Demonology at the crossroads : the presence and significance of non-Jewish beliefs within Ashkenazi folklore

The article deals with the subject of popular demonology as a space of symbolic contact between Jewish culture and the largely Slavic surrounding culture(s) in the Eastern Europe. It brings together two main themes - the presence of Christian beliefs about witchcraft, and demonic representations of diseases (e.g. kolten, hartsvorem, etc.) - as seen and evaluated within the Ashkenazi milieu at the turn of the 20th century. Based on print and handwritten sources of various origins, the article presents examples of extensive intercultural contact, emphasizing their scope and meaning, as well as their limitations, in historical/cultural context.