Godparent Networks in the Parishes of Babino polje and Maranovići on the Island of Mljet in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

Temeljem relevantne literature i podataka iz matičnih knjiga rođenih za mljetske župe Babino Polje i Maranovići, u radu se analiziraju broj i spolna struktura rođenih i krštenih te običaji i praksa odabira krsnih kumova u toj izoliranoj otočnoj sredini. Razmatra se također i udio krštenja u slučaju opasnosti po život djeteta, dob djeteta na ceremoniji krštenja, obrazac dodjeljivanja osobnog imena, podrijetlo i socijalni status krsnih kumova, podudarnost prezimena kumova s prezimenom krštenika, njihovo krvno srodstvo, višekratna kumstva i slično.Based on data from the baptism registers of the parishes Babino Polje and Maranovići on the island of Mljet, the article examines godparenthood as a phenomenon of spiritual kinship and reflection of the development of social networks in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The research for this article was conducted with a goal to analyse the size and gender structure of births and baptisms, as well as the customs and practice regarding the choice of godparents in the small and isolated insular community. The authors have established the proportion of emergency baptisms, average age of the child at baptism ritual, naming patterns, origin and social status of the godparents, surname sharing between godparents and godchild, their blood relationship, multiple godparenthoods, etc. The research sample included 105 children from each parish: the analysis of data for the parish of Babino Polje was conducted within the time frame 1870–1872, and for the purpose of adjustment, the sample for the Maranovići parish was expanded to the period 1870–1875. The analysis has confirmed increasing demographic birth trends of male over female children. The study has drawn attention to the practice of trial marriage and 9.05% of illegitimate births, most children being eventually legitimated. Church baptism was commonly administered within three months from birth. At baptism, the infants most frequently had two godparents ("couple model": godfather and godmother), which reflected the spirit of the Tridentine Council. In terms of origin, at least 90.14% of godparents in both parishes came from the island itself, and most of them were farmers. Since parish registers do not provide any data on the kinship ties between godparents and godchild, this aspect was analysed by using the isonymy method (the incidence of surname sharing), despite certain methodological limitations, notably in the communities inhabited by a large number of persons sharing the same name and surname. The selection of godfather/godmother from the godchild\u27s family was very common, and probably designed against the narrowing of the marriage pool which, according to the Council, was a direct consequence of godparenthood