© Electronic Library of Scientific Literature - © Academic Electronic Press

SLOVENSKÝ NÁRODOPIS
SLOVAK ETHNOLOGY



Volume 51, 2003, No. 1

OBSAH / CONTENTS

BOH ALEBO SATAN?
Úloha nového náboženského hnutia Slovo života v polarizácii rómskej kolónie v Plaveckom Štvrtku

Tatiana Podolinská, PhD. Ústav etnológie SAV, Klemensova 19, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovakia, e-mail: tatiana.podolinska@savba.sk

The author first concentrates on the history of the Word of Life’s operations among the Romanies at Plavecký Štvrtok and, then, on mapping the activities of the congregation here. She used sociological techniques when attempting to give an account of the situation inside the local Romany colony. It appears to be non-standard as the Romanies here live split into two hostile groups; the division line marked by high solid fences (denoted by them fences of war) and is running through the central part of the colony. In search for causes of the differentiation and consequent polarisation in the sphere of religion, the author recorded reactions of both groups to the missionaries of the Word of Life. She followed her case by letting the Romanies from either camp speak freely and express their own personal arguments; she also allotted space to the converted Romanies to voice their views. The study is concluded by a survey of reasons given by the “re-born“ Romanies for becoming converts. The author pays attention also to the misionary strategies and she stresses neccessity of differentiated approach, giving possibility of reserving traditional religious identity.

Kľúčové slová: Rómovia, viera, misijné stratégie, nové náboženské hnutie Slovo života
Key words: Romanies, faith, misionary strategies, a new Christian religious movement – the Word of Life

Summary: The study aims to mapping the activities of a new Christian religious movement – the Word of Life – among the Romanies at Plavecký Štvrtok in Záhorie. The first wave of Whitsun preachers reached Slovakia shortly after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. One of the most characteristic features of this congregation is the engagement in work with the Romanies and these concerns may be demonstrated by following examples: east Slovakia is greatly influenced by Ján Vihonský, who is a Romany pastor of the Word of Life and heads several Romany missionary groups at Sobrance, Blatné Remety, Michalovce and Iňačovce. He is also active in establishing further congregations at Humenné, Bunkovce and Pavlovce nad Uhom. In west Slovakia the Word of Life operates among the Romanies at Plavecký Štvrtok and is represented here by Milan Juríček from Modra. Due to his missionary work, biblical schools – each of them led by a local Romany pastor – have already been founded at Galanta and Sládkovičovo. Considerable activity has been developed here among the so-called olašskí (well-to-do) Romanies.
The author first concentrates on the history of the Word of Life’s operations among the Romanies at Plavecký Štvrtok and, then, on mapping the activities of the congregation here. She used sociological techniques when attempting to give an account of the situation inside the local Romany colony. It appears to be non-standard as the Romanies here live split into two hostile groups; the division line marked by high solid fences (denoted by them fences of war) and is running through the central part of the colony. In search for causes of the differentiation and consequent polarisation in the sphere of religion, the author recorded reactions of both groups to the missionaries of the Word of Life. She followed her case by letting the Romanies from either camp speak freely and express their own personal arguments; she also allotted space to the converted Romanies to voice their views. The study is concluded by a survey of reasons given by the “re-born“ Romanies for becoming converts. The most frequently repeated ones are: a feeling of personal God and of God for everyone, i. e. also for the Romanies. The missionary strategy of the Word of Life is appealing to the them as their God is also for the poor, ignorant, uneducated and despiced by others. He is a living being who will directly communicate with His worshippers, possibly make fun of them, and be both strict and kind. Personal contacts with God established through songs and songs glorifying Him have become an opportunity for them to express their own feelings by means of song, movement and dance. Emphasis laid on the role played by every single worshipper boosts self-esteem of each member of the congregation. Also, close contacts between the pastor and that small group of worshippers is highly effective and appreciated as individual. Therefore, the Word of Life profoundly differs from the religion of the majority population in the area (Roman Catholicism), with which the local Romanies have never completely identified.

PRÍSPEVOK K DEJINÁM FOLKLORISTIKY – O VZNIKU A REALIZÁCII MEDZINÁRODNEJ SYNTÉZY „FOLKLÓRNE TRADÍCIE O ZBOJNÍKOCH V KARPATOCH“

PhDr. Viera Gašparíková, DrSc., Mikovíniho 9, 831 02 Bratislava

The aim of the article is to highlight the process of the origin as well as the realisation of the international synthesis on outlaw tradition in the Carpathian region. There are three component parts of the synthesis: the folklore traditions about the robbers, the Carpathian area, and within its scope the relations between the peoples inhabiting it. The International Commission for the Study of Folk Culture (MKKK) from its very beginning, which came about at the suggestion of Polish, Czech and Slovak ethnographers in the year 1959 in Cracow, addressed its activities to problems such as the issue of cultural community, ethnic processes and inter – ethnic relations. The Carpathological, ethnographic and folklore issues found their expression not only in domestic, but also bilateral international research programs and agreements. Several meetings, conferences on the topic of concept, schedule of work and arrangement of international co-operation were held from 60th. Study is the chronological view from the very beginning to the published issue as the effort of middle and east Europe folklorists.

Kľúčové slová: dejiny folkloristiky, zbojnícka tradícia, medzinárodná syntéza
Key words: history of folkloristics, outlaw tradition, international synthesis work

Summary: The aim of the article is to highlight the process of the origin as well as the realization of the international sythesis on outlaw tradition in the Carpathian region.There are three component parts of the synthesis: the folklore traditions about the robbers, the Carpathian area, and within its scope the relations between the peoples inhabiting it. The interethnic relations have, of course, their specific features. The robber, opryšok, hayduk or haydamak, or betyar tradition corresponds to an historical truth, yet the popular poetic imagination is not only anchored in the people tradition, but in popular culture generally and for good. A dominant feature of the book is the area of the Carpathians, which offered outright or sample area for the research of folklore links between peoples living on their territory and in the adjacent areas. This interethnic view came to the fore in the seventies and eighties of the past century in all domains of popular culture became a trend on nations, which had set out on a joint road and strove for a kind of integration, which its turn enabled the individual researches to co – operate among each other. The tradition of the robber’s folklore, as we call it for short, which were a subject of interest a number of decades ago, became a centre of attention, whose full appreciation has been expected. The research results of the preceding years showed not only that elements of folklore concerning individual robbers are mutually connected not only within one territory, but one can also study these associations or parallels with various especially neighbouring peoples above all in the Carpathian area, where they constitute a relatively uniform, if internally articulate whole. Later on arrived at the conclusion that it would be beneficial to extend the cover under consideration to the Carpatho – Balkan area, and with this in view, co – operation was instituted with the research establishment of various countries. The International Commission for the Study of People’s Culture (MKKK) from its very beginning, which came about at the suggestion of Polish, Czech and Slovak ethnographers in the year 1959 in Cracow, addressed its activities to problems such as the issue of cultural community, ethnic processes and inter – ethnic relations, whose knowledge is important not only from a national, but also an international point of view. The Carpathological, ethnographic and folklore issues found their expression not only in domestic, but also bilateral international research programs and agreements. Several meetings, conferences on the topic of concept, schedule of work and arrangement of international cooperation were held from 60th. Many special studies and some books were published, too. An initiative in favour of a publication of the synthesis was taken at the beginning of the year 2001 by the members of the Presidium of MKKK D. Tylkowa (Poland) and P. Szabó (Hungary), who following an agreement with V. Gašparíková submitted a plan to the effect that, if the Ethnological Institute of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences would not publish the synthesis, the Ethnological Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest (Magyar Tudományos Akademia Néprajzi Kutató Intézete) would take care of work’s publication. The Ĺvov Institute transcribed the extremely exacting manuscript by computer technique and made it available for editorial work V. Gašparíková remained with the role of scholarly editor. The technique of the work as well as certain organisational affairs were taken over by the Néprajzi Kutató Intézete of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of P. Szabó and the financial investment in the edition by the European Folklore Institute in Budapest and its representative M. Hoppál. Understandably after many years and for the needs of contemporary researches as well as readers, the work had to be newly edited. Some very important parts was not delivered, as well as some parts outlined in the projects.

DEPUTÁTNICI NA VEĽKOSTATKU V 30. A 40. ROKOCH 20. STOROČIA 
(Na príklade Malých Vozokan a Tajnej)*

Mgr. Vladimír Taliga, Katedra etnológie a etnomuzikológie, FF UKF, Hodžova 1, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia

This study deals with the way of life of permanent agricultural labourers, so called deputátnici at a manor. It is a topic that has not been sufficiently compiled in Slovak ethnology yet. On the example of Male Vozokany and Tajna, the author characterizes the influence of the existence of a manor on a social structure of a village and on work migration. He also determines the occupational groups on a manor and the factors of internal differentiation of deputátnici such as labour contents, the form and height of the salary. He intents on the peculiarity of the conditions of living, boarding, breeding of farm animals, plant growing and also interpersonal relations in the family, neighbourly relations and the position of deputátnici in the local society. The topic is temporally confined by the extinction of deputátnici as a socio-occupational group after 2nd World War and the changes of the social status within the manor confiscation and the collectivisation of agriculture.

Kľúčové slová: veľkostatok, poľnohospodárski robotníci, deputátnici, pracovné podmienky, deputát, rodina poľnohospodárskych robotníkov
Key words: manor, agricultural labourers, deputátnici, labour conditions, deputát, agricultural labourer family

Summary: In this study, the author deals with the way of life of all-the-year-round agricultural labourers (so called bíreši, deputátnici) in 30’s and 40’s of the 20th century. On the example of Male Vozokany (district Zlate Moravce) and Tajna (district Nitra), he characterizes the factors of the differentiation within this migrant socio-occupational group. A kind of performed work, the height and form of the salary and the quality of living were some of these factors.
Bíreši (in singular bíreš) were hired into the work on All Saint’s Day on the basis of the oral agreement. Under the control of the bíreš leader, bíreši performed mainly these activities: feeding cattle and sheep, working with conveyances, shaping the field. They were paid trimonthly and their salary consisted of a financial and natural part and other treats, such as using the field (25-30 ares) for growing vegetables and feedstuff, breeding farm animals. A flat consisting of a kitchen, a living room and a larder was included in the salary, too. It was common that two bíreš families were sharing one kitchen. Sharing common space had influenced family relations significantly.
A wheelwright, smith, carriage driver, gardener and vineyard leader were the employees that were paid with deputát, too. Many of bíreši were changing their workplace to get better salary conditions or better living. Thus, they were a significant part of the internal migration in Slovakia.
Consecutive extinction of deputátnici as a peculiar socio-occupational group began parallel with the manor confiscation after 1945. However, deputátnici obtained a part of fields from the confiscation, but socialist collectivisation of agriculture brought them occupationally back among agricultural labourers, these times at Uniform Agricultural Cooperative.

© Electronic Library of Scientific Literature - © Academic Electronic Press