Humor and satire in the relationship between the Ukrainian people and the clergy (historical and source analysis)

Fundamental differences in the value categories of the Ukrainian people and the clergy have a long history. The specific attitude of the people to the representatives of the elite clerical caste of society in different historical periods had many contradictions. Ukrainians have deep respect for traditional religious cults for a long time, but openly mocked and distrusted church and clergy. At a time of growing anti-feudal popular sentiments, the clergy became an unconditional example of negative social behavior and the embodiment of a rigid state exploitative policy in the people's consciousness. Popular protest manifested itself in satirical and humorous folklore – fairy tales, fables, stories, parodies, jokes. Representatives of the clergy appeared in folklore in the form of greedy priests, prone to drunkenness and brawls, deacons who spent working and free time in the inn and at the gaming table. Folk artists sharply ridiculed the ignorance of priests and their unwillingness to perform their direct duties. The problems of the relationship between the clergy and the peasantry and its coverage in folklore were covered in ancient chronicles, stories, scientific and ethnographic publications of prominent researchers and representatives of the literary elite. In the XIX – early XX century most periodicals paid much attention to the publication of folk tales, jokes, poetic stories. For example, outstanding masterpieces of folk humor were „The Lamentation of the Kiev Monks”, which was first published in 1881 in the magazine „Russian Antiquity” and „Poem about Father Negrebetsky”, which was published in the „Notes of the NTSh” in 1905. humorous works are published in multi-volume books by P. Chubynsky, ethnographic collections by M. Dikaryov, collections by the outstanding philologist B. Hrynchenko, „Notes of NTSh” edited by I. Franko, etc. A large layer of folk anti-clerical humor was preserved in the form of folk jokes, the heroes of which were clumsy priests and uneducated flocks. Folk playgrounds and performances of „merrymakers” and buffoons were perceived by the priesthood as manifestations of demons. They violated the sacred dogmas of the church, and therefore were subject to destruction. But attempts to destroy the satirical and humorous folk tradition led to completely opposite results – laughter became a sharp weapon for the people, able to resist oppression and violence.