Arhetipuri, simboluri și însemne în tradițiile prenupțiale la românii de la est de Prut

Abstract

Prenuptial customs represent the preliminary stage of the wedding. They include three main segments: matchmaking / the role of the intermediary, engagement / betrothal, and the response. In certain situations, through the custom of “stealing” / “eloping with the girl” or through the act of the girl “the girl sitting/ standing on the oven” the matchmaking or all other prenuptial segments may be bypassed. The essence and the mechanism of the impact of prenuptial customs on the main protagonists, participants, and the community can be more effectively revealed by studying the archetypes, symbols, and signs present in their unfolding.