Front Corner Vs Oven Corner Analysis

Of the peasant village home, there had been a myriad of different artifacts and their paired beliefs that could be found specifically in the chulan. In the women’s portion of the izba, there were the two corners that fed into a set of beliefs. The front corner, also known as the red corner, represented the belief of spirituality and religion. Whereas the oven corner, the area in proximity to the door or oven, served as a juxtaposition to the former, being home to unholy beings. Such monsters as witches and devils seemed to show affinity for the area, plaguing the corner’s perceived rank and vile nature. Such beliefs seemed to associate to the artifact of the chimney and oven itself. As this was the most important part of the home itself, it …show more content…
As magic arose from ways to explain phenomena, the front corner, possibly depicting the physically and literal lightness of the room, could have played a role in such things (54). As light is primarily associated with good, it makes perfect sense as to why the front corner, or the red corner, could have gained its notoriety with associating with god and prayer. Opposingly, the oven corner, as it was positioned by the door or oven, been privy to less lighting, dimming the physical location. Having a location to link an idea to give it more of a sense of control over the magic that would occur within the peasant’s own home. In addition to the basic idea of light and dark, the location of the oven corner near an entrance or exit of sorts could very well have represented the very real fear of the unknown and foreign. What was not seen or was outside the home or village was always considered a threat, therefore the chimney and the corner itself was very susceptible to experiencing the entrance of what was seen as bad, in this case a magical force. As stated by Carlson, the presence of the red corner as a means of protecting the peasants from the evils of the oven corner plays into the idea there was a physical representation that protected them from the evil that could dwell beside them. Such a belief gave a sense of power, a way to be confident …show more content…
While the oven corner doesn’t necessarily carry over the belief in evil, it does continue on in the traditional belief in magic it had once carried. One such instance comes with the belief of Santa Claus entering the home through the chimney. While the modern day Saint Nick does so to deliver gifts to children for the holiday, connection still remains. Interestingly enough, the association with religion still exists, yet the magic that comes with it, has since transitioned from evil to good. The red corner, though not as directly correlated with modern practices can be viewed as a possible mantle or area that houses religious paraphernalia, such as a cross or icon. While it may not necessarily be a corner per say, there are still many that keep a designated area within their home dedicated to religion and prayer within the Christian religion. The Jewish religion more directly relates to the idea of corners. With the mezuzah, a way to protect the home from evil, being hung on corners and entry ways within the home, there is a clear correlation between the red corner and that of religious value in