries of a village or the place where two roads met, was considered to be an evil place where unfriendly spirits waited to pounce upon the unsuspecting traveler. By the same token, certain trees were seen as having magical powers. Water also had magical properties. Pagan shrines were placed at the feet of such sites and various cult activities occurred here. With the acceptance of Christianity, old beliefs and rites were hard to abandon. Our ancestors sought to protect their old beliefs yet incorporate the new faith. As a result, many kapliczki are found near trees that were believed to have magical powers such as linden, birch or sycamore trees. The mighty oak had similar properties as did evergreens. The linden, for instance, was considered especially sacred as protection against lightening and evil spirits. Later, within the Christian realm, the linden tree was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
www.polamjournal.com/Library/APHistory/WaysideShrines/unt…
(via rsta)
Kapliczka
Kapliczka z 1857 r., Szlak Orlich Gniazd, Olewin, 23 maja 2009 r.
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A little chapel from 1857, Eagles Nests Trail, Olewin, May 23, 2009
(via magro_kr)
