Edited by MCK Sokół | Lesser Poland
A quilt in the hair
Country: Poland
Region: Lesser Poland
Type of inspiration: Beliefs
Inspiracja
"Saint Sophia had three daughters, one grazed, the other spun, the third ordered quilts to the Lord's saints".
The hair quilt (Plica polonica, or Polish quilt), also known as goiter or nailhead, was an ailment that often plagued the inhabitants of Carpathian villages in the past. It was not associated with a lack of hygiene, but as late as the end of the 19th century it was still considered the cause and at the same time a symptom of many diseases, including rheumatism. Improper or sudden removal of the quill could result in loss of hearing, sight, paralysis and even death.
It was believed that only a mature quilt could be cut off, with varying definitions as to when this moment occurred. Residents of Mszana Dolna kept their koltun from three months to a year. In Piwniczna, it was believed that the best time to remove a quilt was six months after it had formed, necessarily on a bright Friday morning. The treatment had to be performed when the moon was waning so that the ailment would never return to the sufferer. The removal of the ringlet could only be carried out by a specialist in hair removal (one of the best was the sorcerer Bulanda) or by an experienced, elderly woman from the patient's family who knew in which direction and at what length to cut the hair. Shears, with which sheep were sheared, were used for shearing. Sometimes the effectiveness of the treatment was enhanced with a magic formula. Wine with dye and rosemary, used as a drink and for rubbing into the hair, was also a remedy for knots. Bulanda, on the other hand, recommended applying sheep's wool to the forehead, which had been spit on three times beforehand. The wool was supposed to curl and the hair to straighten.
The cut hair was immediately burned to prevent it falling into the wrong hands. This was because it was believed that it could be used by witches to make people sick. According to other recommendations, the cut hair was placed in a new clay pot along with a piece of bread, a coin and some sugar, and then buried under a fruit tree or dumped under a chapel or in a crossroads.
See the error? Do you know more information? Report it to us.
Write to us.
