Edited by ARR S.A. | Silesia
Nobles
Country: Poland
Region: Silesia
Type of inspiration: Cultural customs
Inspiracja
In the borderlands of the Żywiec and Silesian Beskids, only a few villages still have the custom of carol singing on St Stephen's Day by bachelors dressed as Noblemen, butchers, highlanders, Jews and Jewish women. The approach of the Noblemen is heralded by lively music played on the heligonka and wakat. Their carol singing consists in the utterance of seemingly meaningless texts in which each character extols his or her qualities, skills, achievements or conquests. And, in keeping with the meaning and symbolism of the time of transition (a time of end and beginning in which the earthly order mixes with the supernatural), they do so 'backwards'.
For example, the text spoken by the Nobleman reads: 'Good evening my dear fellow, if you let us in you will see some nice guests. At the very front Kościuszko is riding, three million of his army, three million prisoners and highlanders. As we rode along, we saw: I saw a fly beat an elephant and break its leg, and a wasp drown three wagons of lard. I saw cats playing pipes and mice rock and roll. This concludes my role as .... hey Butcher come to the pigsty, for here the pig is breathing".
The orations are spoken in one breath, monotonously, rhythmically and loudly, and are illustrated or supplemented by the gestures and props associated with the character. After all the orations are pronounced, the carol singing ends with a lively dance with chants, in which the household members, especially the maidens, are included.
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