TREE CULT IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE INHABITANTS OF HERETI (BASED ON THE NEW FOLKLORE MATERIALS)

Abstract

T he proposed article discusses the materials preserved in historical Hereti, which were recorded among the populations of Alibeglo and Karamesha villages in the Qakh district. The paper includes stories and legends that are deemed noteworthy and interesting. These stories are important for the advancement of the historiography and for promoting cultural awareness within the Georgian people. The inhabitants of Hereti have successfully maintained the beliefs and traditions passed down from their ancestors, in spite of past misfortunes. It is worth emphasizing the special reverence for “sacred items” and saints that we encounter in their corpus of memories, mirroring the identical attitude found in common Georgian folklore. Therefore, the folklore materials preserved in the consciousness of local residents resonate with common Georgian materials, affirming that Hereti has always been an integral part of Georgia. Overall, there has been limited research on the above-mentioned materials. We believe that researchers will find them intriguing and worthy of further exploration.