St. Nicholas and St. Cornelius, transcultural relations

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine a selection of folk custons, beliefs and legends associated with St. Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker, focusing on their diverse typological features and the problems arising from their mutual intertwining.The first section discusses the ritual complex connected with St. Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker (4^th century). The second part analyses narratives about St Nicholas and John Cassian the Roman (Cassian, 3^rd century) as confirmations of the hagiographic canon and as explanatory models. The third part explores the convergence between giant folklore and saintly traditions, historical sources and oral history drawing on texts concerning Hegumen Cornelius of Pechory (16^th century).

The analysis demonstrates the importance of St Nicholas and shared motifs with giant-like saints such as St. Christopher (3^rd century), as well as parallels with Christian and Islamic holy figures, gods and heroes. Particular attention is given to biblical motifs, historical reinterpretations, and narrative entanglements surrounding the death of Hegumen Cornelius, and the positioning of St Nicholas as a restorer of justice.

The comparative folkloristic approach draws on early 20^th century texts recorded among Russians and Setos in Southeastern Estonia, as well as contemporary fieldwork materials from Belarus. Both the Setomaa and Belarusian belief traditions reveal a rich repertoire of motifs and suggest that these regions shared, to a significant extent, a common culturalhistorical paradigm.