Abstract
The article continues the investigation of ethnographic data gathered in The Folklore Archive of Moldavia and Bucovina as part of the research carried on peasant architecture. Foundation sacrifices are analyzed both from a synchronic perspective, based on testimonies recorded in the recent years, and from a diachronic point of view, as a result of historical resources the article quotes. Evidence from around the world argues that the need to offer a live or inanimate gift to the spirit of the place puts the human mind at ease when building a new home.
Keywords: foundation rites, horse skulls, sacrifice, magic thinking, superstition.
Cuvinte-cheie: jertfa zidirii, cranii cabaline, sacrificiu, gândire magică, superstiţii.