Research report by the Jagiellonian University, Poland - cult rural

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32the future unwanted consequences both for an individual and the whole community. The verywedding was just a central element of the course of ritual actions, which in the modelapproach suggested by M. Maj, may be divided into four basic stages of the wedding action:1) initial contacts between the bride’s and groom’s parties, 2) ritual actions within one’s“own” group during the period preceding the wedding, 3) main ritual action on the weddingday finalized by “oczepiny”, and 4) “poprawiny” feasts finished by moving the bride.The traditional weddings in Podhale were also conducted according to a similar scheme.Solemnizing marriage was preceded by a string of preparatory activities. After the period ofadvances the groom initiated preliminary dates, the so-called “dowiady” probing the bride’sfamily’s opinion on him. He went on “dowiady” in the company of a matchmaker, who wasmost often his godfather or a farmer respected by the village. If the wooer was accepted, thepreparations for the engagement were started, which were called “zrękowiny” in Podhale.They took place in the house of the future bride with participation of the invited witnesses,community leaders and neighbours. After the initial ritual word game, the families of thefuture bride and groom began negotiations, i.e. defining the financial conditions. When theagreement was reached the leader started the engagement ceremony. It was symbolic bindinghands of the future bride and groom with a white handkerchief and blessing them. This ritualopened the period of preparations for the wedding feast. In the tradition of Podhale thewedding guests were invited by chosen by the future bride handsome men, who had nicevoices and the concept. The weddings were usually held on Tuesdays and they lasted untilThursdays. On the wedding day from the morning the guests gathered in the wedding housefor the solemn breakfast. In a separate room older women dressed the bride for the wedding,putting on her a few white embroidered white skirts, a light corset and a white “rańtuch” onher shoulders. The head was decorated with a myrtle wreath – a symbol of the spinster status,which at the same time had a protective function. At that time the groom wearing white clothtrousers, a new white “cucha” and a hat necessarily decorated with a feather and a bunch oftiny flowers went to his chosen one. On his way he encountered a lot of obstacles in the formof poles hanging across the road which were removed after giving the ransom. It was the pricethat the groom had to pay for symbolic crossing the border of his world and entering thestrange world of the bride. Another important moment was blessing the bride and groom bytheir parents and sprinkling holy water on the gathered people. Next the wedding processionconducted by best men on horses moved towards the church for the wedding ceremony. Ontheir way back home the wedding guests again encountered numerous obstacles such as gatesconstructed of two beams in the shape of a triangle., which this time symbolized the transition
33of the just married to another social stratum. The groom had to give a ransom offering vodkato the “gate guards” dressed for beggars and Gypsies. At the doorway of the wedding housethe just married were welcomed with bread and salt with wishes: “don’t ever be short of theseGod’s gifts”. A sheaf of oats was thrown to the feet of the just married crossing the doorwayfor good luck. When everybody was in the room they sat at the tables and a huge weddingfeast began. The highlight of the first wedding day was “oczepiny” called “cepowiny”. It wasa ritual during which the hairstyle of the bride was changed and decorated. It symbolized thechange of social status. The bride said goodbye to her unmarried status and she entered thegroup of married women. Cepowiny was started by the best men. They kidnapped the bride,and after obtaining symbolic gifts, they transferred her to “starościnas” (older women) hands.Starościnas took the bride to a separate room where, during ritual singing, they took off herwreath and let down her plaits. The let down hair symbolized the moment of transition, themarginal stage of “being and not being”, when the bride was no longer a spinster and not yet awoman. During this activity women often pinched and plucked the bride to make her cry.When she had cried over her wreath, starościnas started putting on a bonnet (“czepek”), i.e. awhite bonnet scarf. Then they entered the revelry room introducing her to the groom and theguests. It was a signal to start solemnly giving presents to the bride. The money for “cepiec”was collected by one of starościnas, and the bride was dancing with the wedding guests. Afterthe presents were handed, the bride was again taken by the best men, and they demanded aransom, this time from the groom. After paying for his wife, the groom gave her a featherfrom his hat as a present – the symbol of a bachelor status. This gesture sealed the transitionrite. The just married became a rightful married couple and started a new life as a family. Onthe next day, at early noon the guests gathered for another feats “poprawiny”, after which onThursday the bride was solemnly moving to her husband’s house. The parents prepared adowry for their leaving daughter. They put a chest filled with smart clothes and underwear,pillows and feather beds on a cart. They said goodbye to their daughter, who accompanied bythe singing team, set off to her new home. The moving usually ended in a feast.Highlanders’ weddings, though in a simplified form, are still organized in Podhale. Youcan even observe a fashion for “having” the so-called traditional highlanders’ weddings.Certainly their modern form is deprived of a developed sphere of primary meanings and ritualbehaviours typical for the traditional society, nevertheless in its basic version it relates to theold scenario. Just like in the past, on the arrival of the team with the groom to the weddinghouse “wypytowiny” the blessing takes place. Next the procession consisting of carriages ledby horse-riding best men goes to church. After the wedding, on the way back the wedding
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Research report by the Jagiellonian University, Poland - cult rural

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