Summary
Belief in the continued existence of souls after death was the reason why people searched for certain measures in which accessories taken from the plant world play a prominent role even today, although to a much smaller degree than thirty years ago. Most of all these measures have to ensure the best existence for souls in that world. Certain of them are to relieve the pain of dying people and to protect the living against the eventual visits of the dead souls. In these measures, blessed plants played a particular role, and also periwinkle (vinca minor L.) myrtle, asparagus, poppy seeds (papaver somniferun L.) and straw.
Zusammenfassung
Der Glaube an ein Weiterleben der Seele nach dem Tode bewog Menschen zu bestimmten Vorkehrungen, bei denen Gegenstände aus dem Pflanzenreich eine überragender Bedeutung spielten, selbst bis auf den heutigen Tag, wenn auch nicht mehr so ausgeprägt. Die meisten dieser Maßnahmen zielten auf die möglichst günstigen Voraussetzungen für die Seelen dort. Einige sollten den Schmerz von Sterbenden verringern und die Überlebenden gegen überraschende Heimsuchungen durch die Seelen Verstorbener feien. Unter diesen Maßnahmen spielt das Segnen von Pflanzen eine große Rolle; dazu gehören Immergrün, Myrthe, Spargel, Mohnsamen und Stroh.
Résumé
La croyance en une survie de l’âme après la mort a incité les hommes à rechercher certains moyens dans lesquels des ingrédients empruntés au monde végétal ont joué continuent de jouer un rôle prépondérant, même si c’est à un moindre degré qu’il y a trente ans. La plupart de ces moyens ont pour but d’assurer une meilleure existence de l’âme en ce monde. Certains d’entre eux doivent atténuer les souffrances des mourants et protéger les vivants d’éventuelles atteintes des âmes des défunts. Des plantes sacrées y jouent un rôle particulier, entre autres la pervenche, la myrte, l’asperge, les graines de pavot et la paille. gm
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Footnotes
At present the intensity of these practices (and also of similar ones which will be discussed in the latter part of this article) has significantly decreased. Already some of these practices remain only in human memory. These customs continue rather to the period of the end of the nineteenth century until World War II.
Fischer A. 1921. Zwyczaje pogrzebowe ludu polskiego, Lwów, p. 74-80.
Informant M. Zahuta, born 1898, Dębsko near Drawsko Pomorskie, comes from the Przemyśl voivodeship (archive of the Polish Ethnographic Atlas PAN in Wroclaw).
Most often mentioned is rye straw, see FISCHER A. (= 2).
Fischer A. (2), p. 79. It is necessary however to point out that, according to the map prepared for publication by W. Sokół (to be published in Facicle 8, map number 457 of the Polish Ethnographic Atlas), the range of this custom’s appearance (concerning rye straw) encompasses Little Poland (Małopolska) in the interwar period and partly Mazovia and Podlasie (to the north up to the river Narew).
The villages Dzianisz and Zakopane. Gustawicz B., Podania i przesądy, gadki i nazwy ludowe w dziedzinie przyrody, Zbiór Wiadomości do Antropologii Krajowej, vol. 6, 1982, p. 279.
+ (8) Fischer A. (2), p. 79.
= (2), p. 79, 80.
=(2), p. 77.
E.G. informant M. Zahuta coming from Przemyśl voivodeship says: “it does not matter which herbs it is, but it must be blessed” (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocław).
The range of these practices clearly widened in the eastern direction. They were known, for example, in Wileńszczyzna, Podolia, a fact mentioned by transplanted persons from that side (informants: M. Ardukaniec, born 1905, from Suliszewo near Drawsko Pomorskie, J. Łukojć, born 1928, from Sławęcin near Choszczna, W. Salej, born 1930, from Kaława near Międzyrzecze-archive PAE PAN in Wrocław) and also in Samogitia (Zmudź)-Fischer A., op. cit., p. 69.
Poles practised this custom in Wileńszczyzna before World War II (informant: J. Łukojć).
Karwicka T. 1979. Kultura ludowa ziemi dobrzyńskiej, Warszawa, p. 193.
Dąbrowska S. 1902. Obrzędy religijne i zwyczaje. Pogrzeb, Wisła, vol. 16, p. 361.
Fischer (2), p. 151.
=(2), p. 152.
=(2), p. 94-95.
This concerns rather the direct decking of the corpse: in the case of a coffin, only the interior.
About 1000 interviews carried out in the years 1969–1973 on the basis of a questionnaire prepared by J. Gajek.
Wreath with thyme were also given, for example, or else bunches of southernwood. However, blessed plants will be discussed separately; und also for the reason that the dead were not decked with them, but placed in the coffin, often under the corpses, so in an invisible place.
All the statistical data was worked out on the basis of materials collected in the archives of PAE PAN in Wrocław.
E.G. informants: P. Makarowicz, born 1905, from Choroszczynka near Biała Podlaska, from Futoma near Rzeszów, from Woźniki near Piotroków Trybunalski and others (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocław).
For example in such villages on Pomeriana such as Pobłocie near Kołobrzeg, Czarna Dąbrówka near Słupsk, Rybna near Wejherowo, Barkoczyn near Kościerzyna and others (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocław).
In the analysed archival material 57 cases of this plant’s use were ascertained. In comparison, myrtle in 625 cases.
Informant J. Kopcinek, born 1928, from Moniatycze near Hrubieszów (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocław).
Informant A. Halicka, born 1901, from Kopisk near Białystok (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Kolberg O., Wszystkie D. Chełmskie II, vol. 34, p. 195.
Wawrzeniecki M. 1916. Nieco o roślinach, z których wite są wianki święcone na Boże Ciało, Wisła, vol. 29, p. 22.
Gustawicz B. =(6), p. 287.
For example, such villages as Bobowo near Kwidzyn, Budzieszowice near Goleniów (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant J. Grabowski, born 1900, from Oleśnica near Chodzież (archive of PAE PAN In Wroclaw).
Archives of PAE PAN in Wrocław.
Z. Szromba-Rysowa, Zbieranie i uzytkowanie plodów naturalnach (in:) Stare i Nowe Siołkowice part II, Biblioteka Etnografii Polskiej no.12, p. 155 (note 23).
Informatn G. Majorczyk, born 1915 (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Information from, among other places, from the vicinity of Opatów Kielecki, Złotów, Międzychód (archive of PAE PAN in Wroclaw).
Informant M. Zaprt, born 1893, from Zaręcin near Opoczno (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant W. Aleksiuk, born 1900, from Topolany near Białystok (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
=(38).
The village of Lugojna near Częstochowa (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłraw).
Informant J. Kromólska, born 1904 (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant W. Aleksiuk (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant Z. Wodarz, born 1893 (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant Z. Głowaczewska, born 1907, from Krojanty near Chojnice (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant A. Żurkowska, born 1892, from Lelów near Włoszczowa (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant P. Beca, born 1929, from Jelonek near Szczecinek (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant A. Komar, born 1905, from Szymanów near Wrocław (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant W. Bartczak, born 1899, from Wodzierady near Łask (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Informant S. Łysik, from Wieszawa near Tarnowskie Góry (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocław).
Informants: P. Brzeska, born 1890, from Barkoczyn near Kościerzyna, M. Truch, born 1916, from Szyszków near Lubań Slaski and others (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
Nadmorski D. 1892. Kaszuby i Kociewie. Język, zwyczaje, przesądy, podania, zagadki i pieśnie ludowe w północnej części Prus Zachodnich, Poznań, p. 68-69.
Falkowski J., Pasznycki B. 1935. Na pograniczu łemkowsko-bojkowskim. Zarys etnograficzny, Prace Etnograficzne, no. 2, p. 77.
Fischer A. 1926. Lud Polski. Podręcznik etnografii Polski, Lwów, p. 123-128.
Gustawicz B. =(6), p. 277.
Fischer A. =(2), p. 350.
Informant M. Więcko, born 1901 (archive of PAE PAN in Wrocłw).
This property of the poppy seed is quite well known in all the country. In particular, mothers often gave children poppy seed for sleeplessness and nocturnal crying.
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Paluch, A. (1985). Plants in Funeral Ceremonies in the Polish Countryside. In: Ethnobotanik—Ethnobotany. Vieweg+Teubner Verlag, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-14132-7_11
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