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objects whose function coułd not be satisfactorily explained by economic or military considerations, have been arbitrarily classified as sanctuaries by researchers, to whom they seemed shrines of gods. Such practices madę other historians over-critical. In the context of numerous explored strong-holds and settlements, the relatively smali number of discovered sanctuaries, especially in the area where they were common according to written sources, is rather surprising. Just as many non-sacred objects have been precipitously identified as cult places, similarly some shrines might have been classified as secular constructions, which may be exemplified by the traces of some large buildings which possibly served as cult halls.

Written sources do not answer the question how the locations for sanctuaries were chosen and marked. Primary Chronicie mentions that Vladimir founded some statues in Kiev, while Dobrynia erected an idol representing Perun in Novgorod, but in both cases they were added to the already existing shrines. The new tempie in Gutzkow was probably built in the place of the old one. We should not disregard legends conceming the origins of Slavonic towns and States. The stronghold and the tribal land were also fragments separated from the rest of the world and needing consecration (Czarnowski, 1956, vol. 3, p. 221-236). We should pay some attention to what Kosmas wrote (I, 2) about the Czechs taking possession of their land, which was completed on the mountain ftip. Ibrahim ibn Jacob informs us about the Slavonic techniąue of building strongholds, but not about accom-panying rituals. Thus, we have to tum to archaeological sources. Cult buildings and constructions do not reveal many traces of founding offerings. The case of Gross Raden indicates that the category of eternity and continu-ation was especially significant. According to Erbyggjasaga, Thorolf trans-ferred a pole with an image of Thor from his old tempie in Norway to Iceland, similarly the inhabitants of Gross Raden used the anthropomoiphic planks from the old shrine as foundations of the new one.

Temples and cult halls were certainly constructed in northem Polabia and western Pomerania, as written sources from the late lOthc. onwards prove. The thesis that the Slavs started erecting temples in the Uth-12thc. is incorrect. Excavations have shown that roofed cult buildings existed in Polabia as early as in the 8thc. The data conceming the remaining territories of Western Slavs and Eastern Slavs are much scarcer, but some mentions come from the 1 lth c. As excavations revealed remains of several roofed buildings that might have served as cult places in Bohemia, southem Poland and Ruthenia (the latter poorly documented), we are entitled to conclude that the view that the occurrence of temples in Slavonic territories was limited to Polabia and Pomerania has been questioned, although not definitely disproved.

Temples in the strict sense, i.e. roofed seats of deities subject to an absolute taboo, existed in Arcona, Radogość, Szczecin, Garz, and Wolgast. Apart from that, Szczecin had several cult halls. In other cases the distinc-tion between a tempie and a cult hall is not obvious. The example of Szczecin allows to assume that cult halls may have existed in Wolgast and Gutzkow, as the descriptions of these places suggest the presence of some cult buildings along with the specified, main shrines, in the territory of the Abodrites, whose ritual feasts are mentioned in Helmold, and in Ruthenia, as Primary Chronicie mentions prince Vladimir’s feasts. It is evident that the Szczecin cult halls were reserved for the nobles. Some buildings may have functioned as both temples and cult halls. The fact that some constructions (like in Chodlik and Ralswiek) consisted of two rooms leaves space for such a possibility.

Ali temples established location of an were situated close to water: a lakę, river or sea. Moreover, with the exception of Garz, water occurs always at the eastem or north-eastem side of the sanctuary, which reminds of the principle of orientation of sacrificial places in the Vedic religion (Gonda, 1978, p. 132). The role of the tempie as the centre of the world was sometimes stressed by situating it on a hill or a cliff. The tribe that control-led the main tempie, for instance the Redars among the Lutizens, regarded themselves as living in the centre of the world, and thus related in a special way to gods or the most powerful god, which is evident from the Rans’ attitude to Sventovit.

Ali the temples were built on the rectangular plan and their comers or walls were orientated towards the four quarters of the world. If a building has got a definitely longer axis, it is sometimes orientated to the north--east, like in Gross Raden and Chodlik, but in Stara Koufim the situation is exactly reverse. Presumably, there was a principle goveming the location of the entrance: in Gross Raden, Parchim, Feldberg, and probably Ralswiek, Chodlik and Stara Koufim, it was at the western side. In Parchim, Gross Raden, Stara Koufim and the first tempie in Wolin, no traces of internal walls were found. In Arcona the cella was supported by four pillars and covered with curtains. The tempie in Garz lacked exterior walls and the statuę was sheltered only by the roof and curtains stretching between the pillars. The type of wali construction using anthropomorphic poles, known from Gross Raden, was related to the interior decoration of the shrines in Arcona, Radogość, Szczecin and perhaps Gutzkow, if descriptions in sources are accurate. Also in Parchim the poles forming the tempie walls might have been topped with anthropomorphic heads.

In Arcona and Radogość the shrine constituted the main element of the surrounding tempie stronghold. In Arcona it was additionally separated from the rest of the area by a ditch, like in Feldberg. The temples in Arcona and Garz stood in the middle of special yards. Traces of a similar arrangement have been discovered in Wolin. The cult halls in Gross Raden and Parchim were situated at a certain distance from the rest of the settle-ment. The tempie in Wolin, described in The life from Prufening, could be entered only through a special bridge. There were also other elements

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