Śmierć dziecka i jej społeczno-kulturowe przeżywanie w polskich dziewiętnastowiecznych pieśniach ludowych

”The Pelplin Hymn Book” (Collection of Catholic Devout Songs for Church and Home Use) is one of the most popular Polish religious hymn books in history. The book consists mostly of folk songs that had been collected by father Stephen Keller. It contains 12 songs dedicated to the death of a small child, and it gives rare testimony to the way in which Polish folk culture embraced the death of very young people. This article analyzes the lyrics in a historical and anthropological context, including the relationship between the living and the dead, the social dimension of singing, as well as the image of God and the afterlife. The paper draws a comparison between social attitudes towards the death of adults and children, and it discusses the sources of ideological inspiration for hymn writers. The paper challenges some of the opinions presented in older literature on the subject, and it highlights the theological reflections in hymns that are consistent with the Catholic doctrine.