Ancestral Worship in the Context of Archaic Beliefs in Adam Mickiewicz’s Poem "Dziady": Polissian Parallels

Abstract

This article explores the cult of ancestors in the Polissian region as depicted in Adam Mickiewicz’s poem Dziady. The poem’s narrative is structured around ethnographic, demonological, and mythological elements within the framework of ancestral worship. While Dziady carries political undertones, it also offers a vivid portrayal of regional culture in its spiritual dimension. The author conveys the idea of national unity in the struggle for freedom through the traditional essence of the people, conceptualized as an ethnic collective. The foundation of ancestral worship expresses a profound sense of unity across generations and kinship groups, nurturing a fundamental human aspiration for immortality—both individual and sociocultural. Polissia is portrayed as an archaic stronghold of folk belief, not only in terms of cult practices and associated rituals but also as a site of cultural, historical, and existential self-identification. The poem presents one of the core traditions of ancestor veneration in Polissia: the commemorative ritual system observed during the celebration of Didy (the ancestors), encompassing a rich array of rites tied to the preparation of ritual foods and appropriate conduct in the presence of the dead. With the advent of Christianity in the territories of present-day Polissia, folk beliefs became syncretized with the new religious system, giving rise to a dual-faith philosophy that further reinforced the concept of human immortality.