44th National Táncház Festival & Fair • 4–6 April 2025
Issue:
Starting page: 38
Serie:
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Kóka Rózália: final part in her series on the folk custom of kiböjtölés – ’fasting out’. She examines this custom practiced by Bukovina Székely Hungarians which involves several days or weeks of fasting and praying to rid oneself of bad luck or bad feelings, or to wish approriate punishment on someone who has wronged you. Here actual quotes from interviews with informants are provided giving specific examples on ’fasting out’ with helpful intentions - such as wishes for: healing, good luck, for someone’s safe return to home, knowing a time of death. Examples are also provided for ’fasting out’ to wish harm on someone for: stealing, causing harm, slander (defamation), abuse, injury caused, disappointment or desertion in love and murder. Between 1968 and 1970 Kóka Rozália collected 150 stories about this custom from Bukovina Székely Hungarians settled in Hungary’s Tolna, Baranya and Bács-Kiskun Counties.