Reakcje wiernych wobec chorób w świetle XVII- i XVIII-wiecznych ksiąg cudów z katolickich sanktuariów maryjnych na ziemiach ruskich Korony

Reakcje wiernych wobec chorób w świetle XVII- i XVIII-wiecznych ksiąg cudów z katolickich sanktuariów maryjnych na ziemiach ruskich Korony

The response of the faithful to disease in the light of the 17th and 18th century books of miracles from the Catholic Marian sanctuaries of the Ruthenian lands of the Polish Crown

Tomasz Dywan

There is no doubt that studies on ancient medical culture should take account into non-medical contexts of human behavior towards the disease. The analyzed records, considering that they were fi nally laid by the clergy, refer to the very wide range of devotees of Our Lady, therefore, their interpretation refers to the awareness of all members of the communities surveyed. Based on the records of the books of miracles of selected Marian sanctuaries, an attempt was made to analyze and interpret them in relation to the religious culture of the post-trient era. Then, scientifi c medical knowledge of that time, but above all to the broadly defi ned culture (customs, beliefs, local traditions). The author claims that excluding such context of the quoted sources would not make the understanding of the behavior of people towards the disease complete.

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