Myth in space
Project leader: Juraj Belaj
Collaborators: Vitomir Belaj, Sanjin Mihelić (Archaeological Museum in Zagreb)
Project pages: https://belaj.com/mit/
Project duration: 2014 – 2015
The multidisciplinary program of the Institute of Archaeology "Myth in Space" is aimed at popularizing a new scientific approach that explores and tries to interpret the principles according to which even unbaptized Slavs, after coming to our region, regulated the sacred space. Recent research has revealed three-membered structures (three points in space) which, with their location in space, symbolize the relations between the supreme Slavic gods. "Holy triangles" of this kind were a copy of the orderly holy heavenly world on earth, and the rites associated with these three points allowed annual renewal of vegetation, occasional renewal of tribal power and, in crisis situations, renewal of Order forces in the fight against Riots, Cosmos against Chaos.
The popularization program is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. It is carried out in environments where the aforementioned triangular mythological "stages" have already been noticed and researched. The program consists primarily of popular science lectures that present the topic and explain it in more detail on a specific local example. The lectures are accompanied by a moving exhibition in which the most important and most interesting aspects of the theory of the sacred space of the pre-Christian Slavs are presented to visitors on a dozen attractive free-standing panels.
The intention of this program is primarily to popularize scientific work, presenting its results at several points throughout Croatia, and precisely in areas where mythical three-member stages have been discovered. This also ensures the transfer of knowledge, especially to younger generations (school population). The program is at the same time the basis for further research on this topic, at the local level. They are possible by organizing working groups or sections, and the same model could help in further popularization and presentation of the findings. This would create lasting value and benefit for the tourist presentation of local areas, which would give impetus to the organization of educational trails and other ways of tourist improvement of space, and would contribute to building local self-awareness and heritage valuation.
