The origins of literary texts and musical material of religious songs and chants associated with the Way of the Cross at Lithuanian Calvaries: is it a local tradition or a borrowed one?

Straipsnyje tyrinėjamas Lietuvos Kalvarijų Kryžiaus kelių giesmių literatūrinių ir muzikinių tekstų ištakų klausimas – ar jie yra vietos, ar atneštinės tradicijos? Tyrimo išvados pagrindžia darbo pradžioje iškeltą prielaidą, kad Lietuvos Kalvarijų Kryžiaus kelių giesmės daugiausia yra atneštinės iš Lenkijos analogų, bet jų melodijos nutolusios nuo originalųIn most cases, the origins of Lithuanian Catholic religious songs and chants (both originally created and translated ones) are far from being completely revealed and well examined even today. Contemporary Catholic hymnals usually consist of religious songs and chants meant for special yearly celebrations and feasts indicated in the Liturgical Calendar as well as hymns to the Saviour, the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, different saints and martyrs. Popular devotional traditions and prayer practices such as funeral canticles, Marian Hours, the Chanted Rosary of the Virgin Mary, the Chanted Rosary of the Holy Name of Jesus, the Chants of Lamentations, the Way of the Cross, the Way of the Cross at the Calvaries are never omitted, either. The prayer practice of the Way of the Cross at the Calvaries not only includes paying visits to the Stations of the Cross or special chapels and the performance of various religious rituals in front of them, but also places a special emphasis on the extensive repertoire of traditional songs, chants and hymns. Discussions about the originality of these songs and their authors are inseparable from the question of their succession. This problem is tightly related to the analysis of both original and translated hymns. The main objective of the research has been to reveal the origins of literary texts and musical material of the above-mentioned religious songs and chants. It is aimed to find a reliable answer to the question whether literary and musical notographic texts of different songs and chants typically associated with the Way of the Cross at Lithuanian Calvaries, should be regarded as a local tradition or as a borrowed one. Additional analysis might be useful if one is eager to entirely reveal the true meaning and originality of the devotional tradition to follow the Way of the Cross at Lithuanian Calvaries.[...]Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠvietimo akademij