The bachelor’s thesis titled Mary – Mother of God and Man in Selected Slovenian Folk Songs researches the parallels and deviances between the Bible, the teachings of the Catholic Church and Slovenian folk tradition. In the beginning, it concentrates on folk songs and their features. It continues with the teachings – these are presented in the Bible and as features of the Catholic Church – concerning Mary, especially Mary as a mother. Based on selected Slovenian folk songs, the thesis later on focuses on different aspects of Mary – Mary as the Mother of God and humans as well as on the relationship with Jesus, Joseph and other people. Therefore, in the songs the thesis searches for simple folk explanations and understandings of events such as Jesus’ conception and birth, the role of Joseph, and Mary’s role under the Cross and in the Kingdom of God. The songs are divided into sections in the thesis, in the end of each song, there is an analysis.
Analyses find that certain deviances and nonsenses occurred between teachings and folk interpretations in the songs that were chosen. Certain Biblical events are enriched with longer descriptions, added dialogues and allegories. Thus, we can deduce, that singers and creators of folk songs were familiar with the Bible and teachings of the Catholic church, although deviances from the teaching did occur within the songs themselves.
Despite the deviances, the intention of the created songs was not to spread the Catholic teachings and, therefore, we cannot label the songs as false teachings, especially because they utilised different Biblical stories as their narrative frame.
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