The European Sky-God.

Traditional beliefs and customs concerning pregnancy and childbirth are still numerous and vivid in Romania and among Romanian inhabitants in neighbouring countries. Fieldwork on this theme carried out over several decades has resulted in a large body of material showing the special position of a pregnant woman in traditional Romanian society. This paper deals specifically with Moldovan birth tradition and concentrates on society's view of the pregnant woman and her unborn child as indicated by the large variety of beliefs and traditions aimed at protecting her and her child. It is evident from this material, that both the prospective mother and society are expected to be aware of, and to engage with, traditional precepts concerning the healthy development of the foetus and the achievement of an unblemished birth. It is also clear that the role and influence of the former untrained midwife in the magical protection of the mother and her child are still part of cultural memory in Moldova. The idea that a pregnant woman has the ability to bring rain in times of drought seems to emanate from a traditional perception of her as embodying fertility powers linked or analogous to the earth's germinative capacity.     

The European Merger Regime

Even though the European Union's merger regime has been warmly received, three distinct critiques of European policy in this field are identified. In acknowledging these critiques, this article reviews EU merger policy and suggests ways in which it might be reformed in the future. However, in order to understand the particular form that the policy now takes, emphasis must be placed on the context within which the European model of merger control has evolved. Three factors are considered: the rationale underpinning the policy; the origins of the policy as a hard-fought compromise among the (then) 12 members of the Union; and the role played by supranational actors in the implementation and enforcement of the policy. These three European characteristics of the policy help to explain the distinctiveness of the EU model.     

欧洲民族主义的迷思

民族主义的歧义源于对民族主义的原产地属性缺乏分析.破解欧洲民族主义的迷思是深人剖析民族主义的必要工作."原生"民族主义是欧洲现代化的产物,欧洲通过现代民族国家的形式完成了自己的现代化任务,最终以欧盟的框架逐步化解各民族国家原有的矛盾,使得欧洲的民族冲突大致不必以战争的方式解决.因此,欧洲民族主义有可能是一种现代化的阶段性产物.