The Feast of Corpus Christi in Croatian Catholic Church-folk Cultural Heritage

Tijelovo (Svetkovina Presvetog Tijela i Krvi Kristove) uz Božić, Uskrs, Veliku Gospu i Sve svete najveći je katolički blagdan. U radu se daje osvrt na povijest slavljenja Tijelova i čudesa koja su se dogodila po zagovoru Presvetoga Tijela i Krvi Kristove. Svetkovina Tijelova, međutim, nije pobudila znanstveno zanimanje kod etnologa, antropologa i filologa. Zbog iznimno nedostatne literature o Tijelovu u hrvatskoj katoličkoj crkveno-pučkoj baštini u radu se navodi i interpretira pedesetak suvremenih terenskih zapisa koji su nastajali prethodnih dvadesetak godina u Republici Hrvatskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini, Srbiji i Crnoj Gori. Štovanje Presvetoga Tijela i Krvi Kristove u hrvatskoj katoličkoj kulturnoj baštini ogleda se u mnogim crkvama, kapelama, naseljima, župama posvećenim Presvetom Tijelu i Krvi Kristovoj, pobožnostima, molitvama, zavjetima, postu, procesijama, hodočašćima, kićenju kuća, procesijama, pučkim veseljima. Socijalnu i estetsku funkciju imaju običaji kićenja kuća, uređivanja mjesta kroz koja prolazi procesija kao i vješanja ručnih radova po prozorima, balkonima i terasama kako bi to sudionici u procesiji vidjeli. Uz Tijelovo hrvatski puk veže običaje koji imaju apotropejsku i panspermijsku funkciju te vrši određene divinacije. Ti običaji drevnoga su pretkršćanskog postanja, ali su ih Hrvati kristijanizirali.The Feast of Corpus Christi (Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ) is, along with Christmas, Easter, Assumption of Mary and All Saints Day, the greatest Catholic feast. The paper brings an overview of the history of celebration of Corpus Christi and miracles that occurred through the intercession of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. However, the Feast of Corpus Christi has not raised the scientific interest of ethnologists, anthropologists and philologists. Because of the exceptionally insufficient literature on the Feast of Corpus Christi in Croatian Catholic church-folk heritage, the paper presents and interprets around fifty contemporary field records which have emerged in the last twenty years in the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Monte Negro. The observance of the Feast of Corpus Christi in Croatian Catholic cultural heritage is reflected in many churches, chapels, villages and towns, parishes dedicated to the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, in devotions, prayers, vows, fasting, processions, pilgrimages, house decorations and folk festivals. Social and aesthetic function is reflected in the customs of house decorating, tidying up the places where the procession is passing as well as hanging the needle-works on the windows, balconies and terraces to be seen by the procession participants. Croatian folk connects the Feast of Corpus Christi with customs that have apotropaic and panspermia function and performs certain divinations. These customs are of ancient pre-Christian origin, but the Croats have Christianized them