Abstract
This article explores a previously uninvestigated topic: the role of godparents for illegitimate children in the 18th century Vilnius deanery. The research is based on analysing baptism records from parishes within the Vilnius deanery during this period. The study delves into the selection of godparents for illegitimate children, investigating such factors as the number of godparents present at the baptism and whether they acted as spiritual guardians for multiple illegitimate children. Additionally, it examines the social status of the godparents, analyzing surnames, social standing, and place of residence to determine possible kinship, social, and territorial relations with the parents. Furthemore, the paper explores whether relationships between godparents and illegitimate children extended beyond the formal baptism ceremony.
Reference29 articles.
1. Alfani G., 2009a - Guido Alfani, Fathers and Godfathers: Spiritual Kinship in Early-Modern Italy, Farnham, 2009.
2. Alfani G., 2009b - Guido Alfani, "Godparenthood and the Council of Trent: Crisis and Transformation of a Social Institution (Italy, XV-XVII th Centuries)", in: Obradoiro de Historia Moderna, Nr. 18, 2009, p. 45-69, .
3. Alfani G., Munno C., 2012 - Guido Alfani, Christina Munno, "Godparenthood and Social Networks in an Italian Rural Community: Nonantola in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries", in: Spiritual Kinship in Europe, 1500-1900, 2012, p. 96-123.
4. Berteau C. et al., 2012 - Camille Berteau, "Godparenthood: Driving Local Solidarity in Northern France in the Early Modern Era. The Example of Aubervilliers Families in the Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries", in: The History of the Family, 17 (4), 2012, p. 452-467, .
5. Couriol É., 2012 - Étienne Couriol, "Godparenthood and Social Relationships in France under the Ancien Régime: Lyons as a Case Study", in: Spiritual Kinship in Europe, 1500-1900, 2012, p. 124-151.