Articles by Initial Letters
Kis magyar néprajz a rádióban (3.)
A tűz; Az élet vize; A „szótalan" víz
- Issue: 2020/5
- Starting page: 18
- Serie: Tallózó
- Author: Erdélyi Zsuzsanna , Kiss Mária , Pócs Éva
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Old writings still interesting today – P. Vas János’ column. …three short pieces from „Kis magyar néprajz a rádióban” [a bit of Hungarian folklore on the radio]. Two describe water’s significance in Hungarian and Balkan folklore: water means life, fertility, renewal; it cures. Water has magical cleansing power, it ensures health, wards off misery and misfortune. It has a particularly important role in the Christmas and Easter holiday celebrations. There were customs about just how, who and when they could handle water. Fire also has an equally important role in folk customs everywhere. Fire has a double edged importance: it is of integral importance for everyday life, but can also cause harm, and so is connected to fear as well. There were places the fire was fed with a bit of flour or dough before baking the bread. Fire also functioned as a spell breaker and for cleansing. By Erdélyi Zsuzsanna, Kiss Mária, Pócs Éva. Budapest 1978.