Klątwa w praktykach komunikacyjnych mieszkańców Grodziska Wielkopolskiego w XVIII wieku

Abstrakt

This article examines the significance of the curse in the communicative practices of the inhabitants of Grodzisk Wielkopolski in the eighteenth century, treating it as an expression of the persistence of oral culture. Drawing on the conceptual framework proposed by Anna Engelking, the author distinguishes six semantic spheres of the verb kląć (“to curse”): to curse, to excommunicate/expel, to cast a spell, to swear profanely, to adjure someone, and to swear an oath. Based on the court records of Grodzisk, the article demonstrates that words were held to have causative power — they could create or destroy social order. Curses served not only as verbal aggression but also as a tool for regulating relationships within the community. Spoken formulas, oaths, and curses were ritual in nature and produced tangible social effects.