CAVE OF IAPODES AND ITS PETROGLYPHS AN EARLY SLAVIC SHRINE OFPERUN/KRESNIKSaaIskriSmrekar T

Abstract

Some intriguing petroglyphs were discovered in Cave of Iapodes northeast of Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, and the possibility of the cave being a ritual place of Early Slavs was soon put forward. In this paper we present some new finds about the petroglyphs, the cave, and its environments, to back up the conclusion that Cave of Iapodes with the petroglyphs really was an Early Slavic shrine, dedicatedtoPerunspecificallytoitslocalapparition,Kresnik.

1.Thecave

Japodska jama Cave of Iapodes/Iapodic cave alternative name Jama pri Trnovskem studencu A cave near Trnovo spring (Hrobat Virloget 2014) lies some 3 km NE from the town of Ilirska Bistrica,SloveniaroughlyinthemiddleoftheIlirskaBistricafossillandslide,at760melevation.

Figure1:insidetheCaveofIapodes.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.According to the Electronic Cadastre of Caves (2013) Cave of Iapodes is 15 m long and 8 m deep, classified as an overhang/grotto (spodmol, kevdrc). The entrance to the cave is a collapsed opening,

1

roughly oval shaped, 5 m by 3 m, and 3 m deep with precipitous walls. The cave is oriented roughly inanNNESSWdirection(fig.2).

Figure2:aroughgroundplansketchofCaveofIapodes.Drawingbyauthor.The cave has an overhang in the southern part and a lower level leading to a (now defunct) water source (or a manmade basin for retaining precipitation water). Inside the overhang on the eastern wallthereisarockyprotrusionontowhichthepetroglyphswerecarved.

2.ThepetroglyphsThe first report of the petroglyphs in Cave of Iapodes came in 2009 (Poklar 2009), and a preliminary studywasmadein2014(HrobatVirloget2014).There are two distinct groups of petroglyphs on the eastern wall of the cave, just inside the overhang. One an anthropomorphic figure is on the edge of a rocky protrusion, and the other group a overlapping collection of circles and lines can be found on the side of the protrusion, about one meter to the left (north) and half a meter down from the anthropomorphic figure. Both the lower parts of the protrusion are damaged according to Hrobat Virloget the damage is recent and manmade (fig.3).

2

Figure 3: a rough sketch of the protrusion with petroglyphs on the eastern wall of Cave of Iapodes. Drawingbyauthor.

2.1AnthropomorphicfigureThe anthropomorphic figure is carved on the edge of the protrusion, about 170 cm above the cave floor(fig.4a,b).

Figure4a:theanthropomorphicfigure.PhotocourtesyofK.E.G.andJ.L.The figure is 12,3 cm high and 15,2 cm wide, and the carving is 35 mm deep. It has a circular segment for a head, a line for a body, one hand that is crossed by two shorter lines, and wide straddled legs,givingtheoverallimpressionofastickfigureman.

3

Figure4b:theanthropomorphicfigure.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.,drawingbyauthor.The lower part of the rock is damaged possibly cut off by a power drill. Locals remember a set of carvings that are now missing as strange symbols and lines, like a writing that could not be read (ibid.), reminiscing Hrabars notion of strokes and incisions, describing a ProtoSlavic writing system.What the image represents remains a mystery, due to its isolation, rather crude form and lack of finds in the cave. No datable evidence was ever found in the cave or its vicinity, and no systematic archaeological work has been undertaken as of today. Hrobat Virloget discusses the possibility that the image could represent a horseman, the crossed lines at the end of the hand picturing the horses head, and the legs actually being the horse. The other interpretation by the same author is the carved image is of an archer, the crossed lines representing the bow, or of a thrower throwing a spear or a lightning bolt. Of course, the possibility of the image being a (relatively) recent addition, a boundary markorasimpleludibrium,inabsenceofcontemporaryand/ordatableartifacts,remains.

4

2.2Circularfeatures

The carved circles and lines are found in the immediate vicinity of the archer/horseman. There are at least three (and possibly five) circles with spokes, and an assortment of lines that could, according to HrobatVirloget,beapartofanunfinishedpentagram(fig.5a,b).

Figure5a:carvedcircularfeatures.PhotocourtesyofJ.L,drawingbyauthor.The carvings here are much more crude compared with the figure, less precise, shallower (rarely over 1 mm deep) and overlapping. The diameter of the largest circular feature is 12,5 cm. The symbols can be easily identified with the sunwheel, rather typical of many cultures and somewhat ubiquitous. The pentagram if there is one (or has been intended) is less clear. Again, the part of the rock below andtotherightbearsmarksofdamage,possiblymanmade.

Figure5b:thecircularfeaturesandlines.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.,drawingbyauthor.

5

3.HistoryoftheareaAs far as we know, there is a nearcontinuous habitation in the broader area around Ilirska Bistrica from at least the mesolithic period onwards. Neolithic finds are scarce, but from the Bronze Age onwards through the Iron Age and roman period up to Late Antiquity several settlements, hill forts and larger structures are attested. The Early Middle Ages see the arrival of Slavs the first permanent villages and towns (Zemon, Prem, embije, Kneak, Ilirska Bistrica) have their beginnings in the early9thcentury.

3.1.ArchaeologyThere are at least two Iron Age hill forts and extensive walls of the same age in the area, some Late RomanandEarlyMiddleAgestructuresandatentativeEarlySlavicsettlement(fig.6).

Figure 6: archaeological sites in the vicinity of Cave of Iapodes: 1 Gradie hill fort, 2 drystone Iron Age walls, 3 Ahac hill fort, 4 possible Early Slavic (?) settlement. Location of Cave of Iapodes is markedwithacircle.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.Iron Age hill fort Gradie (1) is one of the largest in southwestern Slovenia, with over a kilometre long dry wall with towers enclosing several terraces. There are traces of several buildings and a large necropolis was found, dating to 6th 4th century BC. In the vicinity of Gradie two Celtic coins were found. Roman remains inside the fort indicate it was occupied during the Roman Period and into the LateAntiquity(ARKAS2001a)There are extensive walls (2) running from Gradie hill fort to Ahac hill fort and back to the slopes of Straica guarding the northern and eastern approaches. The walls are 4 m wide and are enclosing an area where different buildings dating to Antiquity period were discovered (ibid.). The walls appear not

6

to be a part of a larger Roman limes or claustra (Osmuk 1986), and are similar to walls around Prezid, attributedtoancientLiburnians(LipovacVrkljanandiljeg2007).Ahac hill fort (3) dates to La Tne and Hallstatt period. Roman and even Early Medieval remains within the fort indicate a longer period of occupation. Funerary mounds are found on the northern slopeofthehill(ARKAS2001b).On the Sela plateau remains of buildings were reported (Hrobat Virloget 2014) that could have constituted a shepherds settlement. There are indications this could be an Early Slavic settlement, howevernoresearchtherewasyetdoneasofwritingthisarticle.

3.2ToponymsandrituallandscapeIn the vicinity of Cave of Iapodes there are peaks, valleys and plateaus that carry names associated withSlavsandtogetherimplyabroaderSlavicrituallandscape(fig.7).

Figure 7: early Slavic toponyms of the area and Slavic ritual landscape. 1 Cave of Iapodes, 2 Volji hrib hill, 3 kedenc hill, 4 Sela plateau, 5 Devin peak, 6 Mrzli dol valley, 7 Pekel dolina, 8 Suhi vrh peak, 9 Kneak village, 10 embije village and St.Vitus church, 11 Ilirska Bistrica town and St.George church.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.Volji hrib (2), meaning Wolfs hill or Hill of wolves. Wolf features prominently in Slavic mythology, and a mythical creature Wolf Herdsman (Master of the Wolves) is present in oral traditions of almost all Slavic nations (Mencej 2001). Analysis of Wolf Herdsman tales can, together with other clues (like the fact that many prominent Christian saints, even Jesus and God himself,

7

covered the Wolf Herdsman in Medieval times) it can be shown that the Wolf Herdsman correspondstoanEarlySlavicgodofdeathandcattleVeles/Volos(ibid.).kedenc (3) is, according to Snoj (2009), a hypercorrect spelling of edim, meaning a protected forest (editi = to protect, to save). Part of Trieste with a similar name (kedenjc) is known in Italian as Servola, deriving from latin Silvanus = forest. Early Slavs did incorporate forests in their ritualsandbeliefs,sothekedencpeak,coveredinforesttothisday,pointstoaSlavicsacredgrove.The name of Sela plateau (4) means settlement, and according to Hrobat Virloget (2014) there are remains of buildings still visible. It is conceivable that an Early Slavic settlement is here (see 4.1), and furtherexplorationsshouldbeundertakentoproveit.The name of the peak Devin (5) is derived from Deva, meaning maiden or girl. Hrobat Virloget (ibid.) pointed out the Devin skok (Maidens jump) topographic situation that includes Devin peak, the deep Mrzlidolvalley(Coldbottom,6)withPekeldolina(Hell,7)andSuhivrhpeak(Witheringpeak,8).Devins jump is based on an Early Slavic myth of a Maiden (sun gods daughter/wife) being abducted by a chthonic deity and kept in the castle on the peak then saving herself by jumping off the cliff. The Devins jump topography follows the universal form: a peak associated with a chthonic deity such as Veles, a river valley and an opposite peak, associated with sky deity Perun (mitek 2004). mitek (and Pleterski 2014) identifies Deva as Moko, Slavic goddess of earth and fertility, and sees theDevasjumptopographyasarepresentationoftheSlavicgodstrianglePerunMokoVeles.Here the deep Mrzli dol valley and Pekel (Hell) dolina separate Devin peak, associated with of Veles, and Suhi vrh (Withering peak), connected to Perun via the legend of an eagle landing on a (sacred) witheredtreeonthetopofthehill(Katii2008)(seefig.8,below).Kneakvillage(9)derivesitsnamefromSlavictermKnez,meaningDukeorPrince.embije village (10) is named after St.Vitus, whose church can be found there (Snoj 2009). There is a possibility of the name being derived (also) from embilja/embija, a witch (or devil) like being from folk mythology of Vipava valley, Kras and Brkini (to the east of Ilirska Bistrica) a possibility seen by etymologist Marko Snoj (2015, personal communication) as plausible. embilje are usually associated with old (roman) roads and leafing hooves impressions in the rocks (Hrobat 2004, ok 2012). Further strengthening the Slavic connection is villages patron saint St. Vitus, who was used by earlyChristianstocover(ormodernize)theoldSlavicgodSvantevid(Svetovit)(mitek2004).Town of Ilirska Bistrica (11) is first mentioned in the early 15th century. However in the centre of the town there is a church of St.George (from 1720, with some earlier parts conserved), and st. George is asaintoftenassociatedwithmythicalSlavicbeingsanddeities(Perun,Jariloetc.).

8

Figure 8: left, Devins jump actual topography east of Cave of Iapodes right: Devins jump schematictopography,afterPeisker(1928).Geopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.

4.CaveenvironmentThe environment of Cave of Iapodes plays a crucial role in determining the origin and function of the petroglyphs, and the identity of people that have carved them. Obviously, the cave meant something to the carvers, and reasons for the selection of this particular cave to be a ritual place must be identified. We present some geological, geographical and even astronomical facts that might have influencedthereasoningofthepetroglyphsauthors.

4.1GeologyandgeographyCave of Iapodes lies roughly in the middle of a massive pliocene/quaternary fossil landslide known as Ilirska Bistrica fossil landslide (Placer and Jamek 2011). The landslide dominates the landscape, the elevations and valleys are stretching in a general (north)east to (south)west direction (following the directionoftheslide).The landslide prevented the formation of deeper caves that are typical for the area: the caves just outside the landslide are both larger and deeper, averaging over 50 m of depth, most of them classified as stairstep shaft, compared to the caves on the landslide that do not exceed 17 m of depth and are generally classified as horizontal caves, overhangs and grottoes of 11 caves in the area of the landslideonlyoneisashaft(ElectronicCadastreofCaves2013).Of the caves within the landslide four of them lie in the middle of it (including Cave of Iapodes) and others are found at the western and southern border of the landslide. The other three caves lying in the middle of the landslide are found grouped in a valley named krilje, just below the Sela plateau to the southeast of Cave of Iapodes. Two of them, krilja 1, and krilja 2, care grottoes similar to Cave of Iapodes,10mlong,and2mand4mdeeprespectively(ibid.).Cave of Iapodes was reported by locals as a water source, reliable even in the prolonged drought (Hrobat Virloget 2014). A manmade retaining wall inside the lower part of the cave, built of stone and wooden beams, gives some credence to the claim, however it is unclear if the structure contains a

9

true water source or is just a basin for the precipitation water. The claim of the locals that they were visiting the cave because of the water is unreliable, since an enclosed and rich spring called Trnovo spring (Trnovski studenec) lies just 200 m to the west (marked with a blue square onfig.7) of the cave andithadplentyofwaterduringourvisitinJune2015,whereasthecavewastotallydry.

4.2.AstronomyThere are some interesting alignments of Cave of Iapodes, the nearby features and the sun. The kedenc peak is due east from the cave and the Sun rises behind this peak at the equinoxes. Similarly, theStracapeakliesduewestandtheSunsetsthereatandaroundthosedates.Of more interest are two other peaks, Sleme to the northwest and Volji hrib to the southwest. They lie almost exactly (to within 4 degrees) to the line of sunset at summer solstice (solar azimuth 302.53, Sleme azimuth 300) and sunset at winter solstice (solar azimuth 239.16, Volji hrib azimuth 235). To an observer standing at the entrance to to cave the Sun would appear to set just behind those peaks atthesolstices(fig.9).

Figure 9: directions of sunset at summer and winter solstice from Cave of Iapodes. Sleme and Volji vrhpeaksarecircled.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.We were inside the cave on July 20, 2015, one day before the summer solstice, at 6:45 PM a ray of Sun entered the cave through the trees and shone upon the wall, no more than a metre above and a

10

metre to the left (north) of the circular features carved there. As we sat there in awe, we managed to takejustonephotowithamobilephonebeforeitdisappearedthephotois,ofcourse,lousy(fig.10).

Figure 10: photo of the sunbeam and a rough sketch of its location on the cave wall with respect to thepetroglyphs(photoanddrawingbytheauthor).The sunbeam at sunset gets as close to the petroglyphs as possible exactly on the date of the summer solstice when the Sun is at its greatest northern elongation. We have determined that the distance betweenthesunbeamandthepetroglyphsatthattimeisapprox.75cm.At the winter solstice, the Sun shines more than 3 m away to the north and its rays do not enter the overhang(fig.10).

11

Figure 11: a rough sketch of the locations of winter and summer solstice sunbeams on the cave easternwall(drawingbyauthor).Of course, the cave and its solstice sunset alignments can not be modified, yet those alignments could playadecisiveroleinselectingthisparticularcaveforaritualplace.

5.CavesasSlavicritualplacesThere are at least two caves in southwestern Slovenia that were identified as a Slavic ritual places, both found between Divaa and Lokve, named Mala Triglavca (near Divaa) and Trhlovca (local spelling Terglouca, Triglavca). Of special interest is Mala Triglavca cave, since it is very similar to Cave of Iapodes, and because there are reliable reports of Slavic rituals being held in the cave (ok 2010).Mala Triglavca is a small cave, classified as an overhang/grotto, 5 m long an 2 m deep (Electronic Cadastre of Caves 2013). Inside the cave there is a stalactite/stalagmite formation that was the centre ofafertilityritualsheldtherewellinto19thcentury(ok2010).At the top of the stalagmite formation there is handcarved hollow and on the lowgrown stalagmite nearby there is a drilled hole into which the torch handle would most probably have been inserted (ibid.). According to Placer (2010) the stalagmite formation is remarkably reminiscent of a vulva, whereas the stalactite one is less suggestive but can nevertheless be symbolically compared to a penis, and both could be seen as symbols of the two mythological figures of (female) Deva/Devaa and (male) Deva. Pleterski (2014) explains Deva as a phallic form of lighning, of Perun, and Deva as thegodessMoko.In Trhlovca near Lokve rainpredicting or harvestpredicting rituals were held (ok and Placer 2011). Another special feature of this cave relates to the two rock groups consisting of three rocks each, one located roughly 70 m from the entrance, and the second just above the entrance wall. It is possible to conclude that Trhlovca (local spelling Terglouca, Triglavca) was related to the Slavic god Triglav/Troglav(ibid.).

6.SomeinterimthoughtsCave of Iapodes lies at a small plateau in otherwise gently sloping valley that is easily accessible and offers great views of the area. It may have been an occasional (or even reliable) water source in the middle of pastures. Due to collapsed walls it is basically a precipitous holeintheground, an impressiveentrancetotheunderworld.There is no doubt the area around Cave of Iapodes bears the footprints of Early Slavs. The toponyms and remains of a ritual landscape, with hints at stories of Deva, Perun, and Veles, legends of Wolf Herdsman and embije witches, the Sacred grove of kedenc and others are clear and visible (see paragraph3.2).

12

If there was an Early Slavic settlement at Sela plateau, the cave is both nearby (1,5 km) and distant, as the kedenc hill with the sacred grove lies in between, therefore making the cave a suitable place for a shrine.We saw that Early Slavs used caves as shrines and ritual places (see paragraph 5). The similarity of stalactite/stalagmite formation Deva/Deva in Mala Triglavca with the rocky protrusion in Cave of Iapodes bearing the carved figure is striking. The Devas jump topography nearby strengthens the connectionwithgodsPerun,MokoandVeles.Moko Veles Perun triangle is a staple of Early Slavic mythology. Perun as the god of thunder (Perun derives from ProtoSlavic per, to strike so Perun is the one that strikes), Moko as his wife/daughter, and Veles as his chthonic antagonist, god of death and cattle. There is a cyclical mythos of Deva (Moko) being abducted by Veles the Beast and taken into the underworld, with Perun following her, fighting Veles and emerging victorious (with him or his son Jarilo marrying Moko) until the next fight. It is a harvest/year cycle, with Moko symbolising the spring, Perun the summer/harvesttimeandVelesthewinter.mitek (2004) reckons that Perun is not actually a name of a deity, but of one of his functions, namely throwing the thunder (lightningbolt). This function can be retained in the name of the deity, like Perkunas of BaltoSlavic religion, but in other places the name (or names) reflected different aspects of the deity. He proposes that among Southern Slavs in Slovenia Perun was called Kresnik, a Sun god (god of light, from kres, summer solstice). There are other Slavic deities connected to the Sun and to the harvest cycle: Jarilo (son of Perun/Kresnik), Svarog/Svaroi (if they existed) and even Svantevit(Svetovid).The line of sunset at summer solstice (as seen from Cave of Iapodes, see paragraph 4.2) crosses the church of St. Vitus in embije. We know that in Medieval times St. Vitus covered the older Svetovid, and that Svetovid was the god of light, of the sun. And St. Vitus day is June 15, close to the summer solstice the time when a sunbeam enters the overhang in Cave of Iapodes and illuminates the carvings. All his can hardly be explained away as a chance alignment: people must have known thecaveandwereawareofits(religious,ritual,mythical)significance.The line of sunset at winter solstice crosses the church of St. George in Ilirska Bistrica. Admittedly, both the town and the church are of much later date (not earlier than 16th century), however we know that pagan (Slavic) rituals were held in Mala Triglavca cave in year 1820 (ok 2010), so it is conceivable that this alignment is not random either. The fight between St. George and the chthonic Dragon corresponds with the fight between Perun/Kresnik (or his son Jarilo) and Veles the Beast. And thew were fighting in the middle of the winter: around the winter solstice Kresnik wins, the days get longer,springiscoming.There is a strong case that Cave of Iapodes was a Slavic shrine, dedicated to the Sun and the cycle of theseasonsandnottothefertilitycultaswasthecaseinMalaTriglavcacave.

13

7.WhatdothepetroglyphsinCaveofIapodesrepresent?

Figure 12: left, carvings of circles and lines right, the anthropomorphic figure. Photo courtesy of J.L. (left)andK.E.G.(right).As we have shown there are two groups of carvings in Cave of Iapodes (see 2) a group of circular features and straight lines, and an anthropomorphic figure. Clearly the groups werent made by the sameartistorevenatthesametime.Thequestionwhichwerecarvedfirstremains.

7.1.CircularfeaturesSunwheelsA circle, divided by four lines into eight segments a wheel with eight spokes is an ancient symbol. In the Early Slavic mythology it represents a sunwheel and is related to Kresnik / Perun (Kropej 1998), Dajbog (Hrobat Virloget 2014) and Svetovid (the symbol can be seen on the famous zbruch idol).Pleterski sees the sun wheel as an ideogram connecting numbers 3 and 4 pointing to Troglav (Perun Moko Veles) and reminiscing the four images on the Zbruch idol: the fertile and the infertile pair (Pleterski2015).The sun wheels of Cave of Iapodes are therefore images of both the Sun and of the cycle of seasons, symbols of cyclic time, of fertility (summer) giving way to infertility (winter). They are telling the basicmythoftheSlavs.

7.2.AnthropomorphicfigurePerunorKresnikThis carving (fig.12, right) is enigmatic and unique. Hrobat Virloget (2014) states it can represent an archer (holding a bow in an extended arm) comparing it to a similar stonemasons mark from ie) or a horseman (grasping the head of the horse with both arms see paragraph 2). However, the bow is toosmall,andthelineconnectinghorsesheadandbodyisalmostsurelyanaturalfeature.If we look closer (see fig.4a) the thing the stickman holds in in his hands is more or less a Y shaped one, pointing downwards it can be conclusively identified as a lightning. The anthropomorphic figure

14

is depicted in the middle of a throw, with its legs bowed and its arm extended. Only Perun throws the lightning. Moreover, since the image is inside the cave, we can imagine Perun shown during the great underworldfightwithhisgreatestandeternalnemesis,Veles.The carved sun wheels and the sunbeams glancing the figure at the summer solstice strenghthen the ideathatPeruntheThundererisdepictedastheSunitself:asKresnik.

8.ConclusionIn the hills above Ilirska Bistrica lies an exceptional rarity: an Early Slavic shrine in a cave, with a carving of the god Kresnik himself: he is shown surrounded with sun wheels, throwing lightning bolts, fighting Veles the Beast, getting married, keeping the Earth fertile and waiting patiently for another summer solstice, when a lone sunbeam shall touch him again, year after year, for millennia to come.And since the venerable Iapodes had nothing to do with Cave of Iapodes, the cave needs a better and moredeservingname:Kresnikscave.

9.ReferencesAARKAS,2004a:ArheolokikatasterSlovenije,http://arkas.zrcsazu.si/index.php?kaj=viewNajdisce.poglej&id=050605.01(15.julij2015)ARKAS,2004b:ArheolokikatasterSlovenije,http://arkas.zrcsazu.si/index.php?kaj=viewNajdisce.poglej&id=050606.01(15.julij2015)BalenLetuni,Dubravka,2011:TwoLiburnianfibulaefromTroenjgrad,ContributionsofInstituteofArchaeologyinZagreb27,str.135144Bursi,Zdenko,2011:Izborizliburnskognakita,ContributionsofInstituteofArchaeologyinZagreb27,str.241248ok,Boris,2010:OpispoganskegaobredavspodmoluTriglavca,StudiamythologicaSlavica13,str.309312ok,BorisandPlacer,Ladislav,2011:Trhlovca=lokavskaTriglavca,StudiamythologicaSlavica14,str.371378ok,Boris,2012:Vsijumeseine,StudiaMythologicaSlavicaSupplementa5,ZalobaZRC,Ljubljana,184str.Ekatasterjam,2013:http://www.katasterjam.si/(15.julij2015)Geopedia,interaktivnispletniatlasinzemljevidSlovenije,2013,http://www.geopedia.si(15.julij2015)Hrobat,Katja,2005:embiljanarimskihcestah.OmitolokempreitkuinarheolokemindikatorjunaKrasuinvBrkinih,Annales.Serieshistoriaetsociologia15/2,str.263274HrobatVirloget,Katja,2014:PetroglifiizJamevbliiniTrnovskegastudencanadIlirskoBistriconaSnenikiplanoti,StudiaMythologicaSlavica17,str.155172

15

Kropej,Monika,1998:TheHorseasaCosmologicalCreatureintheSloveneMythopoeticHeritage,StudiaMythologicaSlavica1,str.153167Kuko,Sineva,2003:Pticaikonjusolarnojdinamicisvijeta,Opusculaarchaeologica27,str.243250LipovacVrkljan,Gorankaandiljeg,Bartul.2007:IstraivanjaLiburnskogaobrambenogsustavauPrezidu2006/ResearchoftheLiburniandefencesysteminPrezid2006,AnnalesInstitutiArchaeologici3,str.7982Katii,Radoslav,2008:Boanskiboj.Tragovimasvetihpjesamanaepretkranskestarine.Ibisgrafika,Zagreb,MoenikaDraga,378str.Mencej,Mirjam,2001,Voljipastirvkontekstudosedanjihraziskavnapodrojuslovanskemitologije,StudiaMythologicaSlavica4,str.159188Osmuk,Nada,1986:ZapornizidAhacStraica,Varstvospomenikov28,str.281282Ovsec,DamijanJ,1991:Slovanskamitologijainverovanje,Domus,Ljubljana,538str.Peisker,Jan,1928:KojesuvjerebilistariSloveniprijekrtenja?StarohrvatskaprosvjetaN.S.2,str.5586Placer,Ladislav,2010:Triglavca,krajeenjaplodnosti.PoizkusetimologijeDivae.StudiamythologicaSlavica13,str.313323Placer,LadislavandJamek,Petra,2011:Ilirskobistrikifosilniplazmestonaplazu/TheIlirskaBistricafossillandslideThetownonthelandslide,Geologija54/2,str.223228Pleterski,Andrej,2014:Kulturnigenom:Prostorinnjegoviideogramimitinezgodbe.StudiaMythologicaSlavicaSupplementa10,ZalobaZRC,Ljubljana,408str.Pleterski,Andrej,2015:Preplet3in4,prelokaBeliKriinTriglavcaterZbrukiidol,vNesnovnakrajinaKrasa,ur.KatjaHrobatVirlogetinPetraKavrei,ZalobaUniverzenaPrimorskem,Koper,str.2133Poklar,Franc,2009:Motivnaspominskemkovancuza10letEMU2009,Numizmatinilist.GlasiloPrimorskeganumizmatinegadrutvasfilatelistinosekcijoIlirskaBistrica18,str.45Snoj,Marko,2009:Etimolokislovarslovenskihzemljepisnihimen,ZalobaModrijaninZalobaZRC,Ljubljana,610str.mitek,Zmago,2004:MitolokoizroiloSlovencev,tudentskazaloba,Ljubljana,428str.Turk,Ivan(ed.),2004:ViktorjevspodmolinMalaTriglavca.PrispevkikpoznavanjumezolitskegaobdobjavSloveniji,OperaInstitutiArchaeologiciSloveniae,IntitutzaarheologijoZRCSAZU,ZalobaZRC,Ljubljana,247str.

10.Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Goran Iskri for providing the equipment, Simon Ruigaj for the help in finding both the cave itself and the ingenious way of entering it, and for proofreading this article and to Kristina Eva Gortnar, Jaka Levstek, and Stephen Wagner who made the trip to the cave an awesome experienceandwhosephotoswereindispensableinwritingofthisarticle.

16