Legends and myths as intangible heritage

U ovom radu ću predstaviti mitove i legende kao dio nematerijalne baštine, koje je njihovo značenje te kako ih se prezentira. Mitovi i legende su folklorne priče, a razlikuju se po tome što mitovi govore o izmišljenim događajima i najčešće nadnaravnim bićima, dok legende češće opisuju stvarne događaje ili verziju stvarnih događaja obogaćenu fantastičnim elementima. Oni su od kulturne važnosti jer su dio tradicije naroda i dokaz o načinu života naših predaka te njihovom pogledu na svijet. Tokom povijesti su se prenosili s koljena na koljeno usmenom tradicijom, a kasnije su znali biti i zapisani. Često su same priče bile vezane uz tradicionalne plesove i glazbu, a danas su najčešće tako i sačuvane kao dio nematerijalne baštine. To možemo vidjeti u primjerima poput Gióng festivala hramova Phù Ðông i Sóc ili Gelede ceremonije Yoruba naroda. Oba se primjera ujedno i nalaze na UNESCO-ovoj listi nematerijalne baštine svijeta. U Hrvatskoj imamo primjer Picokijade, festivala u Đurđevcu, koji se temelji na Legendi o picokima. Mitovi i legende mogu biti vezani i uz materijalnu baštinu, što možemo vidjeti u primjeru mitološkog kralja Minosa i mita o Minotauru te arheološkog nalazišta Knos. Također, u umjetnosti možemo vidjeti razne mitove i legende kao teme skulptura ili slika, primjerice Rođenje Venere S. Botticellija.In this paper I will present myths and legends as a part of intangible heritage, what is their significance and how they are presented. Myths and legends are folklore stories, and they differ in the fact that myths talk about imaginary events and most often supernatural beings, while legends often describe real events or a version of real events enriched by fantastic elements. They are of cultural importance because they are part of the tradition of the people and proof of the way our ancestors lived and their worldview. Throughout history, they were passed on from generation to generation, through oral tradition, and later on they were written. The stories themselves were often related to traditional dances and music, and today they are mostly preserved as a part of intangible heritage. We can see this in examples such as the Gióng Festival of the temples of Phu Ðông and Sóc or the Gelede ceremony of the Yoruba people. Both examples can also be found on the UNESCO's lists of intangible world heritage. In Croatia, we have Picokijada, a festival in Đurđevac, which is based on the Legend of the Picoki. Myths and legends can be connected to tangible cultural heritage, which can be seen in the example of the mythological King Minos and the myth of Minotaur and the archaeological site Knos. Also, in art we can see various myths and legends as a theme of sculptures or paintings, such as the Birth of Venus by S. Botticelli