TRADITIONAL SPIRITUAL CULTURE

CHAPTER 1 CUSTOMS OF THE LIFE CYCLE CUSTOMS AND RITUALS CONNECTED WITH PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND CHILD UPBRINGING According to the people's considerations, in the traditional rural communities of the municipality Krivogastani, the family is considered to be complete and happy only if they have children. They, together with the fertility of the fields and the cattle, are permanent ritual desires, because it is considered that the wealth of the family is in the children. Because of these reasons multi-children family was typical until the middle of the XX century - in olden times the woman bore children as long as she could, she bore a child for a keeper of the stables, for a shepherd, for a plowman. Preferred offspring of the family is a boy - older people were happier when a boy was born, because the boys are related with the continuation of the family. Childlessness is considered as a great misfortune. Only motherhood makes the married woman an equal member of the family, in the extended family group and generally in the rural community. Women who do not have children are watched with underestimation and humiliation - and she, why she doesn't have children, a tomboy - they said. Childless women in all area are called barren women (shtirki). In order to get children, women often turn to the wise-women - sorceresses in the village who rub their stomachs, give them various kinds of tea and pass them through St. John's Day wreath. Also, they go to churches, make gifts to the icons and say prayers to the saints and mostly to Mother of God, who is considered as a protector of women who give birth - they place hopes in her, they believe her more. In order to become pregnant they also make some magic actions like washing the keys of the church or they go to the sacred stone - Stanot Kamen, famous in this region for its miraculous power in healing of the sterility of women as well as of the cattle. It is believed that the stone Dupen Kamen near the village Godivlje has also such power. Pregnant women in all regions are called gravid. By missing the menstruation they know that they became pregnant and they don't tell anybody about that - until it can be seen by the stomach, she won't tell, she will hide from her parents, from her mother-inlaw, she is ashamed. The standards of behavior, which refer to customs and ritual actions connected with pregnancy and birth, are strictly regulated by the tradition. They have general functional direction - to provide for normal carrying of the child, easy birth, health and happiness of the coming offspring. In connection with this there are certain prohibitions that pregnant woman should observe. She should not steal or eat secretly, because the stolen thing could come out as a mark on the child's body in the shape of the object or the food. She must not light a candle for a deceased person because the child would be yellow. If she sees a snake, the child would be spotted on its face. There are also some prohibitions concerning beating of the

animals, for example, the cat - the child would have cat scratches; the dog - it would have stomachache, the baby would have klinje (pains in the stomach). In the advanced stages of pregnancy, everywhere they predict the sex of the coming offspring according to the appearance of the pregnant woman. It is thought that if the woman carries the baby high or forward in her stomach and if she has freckles on her face the baby will be a boy. If the woman is wider in the buttocks and more beautiful in her face the expected baby will be a girl. Also there are some predictions according to the moon phases. If the moon is full at the time of conception then it is believed that the baby will be a boy. The sex of the baby is predicted also according to some other signs. So, if the woman ties and unties the scarf all the time the baby will be a girl, if not it will be a boy (village Godvlje). Also it is spread a prediction with a thread and a needle, which the pregnant woman holds behind her - if she succeeds to thread the needle she will have a boy, if not she will have a girl (village Obrsani). In this period the pregnant woman works in the house as well as in the fields until the day of birth. Therefore there are cases when a woman bears a child right in the field. But, most often, the pregnant woman bears the child in the stable, where the cattle lies or by the fireplace (usually in winter), with a help of her mother-in-law and an old experienced woman, everywhere known as midwife. Ritual practice, connected directly with birth itself, includes not only rational moments, but also typical magical actions, in most cases of imitational character. The first as well the second have general aim - easy and quick birth. As a rule, everywhere birth is kept secret in order to be easy without complications - they hide so nobody could see them because birth would be difficult. Rational moments are those aimed to the woman herself, that is, to unbraid her hair, to unbutton her clothes and to untie the peasant shoelaces. Certain magical actions are applied in cases when the birth is difficult or complicated. Through the shirt of the woman who gives birth they pass raw egg three times and say the following: as long as the hen lies in the roost so long the woman to lie in birth (village Pasino Ruvci), or like the egg breaks so the baby to come out soon (village Obrsani). In order to alleviate the birth they pour water to the woman under her arms - that is, as the water runs fast so the baby to be born fast (v. Krivogastani). Her husband gives her water to drink from his peasant shoe saying: I have loaded her me to unload her (v.Obrsani). After the baby is born, the midwife cuts the umbilical cord with the sickle, because it cuts all sorts of herbs and it is not contagious. Then she ties the navel of the newborn infant with a red gossamer thread (v.Vrbjani), with a red tirip (v.Pasino Ruvci), with hair of its mother's hair (v.Krivogastani). It is spread the custom to keep the child's navel against enchantment - to take it, to wash with water and to give the child to drink. Then, they give the woman who has just given birth to blow in a pitcher so the placenta could come out. It is widely spread the practice that the placenta - remnants, to be wrapped and buried on a secret place so nobody to see it. This is done because of two reasons. The first one is pure rational, so the dogs could not tear it apart, and the other one is protective, so sorceries could not be made. There is also a custom to turn the placenta inside out so the next baby to be a boy (v.Krivogastani). After the birth, usually the children from the immediate family inform the neighbors that they have a newly born child and they invite them to come on doughnuts. The next day, it is a usual practice that her mother-in-law makes doughnuts. That day come the women to congratulate the woman who has just given birth and they bring povojnica-

swaddle present, which consists of food and drink, most often pie, doughnuts, boiled eggs, wine etc. Besides that, it is obligatory that each woman bring a slice of bread with sugar and to give it to the woman who has just given birth to eat it. In olden times (before XX century) they make fresh round bread with baking soda and a little sugar. With the birth are connected certain expectations about the fate - kismet of the child - whether it will be happy in its life. In this case, it is significant when the baby is born - the day, season etc. It is spread the consideration that the child born on Sunday will be happy in its life, because Sunday is a beautiful, nice day. It is the same about a child born on Wednesday. Happy is considered also one who was born on Easter or some other festivals in honor of Mother of God. Kismet of the baby also is connected with the phases of the moon - it will have more happiness if it is born when the moon is new than when it is full. As a not nice day is considered Tuesday, and especially Saturday because Saturday is sanden - week has finished. Because of that they put a golden earring to the child who is born on that day - so the bad could get out. Some predictions are made also according to the length of the newborn infant. So, for example, if the baby has big hands and feet it is considered that it will be a big man. Habitual practice, connected with the woman who has just given birth, includes a period of 40 days, which is fulfilled with a lot of rituals. The base of the habitual actions connected with this period is the belief that the woman who has just given birth is unclean and she is endangered by various evil powers. Concerning these notions there are lot of important rituals of a protective, productive and purifying character. Since the day of birth, throughout all this period (40 days), the woman who has just given birth everywhere is called leunka- wet nurse. Her isolation is connected with the notions that she is unclean. During the first three days after the birth, the wet nurse lies in the stall, on a rush mat knitted of rye stalks. Next to her and to the baby, against enchantments, they place some objects of apotropaic meaning - a broom, a sickle, garlic, water and they put a rope around her. Immediately after the birth they tie a black scarf on her head and put on her a tassel gown so the evil can run away, and on her hand, or sewn on her vest, they tie her a red kadelche (twisted wool as a thread), which she wears until six weeks after the birth she goes to the church for a prayer, as a protection from enchantments - against the evil eye, bewitching. For three days after the birth nothing could be taken out of the house in order to protect the wet nurse and the baby from unwanted magical actions. After three days from the birth, the wet nurse could go out, but she must follow certain ritual practices of a protective character, which mostly are connected with her health and milk. It is common belief that the established standards of behavior lead to bad consequences, which concern directly the woman who has just given birth - losing of milk and her health getting worse, and indirectly her baby. During this period she mustn't go out after sunset in order not to be enchanted, and also her clothes mustn't be left outside during the night because of sorceries. Rituals connected with the lactation of the woman who has just given birth are numerous. In order to have milk it is a custom that the woman eats the bread and the onion that the woman wet nurse gives her at the first breast feeding of the baby. If there are more wet nurses in the village or even in the same house, then each of them should try to see the other one as soon as possible - don't let her look at you first, but you look at her first, since if she looks at you first she could take your milk or if she wants she could look at you without intention. That is called malicious look, she takes the milk. In order to prevent herself from these undesired actions the wet nurse should carry a slice of bread

in her underarm so the other wet nurse could take the bread not the milk (v. Godivlje), or she should carry a wooden spoon and garlic on her waist and bread in her pocket (v.Vrbjani). Also she carries the diaper from the first walking out of the baby so nobody could take her milk (v. Pasino Ruvci). In case the wet nurse loses her milk, then certain ritual actions are taken. On a well in which there is water, in the evening it is hang bread, onion and water saying: - Sister fairy, what you have taken give it to me back, what I have taken from you to give you back. The next day before sunrise the left things are taken and given to the woman who has just given birth to eat. It is believed that after that milk will come back to her. Forty days after the birth the woman dressed in her most beautiful clothes, accompanied by her mother-in-law, together with her child goes to the church to take a prayer and to release herself. After the prayer the woman together with the baby go for a visit of her mother and stay there for several days. In case she is married in another village, then she usually goes with her mother-in-law to visit some relatives, they stay there for lunch and come back home. Immediately after the birth there are taken measures for a magical protection of the child from enchantments and evil powers. A coin is attached with wax to a piece of the baby's hair, a wedding coin is sewn on its cap, and next to the baby in his cradle it is left a little broom, garlic, water and a comb in order not to be alone if its mother goes out. During the first forty days the baby is covered also with a red handkerchief because of the evil eye, not to be enchanted by somebody, and especially it is covered in order not to be seen by a male person. For the same purpose it is made a black dot on its forehead by blackness from the earthenware dish, baking pan or coal. Up to the fortieth day it is taken garlic single and it is brought to a woman-sorcerer to practice sorceries on the garlic so the child would not be bewitched. During this period the baby's diapers mustn't be left outside after sunset because of various wickedness. The mother is also careful where she dries the first washed diapers of the newborn infant. It is usual not to put them on a thorn, but on a stone, in order not to tear up the clothes or socks. When other women come with a swaddle present, if any of them has got her period she should tell and she mustn't see the baby, because otherwise on the baby's face there will appear alandjuzi (red spots). If the newborn infant cries very often, when they see a fire on the mountain they turn the baby towards it and say: - Fire, fire, take the crying, give me the peace back. The ritual practice about bathing of the baby has combined functional aim. There are elements with a protective, purifying and magic-imitational function. The first ritual bathing of the baby is made the next day after the birth and this is done mostly by motherin-law. In the water they put some coal against spells and holy water, which has purifying function. Namely, early in the morning mother-in-law, father-in-law or father goes to the church and they bring water and sweet basil for the priest to sing it and with this water they bathe the baby until the fortieth day. During bathing grandmother should be silent in order the baby to be quiet. Usually the baby is dressed with a little shirt then it is diapered. Grandmother sews the first shirt after the baby is born: - Then grandmother will sit next to the baby and will sew a handmade shirt for it. According to the folk belief it is not sewn too early - it is not good in so the baby would not die. The shirt should be the same for all the children of the mother and the child should wear it up to six weeks so they would love each other, so the brother and sister would respect each other forever. The habitual practice concerning nourishment of the baby is the same in the whole region. The baby is nursed from the first day and therefore they invite a woman who is a

wet nurse (mostly any of the close relatives), because mother hasn't got milk yet. The baby should be nursed from the right breast. Above the head of the wet nurse they hold a sieve in which they put some bread so the baby would be satiated. There is a general comprehension that when the wet nurse is nourishing the baby, between her own baby and the baby she has nourished relationship is created and the children are considered to be foster brothers and sisters. Therefore when they grow up they mustn't marry each other. Determining the destiny of the child, in the discussed period, is connected with images based on old viewpoints of the world, as for example there is a belief that during the third night three women called destiny tellers come to the newborn infant. They stand by the baby and they destine if it will be happy, how many years it will live - these women destine the kismet of the child. Determinant and final word has the third destiny teller. They write everything in the book. According to the folk ideas what is destined cannot be changed and nobody could avoid the destiny - from the beginning until the end everything is said, that is if something good or bad happens to you so the destiny tellers said, such was his destiny and so it will be. It is believed that if anyone in the house, including even mother, remains awake he could hear what is said by the destiny tellers - it is like some dark voice. Also there is a belief that the destiny tellers come into the dream that night. 1 In case mother is frightened in her dream then all her life she will be afraid about that child that is said by the third one. The baby is usually baptized two or three weeks after the birth but up to the sixth week at the latest. The newborn infant until baptizing in the entire region doesn't have name. Everywhere they called it krze, if it is a first baby it is called ranache and if it is last born one it is called sugare. Name of the baby is given by the godfather - nunko and mostly it is chosen according to the family feasts. For example if it is born before Easter Velika, Velko, around Mitrovden - Mitra, Dimitrija. Wide spread habitual practice of a magical-imitational character concerning the name is if in the family there were born only girls, the last one to be named Menka (change) in order to change the sex of the next baby. Baptizing is connected with lot of rituals, believes and standards of behavior, which have protective and productive function. If a boy and a girl are baptized in the same water one after another, they became foster brothers and it is not good when they grew up to fall in love and get married. While the ceremony is going on it is not good the godfather to eat and drink but he should be hungry. There is also a strong prohibition about the presence of mother at the ceremony of baptizing, she must stay at home - under no circumstance mother should go when baptizing. The godfather tells the name of the child for the first time in the church during the ceremony of baptizing. There is a custom when
So they were three women, they were dreamt in a dream, middle aged women, I know, my sister told me nice, she said: They came, the women said: Let's give a long way to this child! And, she said, they took a thread and they started - she said - from our house and ah, who knows wherever they went, they just rolled up that thread, all three of them, it was so long, it didn't have end, where did it go that thread and - she said as soon as the thread was rolled up, I couldn't see anymore where it was and - she said - they stopped. They said: It's enough. And they rolled the thread up to its end. And I woke up, so it was. And I asked myself: What was that? Now, after some time, we talk with my sister. I said to her: What was that thread, sister? Don't you know what it was? Australia - she said - my child lives there, that thread. I - she said - I didn't remember, I've got two children, but about the last one, I remembered the thread and now she said - my child is in Australia. ANOX, Inv. No. K-13-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 10.05.2003 in v. Obrsani. Informer Vesela Smugreska, born 1933 in v. Veselcani, now she lives in v. Obrsani.
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the name is heard, the older children compete who will be the first to tell the name to mother since the first one will get a gratuity. The baptized child, if it is a boy, after returning from the church, the godfather carries it first to the stable to work with cattle, and if it is a girl he puts it on the kneading table to be diligent, to work in the house. This custom was practiced by the middle of the XX century. After that the baby is put in the cradle where it lies, and under its pillow it is put a book in order to study and money, bread and sweet basil against enchantments. For the christening of the child it is prepared dinner, but guests are not specially invited. The neighbors will hear when the baby is baptized and they will come with doughnuts, special pies, unleavened bread for congratulations. During this there are no special rituals, only blessings, similar to those when coming with swaddle present. It is obligatory that the godfather give a shirt to the child. When in a family the children do not live long, they die, certain ritual practices are experienced in this period. It is widely spread custom to leave the child for a new godfather. Several days after the birth, before sunrise, father or father-in-law will leave the child on the road, and hidden nearby he will wait to see who will be the first who will pass by the baby. Then he comes out and says: - Stop! - You were the lucky one, you will be the godfather! According to the tradition the new godfather mustn't refuse to participate in the baptizing ritual. Besides this there are also some other habitual practices. In the entire region it is practiced to baptize the newborn infant before it is nourished at the breast. In order to live the baby, on the third night it is carried to the neighbors, and next to mother it is left a washerwoman's beetle - so the destiny tellers could not find it. When christening the baby is given a name like Trajan to last (to live), Stojanka in order to stand (not to die), Zivko to be alive or it is given a name, which does not exist in the village.2 There are different rituals and customs concerning certain phases in growing up of the child and its contacts with the social environment. They are almost identical in the entire region and they are with a productive aim. In case the child does not begin to walk after his first birthday, it is believed that the basic reason for that is its fear. In order to chase the fear out they undertake certain actions of a magical character. There is a custom of cutting the fear by an ax. Grandmother brandishes three times with the ax on the threshold saying: - Fear, I will cut you here with the ax, let the child begin to walk, it is afraid of you! Or two sisters before the sunrise pass the child across a furrow, across water saying: The fear to pass, to go away with the water, not to be in it anymore. To wean the child, mother or grandmother boils an egg and gives it to the child in order to distract it. But, most often mother goes away alone for two or three days. According to the folk's belief the child who is again weaned it will enchant, bewitch the people.
My sister has got a lot of children who died, after they were born they died very soon. She changed the name of the girl. Since it remained alive for several days, because the other children simply lived for one, two weeks and on the third week they died. But this child lived longer, and so, one of the neighbors had a dream, to christen a certain man, that is to give him a godfather, but to give him a name that nobody else in the village has. The name to be the only one in the village. And this man went there and said so and so. The woman will have a girl, but I have to be the godfather and I have to give her a name that there isn't any other in the village. He was thinking a lot about the name, there were all sorts of names in the village. He named her Makedonka and she stayed alive with that name. ANVOX Inv.no. K-9-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on25.01.2003 in v. Krivogastani. Informer Rada Mandreska, born 1930 in v. Pasino Ruvci, now lives in v.Krivogastani.
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Getting and falling out of the first tooth of the child everywhere are connected with certain rituals and customs. The person who will find the first tooth should knit socks to the child. Mother cooks wheat and then she strings it like a pearl so the baby's teeth to be fine, small like pearls. Also it is made round bread. When the fist milk teeth falls out, then the child throws it on the roof of the house and says: Crow, crow here is a bone, give me iron (v.Vrbjani).3 That means its teeth to be strong as iron, not to fall out. The first haircut of the child is usually after the first year and that is done in March. The child's hair is cut by some relative or a neighbor who knows to do a haircut and this is not connected with any rituals. In case the first haircut is done by a barber, he does not take money about that. Ritual practices connected with the first independent work of the child are probably left off in the beginning of XX century and therefore they are not well preserved. The only preserved rituals are those connected with the woman's housework and they have magic-imitational and productive character. When the girl is about twelve she makes round bread for the first time. Before she starts her mother pours some sugar on her hands so the bread could be sweet. This bread is made with a baking soda and sugar and it is called fresh unleavened bread or cake (kravajche). The custom about the first embroidery is better preserved. A girl usually starts to learn to embroider at the age of nine-ten. In order the embroidery to be easy for the girl it is practiced the following custom. In the evening, the day before the first embroidery, the girl eats a little of the special bread called a little cake, which is made especially for that purpose, and then she wraps it in the embroidery piece, saying three times: Sun has gone to the town, and my mind into the sleeve! The next morning when she gets up, she will wash herself, she will eat the cake and she starts to embroider. Another habitual practice is, in the evening the day before the first embroidery, to embroider two or three threads and the next day to start with the embroidery that is the work could go ahead.

WEDDING CUSTOMS CUSTOMS BEFORE THE WEDDING Common law and ethic standards of behavior - During the reviewed period, the position of the young people and their behavior in the family, rural community and the society are socially determined by the dominant patriarchal standards, established and handed down according to the tradition, as well as by their economic dependence. This, in a great deal explains the question why the adults always decide about the important questions of their personal life, and here, first of all, concerning the choice of the marital partner. In the entire region, the marital age depends on social-economical and moral factors. Since the basic occupation is the agriculture, the family of the girl makes an endeavor to retain the girl with them as manual labor as long as possible, and the family of
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Crow, crow here is a bone tooth, give me a silver one! (v. Krivogastani)

the boy to get a wife as soon as possible in order to enlarge the manual labor. This explains the fact why mostly the girl is older than the boy. The girls usually get married at the age of 24-25 and older, and the boys at 16 up to 19. Premarital contacts between young people are strictly regulated by the traditional social behavior. Most often they meet and get acquainted on some great festivals and the family feasts in the village. During the Easter Lent the girls go to a visit to stay for a while (posedalki) in other villages - to stay with some relatives (na posedok) usually ten to fifteen days. During their stay they help their relative in the field works or they exchange embroideries for the shirts, tulbens (scarves), new yarns etc. However, the most important aim of these visits is becoming acquainted with some boy from the village - all the boys enjoy going and seeing the guest, the girl how she looks like, then they will be introduced to each other, or the girl heard about some bachelor from some family, so she wishes to meet him. They usually meet in the evening when they go out and gather at the gates or the crossroads. This gathering is called standing. For the standing they dress up in their most beautiful embroidered shirts, adorned with white tulbens and different flowers. In case they fall in love, they express that through various signs - leave a bunch of flowers in front of the house of the beloved one, mutually or by a third person exchange presents like a mirror, a comb, meet the girl when going for water or when coming back etc. Such mutual acquaintances and meetings also happen during grape picking when girls grape pickers from the neighboring villages come to help in gathering of the grapes. Also, during the family or village feasts, come girls pchenjcharki4 to help in cleaning of the house, preparing of food and serving of the guests. It is not unusual, after a certain time, to send a matchmaker to some of the visitors-posedalki, grape pickers or girls-pchenjcharki. The choice of the future wife (husband) is an exclusive right of the parents - it will be as the old say. Sometimes they ask for approval by the young although it is only for the sake of form. While making the choice, there are certain criteria which mostly refer to the material and personal, and first of all, to the moral qualities. About the boy it is paid attention to be handsome, to be rich, to have good oxen, to own a lot of land, a lot of sheep. And about the girl, to be healthy, to be older, fatter, larger, more diligent, to have lot of embroidered shirts. Getting into marriage, in the traditional rural community in the entire region in this period, is regulated by defined relative, social and moral relationships and attitudes. Everywhere it is forbidden to get into marriage with relatives up to the fourth degree and even to the seventh degree. According to the folk considerations, if this habitual rule is not respected and relatives got married, then it leads to difficult consequences for the family and for the children - if they got married and if something bad happens, decease, having no children, they would say: - They are relatives, that's why it happened. We should emphasize that concerning the degree of prohibition up to the fourth generation is greatly influenced by the church institution, which does not marry close relatives. Also, there is a prohibition about getting married with foster (adopted) brothers/sisters and the relationship with the godfather is respected up to the ninth generation or forever. Common law standards also exclude nor respecting the order of older brother or sister - it was not possible, it was very strict, the younger brother mustn't get married before the older one. It is considered that not respected (pre-ordered) brother or sister could hardly ever get married - he couldn't get married, the order is not respected.

Girls pchenjcharki could be from the same village.

Marriages are made not only within the same village, but also it is very often to get married in (from) other villages, most probably because of their closeness, concerning the location as well as the traditional culture. Matchmaking - During the reviewed period, in the entire region it was not possible to get married without a matchmaker. - The matchmaker usually is a man, but also it could be a woman matchmaker. They are old, experienced people, who are very well informed in which house there is a boy or a girl ready for marriage, what is their material and health position, so taking these things into consideration they could intervene in the agreement about the future marriage. The matchmaker is sent to the house of the future martial partner on the initiative of both parties, but more often by the boy. He goes alone to the house of the girl in the evening so nobody could see him. Under his tongue he keeps a little piece of stone in order to be silent so nobody could spoil the agreement, and he drags his legs in order to drag weddings. He puts one sock inside out so the things would not turn out wrong. While entering the yard he goes directly to the trough in which the laundry is washed and he puts its cork in order to gag the hosts, so they would not be against his suggestion (v. Vrbjani). For the same purpose he carries a cork and he throws it secretly behind the door (v. Obrsani). In the entire region there are some habitual practices, which show to the hosts the reason why the matchmaker has visited them: while entering the house he shouts: - Airlija - Good luck, fortunate leg! When they offer him for a drink, he refuses, etc. After he sits and for a while with the hosts he tells why he has come. Lately (in the '60s of XX century) the matchmaker immediately tells the purpose of his coming and who is sending him: - I'm coming as a matchmaker, and I'm not going until I take a raun- present to carry to the boy. I came about that boy if you would like to engage your daughter or sister. In case the parents agree with his suggestion, it is usual to ask the girl, although it is only for the sake of form. She always agrees with the choice of her parents. Exchange of rauns-presents - After achieving an agreement by the both parties and giving their word, the same day, they make an engagement, which consists of the custom of exchanging rauns. The girl sends to her future husband a raun, which consists of three pieces-sheja: a bridal shirt - lozena, a scarf with fringes - tulben (gjuvez scarf or apron) and man's socks. The matchmaker takes the raun from the girl - bringing up of the raun and he carries to the boy. The next day or the next Sunday, the boy' mother, also sends a raun to her future daughter-in-law by the matchmaker, which consists of a kiska 5 with a gold coin and an apple in which there are pricked two silver coins. From that moment on the boy and the girl are considered to be engaged and they are called a fianc and a fiance. After the engagement the young must observe some standards of behavior. They don't meet anymore, they don't go to public places, don't dance a folk dance together until the wedding day - the boy and the girl until then will have no contacts at all. In the '30s and '40s of the last century, these prohibitions started to be violated and it was allowed a close meeting between the betrothed by making visits or dancing a folk dance together. Wedding agreements After a few days father of the fianc, father of the fiance and the matchmaker meet usually in the boy's house in order to agree about the wedding day, the gifts and the amount of ransom for the bride. Namely, up to '20s twenties of XX century there was a custom of purchase of the bride. Father-in-law should pay to the girl's father a prit (ransom) in amount of 15 to 20 francs. This amount is given to the family of
5

About kiska see the part about clothes, p.

the girl as compensation because of reducing of the working labor. The gifts and the ransom (prit) are usually brought by the boy on the wedding day. On that day the girl brings the agreed gifts in the boy's house and she gives shirts, aprons, towels and socks to his relatives. She also brings her dowry, which consists of fabrics for home use (jamboliiwool covers, rugs, irami-wool blankets) and clothes, but also live cattle and land if the girl's parents are well off. All these, according to the common law, remain girl's property. Towards the '60s of the last century, agreements about the wedding were made on Saturday at the market in Prilep, when were bought the promised gifts. Test making/ Match - One week before the wedding it is practiced a custom known as test making or match. The future bridegroom and the bride, the godfather, best man (mother-in-law's brother), the bridesman and the priest gather in the boy's house, and the priest asks the young if they freely agree to get married. If the answer is positive then the priest exchange their rings and they arrange dinner for the guests. In case one of the betrothed does not agree - it used to happen sometimes, although very rarely, mostly by the bachelor - then the match is broken off and that is called break off match. Irregular ways to get married - In the reviewed period, in the entire region, getting married could be also done by voluntary running away of the girl or against her will - take away. Running away of the girl is considered as a way of establishing a matrimony, which is a result based on the mutual feelings of the young. This is done only when the girl voluntarily agrees with that, and this mostly happens when there is a direct danger that the parents engage her to another boy. That girl is called a runaway and the two young people - runaways. Most often both of them are from the same village, very rarely a girl runs away in another village. The escape is realized through several habitual practices. Most often practice is when the young agree previously about the place and time of their meeting, and the girl leaves a sign for her family so they would know that she has run away. In the agreed time, usually in the evening, the girl comes at the agreed place where the boy waits for her with his friends and they go to the boy's house. Another usual practice is when the young decide to get married in the moment while they meet in front of the house or some other place: Let's get married! And hand in hand they go to the boy's house. Third way to get married is by a third person if one of them because of some reasons could not get married. After it became known about running away, the girl comes back to her parents and then they make all the wedding customs and rituals the same as for the regular way of getting married. If the boy cannot take his beloved girl willingly, then he takes her by force and seizes the girl - seized girl. Usually there are five-six robbers and they are the boy, his brothers and cousins. Taking away of the girl happens suddenly in the fields, by the fountain or in the center of the village. It's a frequent custom to put a tree-stick on the belt of the girl and to take her on their shoulders to the boy's house. If the girl opposes to that, then she either runs away or the boy returns her home. The rural community respects her will and accepts her back in its circles - there isn't anything to be ashamed of afterwards, it was said - it was cut off. If the girl agrees with that, then the same as for running away, they start the wedding preparations. Regarding taking away, there is an interesting folk belief, that if the boy could scoop up the girl's wrist with his hand, then he takes her away, if not, he couldn't take her away, she will escape from him. WEDDING

Habitual and ritual activities connected with wedding, in the reviewed period, are identical in the community of Krivogastani. In the entire region, weddings are usually made from the Day of Birth of Mother of God to Arhangelovden, that means that they are determined depending on the completed work in the fields in the autumn and although rarely, from Epiphany to Forgiveness Lent Carnival. It is strictly forbidden getting married from Christmas to Epiphany and during the Lent. The period from the engagement until the wedding is not long, it is usually three to four weeks. Invitation - Inviting for the wedding starts on Monday before the wedding and it lasts for a few days. Younger or older brother-in-law or the bridegroom's brother invites the guests, first he invites the godfather, then the bestman (brother of the boy's mother) and then the other relatives and friends. Bride's brother or her cousin delivers the invitations in the bride's family. The inviter is dressed in formal clothes and he carries a woven bag decorated with white laces and four silver coins - pins, and in the bag a bottle of wine, and sweet basil, the ring of the bridegroom (bride) and some silver coins tied on the bottle with a red woolen thread. He offers wine to the persons he invites to drink from the bottle and they give him some money which are intended for the bride and bridegroom. Ritual persons - The most important place of the ritual persons has the godfather, who always is the same person who christened the boy. His wife is called godmother. Other ritual persons are the bestman, brother of mother-in-law or her cousin and his wife best woman, then old bridesman and young bridesman who are not relatives to the family of bridegroom. Weaving of the rush mat - The essential wedding rituals start on Thursday before the wedding with the ritual weaving of the rush mat in the house of the bridegroom - it is called that for sleeping, when bride comes to lie on the rush mat. Therefore girls gather and with ritual singing first they start to twist strings of rye stalks: How are the strings twisted, To weave a yellow rush mat, Two young heroes to lie on that. (v. Pasino Ruvci)6 Then they tie them weaving them into a braid. After the rush mat is woven, it is spread out and mother-in-law throws sweets and she rolls a young boy on it so that the bride would have a boy, and the all the children gather around him to collect the sweets so that the bride would have a lot of children. Also it is practiced to roll on the rush mat more children, boys and girls so that the bride would have mixed children, boys and girls. Invited guests evening- On Saturday, in the evening of the invited guests, there are made wedding breads - svachi in the bridegroom's house, as well as in the bride's house. The bread is kneaded by a girl - mother's, father's, with living parents. Before it is started to knead, it is taken the iron stick of the oxen yoke on which it is placed the bridegroom's/bride's ring and the flour is mixed with it. Then the girl starts to knead the bread. During kneading the other girls sing special songs: Partridge from the woods came, To sift the flour with the wings, To knead bread for the young,
ANOH,Inv.no. K-8-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 17.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Rada Mandreska, born 1930 in v.Pasino Ruvci, now lives in Krivogastani
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Since the bread will go to another village. (v.Pasino Ruvci)7 or Which girl bread will knead? Whoever is mother's, father's. (v.Vrbjani)8 The girl begs them gently, Please knead the bread nicely, It will go to other village, other house. (v.Vrbjani)9 Then the bread-svacha is placed under the earthen vessel-crepna to bake, and while it is baking they sing: A small colony has sprouted, Very thin and very tall, In the middle of the hero's house, Underneath lies a young fool, Young, unmarried. (v.Pasino Ruvci)10 After the bread-svacha is baked they start to decorate it. Sweet basil is put on four spots like a cross and it is belted with a red spun core-thread three times. During decoration it is sung too: Which girl will belt the bread? Whoever is father's, mother's, Whoever is of a good family. (v.Pasino Ruvci)11 The breads are exchanged between the wedding guests when they arrive in the bride's house. Then, when they take the bride in the house of the bridegroom, they put the bread on the table, on a tray and above it a glass of wine and they smile at it. The bread is not salted, it is not baked, why you didn't tell, we could've give you salt, or wood to bakeit. Then again they sing a song (with the name of the bride's mother): Hey, mother Petrejce, Why the bread is so small, Neither baked, nor salted. Hey, mother Petrejce,
Idem. The same song is sung in the bridegroom's and in the bride's house. It is sung at the bridegroom's house. ANOH, Inv.No.K-5-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 04.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Danica Klekackoska, born 1936 in v.Vrbjani, now lives in v.Krivogastani 9 Idem. It is sung in the bride's house. 10 The same song is sung in the bridegroom's house as well as in the bride's house. ANOH,Inv.no. K-82003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 17.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Rada Mandreska, born 1930 in v.Pasino Ruvci, now lives in Krivogastani. 11 Idem
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How did you send your child Narrow-minded, dull, With one sock, with one stocking. She saw the barn, she crossed herself, She saw the church, she passed by. She saw a loom, she was astonished, What's this that creaks and springs?12 The bride and the bridegroom should eat a piece of the bread each so that their love lasts forever. Wedding wreath - When they knead the bread in the house of the bridegroom they also weave the wedding wreath for the bride. Usually the girl mother's, father's, who kneaded the bread weaves the wreath - it wasn't good to weave if the girl is fatherless or motherless, so that there is no consequence for the young. The wreath is weaved by sweet basil and various flowers with red woolen threads, and on the back part it is sewn red cloth and in front a veil of tulle. Then, the girl brings the wreath to the table and she kisses the hand of the invited wedding guests, and at the same time a young boy carries the shoes of the bride. The younger bridesman keeps the wreath that evening, and on the wedding day, he wears it on his head until they arrive in the bride's house. Shaving of the bridegroom - Shaving of the bridegroom is a ritual practice, which is carried out on Saturday on the invited guests evening. They shave him in the room where the wedding guests are sitting; he sits on a chair facing the east and the bride's men hold the towel from both sides. First they wash him while grown-up girls sing the song: Hero's heart is dancing with joy, Like a foal in a strong horse farm, Like a lamb in a strong flock. (v.Pasino Ruvci)13 Then, the godfather first starts with shaving of the bridegroom, then the best man, the bridesmen and the other relatives, and they throw some money on the towel. The girls sing: The bridegroom doesn't want a barber to shave him, But he wants his fair godfather to do it.14 After they finish shaving, there is custom that the younger and older bridesmen compete who will be the first to take off the socks and shoes of the bridegroom. Usually the younger bridesman wins and then he throws them over the beams three times - high to be raised the family, to grow.
The same song is sung almost everywhere. ANOH, Inv.no. K-5-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 04.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Danica Klekackoska, born 1936 in v.Vrbjani, now lives in v.Krivogastani
12

ANOH,Inv.no. K-8-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 17.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Rada Mandreska, born 1930 in v.Pasino Ruvci, now lives in Krivogastani. 14 The same is sung while the others are shaving him, for example The bridegroom doesn't want a barber to shave him, But he wants his fair bridesman/bestman/ uncle/ etc. to do it.
13

On braids - At the same time of the shaving of the bridegroom there is a ritual braiding of the bride's hair, she also faces the east and her friends mother's, father's, braid her hair. Going for the bride - On Sunday morning together with the godfather, who carries the wedding flag -ruglica15, all invited relatives and friends by the bridegroom go for the bride. They go on foot, by horses or by carts, accompanied by the bagpiper and the drummer. When they go out of the bridegroom's house they sing: Good-bye wedding guests, Go hundred, comeback hundred and one! There is a custom, the herald and the younger friends of the bridegroom, riding on horses to go first in the bride's house and to inform the wedding guests that the wedding procession is arriving. The relatives of the bride don't let them go into the yard until they pay some gratuity. When the wedding guests arrive they are greeted with the song: Welcome wedding guests, hundred you came, hundred and one you will go! Also they sing the following song: Welcome wedding guests, The wedding hosts ran out, They wonder, girls and brothers, Where to tie their horses? The girl wove basil cribs, She fastened the wedding horses, To tie the horse of father-in-law. To tie the horse of the godfather, To tie the horse of the bestman, To tie the horse of the bridesman. (v.Pasino Ruvci)16 During that, the bride is hidden in some room, and she watches the bridegroom from the window through a ring or through a sieve so that they could be close, satiated, not to have quarrels. When the wedding guests sit around the table in the room, the father-in-law pays the prit-ransom to the bride's father and then they give the agreed gifts - to bride's mother and father shirts, and to the others towels or socks. Then, the bridesmen go to the room where the bride is hidden. After they pay to the bride's friends they open the door. The younger bridesman puts the wreath on her head and the older bridesman puts on her shoes. So dressed up, the bride is led with a white handkerchief to the table by one of her friends or by her brother's sister-in-law - bringing up of the bride in front of father-in-law, where the bride first to her father, then to her father-in-law, to the godfather, the bestman,
Church flag ANOH,Inv.no. K-8-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 17.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Rada Mandreska, born 1930 in v.Pasino Ruvci, now lives in Krivogastani.
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the bridesman and to the other wedding guests she kisses hand and she gives them gifts, a white handkerchief or a towel, and they also give her a present or some coins. At that time, it is also decorated the wedding flag-ruglica with an apple. Send-off of the bride - Send-off of the bride and leave-taking with her close relatives is the most emotional moment of the wedding - it was not a wedding, it was crying. Usually the younger brother of the bride brings her out of the house and he gives her to the bridesmen who, from that moment on, accompany her all the time. The bride stops at the right side of the entrance door, she says good-bye to her parents and relatives and she gives them gifts. The dowry of the bride is also taken out at that time, and the bestman is responsible for that. Then the bridesmen raise the bride on the horse, her mother throws wheat and sweets so that the young would have children, and the others sing: Good bye wedding guests, Hundred you came, hundred and one you go! In the '20s and '30s the bride is taken up in a cart. The bride and her sister-in-law sit on the back and mother-in-law in the middle, and the bridegroom and father-in-law in front. According to the folk's belief the bride shouldn't look back to her father's house in order not to return back. Marriage ceremony - According to the folk's belief, it is not good two groups of wedding guests to meet on their way to the church, the brides should not see each other. If that happens, it is a custom that one group waits a bit further, while the other one passes by. As a protective measure from such undesired meeting it is covering the bride's face with the veil. In the churchyard, father-in-law with his gift - the tray with the bread in his hands, goes around the bride and the bridegroom three times, and they bow at each turning. Then the bridesmen take down the bride from the horse. While entering the church the bride and the bridegroom should be careful to step in with the right leg. Then father-in-law lifts the veil of the bride with a rolling pin in order the bride to be uncovered for the marriage ceremony. After the marriage ceremony the wedding breaks up and most of the guests go home - to gather the cattle, to take care of the house. The young couple and their close relatives go to the bridegroom's house, but according to the custom, they go by another road. Welcome of the bride and the bridegroom - The basic meaning of the rituals when welcoming the bride and the bridegroom is to introduce the bride with the new home and to insure fertility and happiness of the young family. The main role has motherin-law who welcomes the young couple in their yard with her close relatives. Here, also father-in-law goes around the young three times with the gift in his hands, and the bridesmen take down the bride from the horse. Before the bride enters the new home there are carried out several rituals: the bride with mother-in-law applies honey on the door of the house making crosses, she raises a young boy and she enters with a sieve, which is held by mother-in-law, with bread in it and obligatory with her right leg. Then, her mother-in-law takes her first to the fireplace, to push into it, to light up the fire, in order to work. Then, (depending on their economic situation) she gives to the bride golden or silver earrings, chain of francs or only one franc, or if they are poor with hook, fish hook or woolen apron. After that the bridesmen lead her to a special room - small chamber.

When they finish with these rituals, the close relatives come into the house and then the celebration starts at the bridegroom, called male wedding. In the evening, the other wedding guests gather again in the bridegroom's house and then, according to the custom, they bring a present - copper pan with meat and round bread. The bride comes out before the supper, in front of father-in-law in order to serve the guests with a glass of brandy and to kiss them hand. After this ritual, they serve the supper and the bride again goes around the dining table serving wine and kissing their hands. Then she withdraws in the small room where she has supper with the younger bridesman, his mother, his sister, wife of the older bridesman. Before the bride starts with the supper, there is a custom, mother-in-law to give a piece of bread, which is soaked in the pig's trough, so that the bride could fatten like a pig, to be fat. The wedding guests around the dining table drink toasts, give blessings and celebrate - they play music, dance folk dances and sing wedding songs. There is a custom during the celebration, the children stole the flag-ruglica from the godfather: - Now, until you pay for it, godfather, we are not going to give you the flag! Then they start to bargain until they make an agreement. After or during the supper, the bride gives gifts to the relatives of the bridegroom and to the legal - ritual persons kissing them hands. She gives shirts to her father-in-law and mother-in-law, woolen socks to brothers-in-law, scarves or aprons to the sisters-inlaw, towels and socks to the other relatives, and to the legal - ritual persons a shirt each. Late that evening, after the celebration finishes, the bridegroom and the bride accompany the guests kissing them hands, and the more important guests are kissed by the bride. All the time during the wedding it is characteristic the ritual silence of the bride. First marital night - The first marital encounter of the bride and the bridegroom is on Sunday evening. The bride is usually undressed by mother-in-law or some of the sisters-in-law. Before they lie, on the rush mat it is thrown some wheat on it - for fertility if the young couple and sweets - their life to be sweet, and it is rolled an apple - in order to love each other. Both of them eat from the apple, but first the bride - so that she would love him more. On Monday morning mother-in-law, most often with the bridesmaid checks the shirt of the bride to see if she was a virgin, chaste girl. Then the stained with blood shirt is put into a sieve17 and it is shown to the guests around the table, and they put money on it. If the bride is chaste, virgin, then there is a great celebration and everybody is satisfied, they fire riffles and make lot of noise - if the bride came chaste, as a maiden, the wedding will be very joyful. Then they prepare sweet brandy and offer all present guests. The bridegroom and the bridesman invite the close relatives for a lunch. The wedding finishes with this feast. If the bride was not a virgin, then the wedding celebration is broken off and there is a common disapproval. Habitual practice in such a case is very different - it depends on the people where it happens. If the people are modest, they will say: - Cover the evil, not to be seen! But, if the people are inconsiderate, they will call and play zurla and drums so that everybody knows, the scandal is out! Then the bride is interrogated how it happened, when, with whom and how she became dishonorable. If it is concluded that the bride should not be blamed, then it is believed that it had been made some sorcery and the bridegroom was not able to fulfill his marital obligation.

17

In the village Pasino Ruvci they put it into a sieve and covered with a red scarf.

Going of the bride for water - On Monday morning the bride is given some domestic works as it was going for water. The bride dressed up in her bridal clothes, accompanied by her sister-in-law (her husband's sister) and the bagpiper go for water on some village well or fountain. When she fills in the pitchers with water and comes bask home, first she gives to the bridegroom to drink water and after that he breaks the pitcher on the ground and the guests say: Hey, as many tiles, so many children! First kneading - Two-three days after the wedding, but mostly on the day when the moon is out, the bride kneads bread for the first time in the new home - fresh round bread with sugar.

CUSTOMS AFTER THE WEDDING The first entertaining of the young couple in the house of the bride's parents is usually on the first Thursday after the wedding and it is called Great Feast (Golemo Prvice- first family gathering feast). For that purpose father-in-law invites great number of guests prvicari - close relatives and friends. When they go, first, on horses, ride younger men and the herald, and behind them, the horses or the cart with the bride, the bridegroom, father-in-law, mother-in-la and sister-in-law. After them, on horses or carts go the godfather, the bestman, the bridesmen and the other guests. They take a bagpiper with them and, all the time on their way, they shout, sing and celebrate. The herald arrives first and he informs the host that the guests prvicari arrive. After the guests sit around the table, the bride accompanied by her sister-in-law goes out at the gate and hands out small bridal cookies made by her, especially for the feast, which she carries in a woolen bag decorated with white lace, coins, sterling silver and pearls. Her sister-in-law gives her the cookies and the bride kisses a hand and gives a cookie to every passerby (adult or child) as well as to her relatives who come to see her. There is a custom also that the bride besides the cake gives to her friends also a mirror, a bracelet or a ring in order to be caught (to get married). She gives bridal cookies also to the guests before dinner. After the guests have eaten and drunk, they return home with songs, making a great noise and shots from the riffles. On Sunday, father of the bride with lot of guests make a return visit to the bridegroom's family. After the great feasts, fathers of the bride and the bridegroom agree about the small feasts, which usually are practiced during the family feasts or other great holidays.

CUSTOMS ABOUT DEATH AND FUNERAL The customs about death and the funeral are closely connected with the notion of the soul. According to the traditional notions the soul is something like the air and it is inside the human body. When death comes, the soul leaves the human body forever. According to the folk's belief, the soul goes out through the mouth and until the 40th day goes around the places, where it was during the life and observes everything that's

happening at home. After this period the soul leaves the earth and goes to the souls of the other dead people. CUSTOMS ABOUT DEATH Foretelling of death - In the entire region it is widely spread the belief that coming of death has presentiments according to some unusual actions, such as starting of the hen to sing, howling of the dog, hooting of the owl, destroy of cuckoo or killing of the home snake, if it appears in the house. In order to prevent the misfortune, usually they butcher the hen, they kill the owl and chase the dog, or leave it somewhere far. Some dreams also foretell death - if, in your dream, you have a toothache and the tooth fell out, if you dream that somebody had butchered a pig, an oxen or a calf in the house, if the house is ruined... Coming of death - dying - When a man begins to die, then they say - he gathers soul, just his soul to get out, that is last of the human. In that moment they ask for a priest in order to read him a prayer and to give him Communion. They know that death has come by the stiffness of the body and by the mirror, placed under his nose - if it is not foggy, that means that he is dead, if it is foggy, that means that he is in coma, he breaths. According to the folk's notions, if his eyes or one of his eyes is little opened that means that somebody else of his relatives will die. There is a belief also that if in one year dies one person, then dies another, then, it is thought that a third person will die. Three must die. Therefore, there is a custom - in order not to be a human who will die, to be a soul, to butcher a black hen above the deceased person before he is buried and to leave it in the grave as a third victim. After coming of death - When a person dies first they close his eyes and mouth and they open all the doors and windows to enable the soul easily to release from the body. Then they cover the mirror with black cloth, and they put such cloth above the entrance door. About the deceased person it is informed by tolling of the church bell in the village for a deceased person, and in the other villages (or if there is no church in the village) by sending a massager (aberdzija). There is a custom, when somebody informs about a deceased person, not to enter the yard, the house, but to tell only from outside and to leave. Bathing and dressing of the deceased person - Bathing of the dead is made by adults of the same sex, most often brother or cousin, or sister or cousin. They bathe the whole body or only the face, the hands and the legs. Water is poured in the garden, where nobody goes, because it is believed that if somebody crosses the water of the deceased, soon he will get sick and die. After bathing his mouth (the jaws) and the legs, if he is not well prepared-evened out, they will be tied well, he will be tightened by a band strip to be prepared well. The band strip (kerchief, towel) is taken out before the dead is buried and it is left under his pillow to go with him. It is usual practice, the person go bathed the deceased to dress him too. If the deceased is an adult, then they dress him in the clothes that he has prepared for himself when he was alive. The shoelaces of the peasant shoes (later shoes) are left at home in order to leave the happiness here, not to take it with him there. Lamentation for the deceased - Since the moment of dying starts the mourning for the person. This is expressed by loud lamentation, which could be heard everywhere. The deceased person is lamented since dressing up to the church and later since the funeral

service until dropping the coffin into the grave. Often several women lamented at the same time, but each with her own words: Each in her house is lamenting, each her own. During lamentation they mention all important moments of his life and they send regards to their close relative who are dead. Death catafalque - As soon as the deceased is bathed and dressed, up to the '30s of the last century, they used to put him on the floor over homemade woven fabric - rug, with his face towards east. Later the catafalque was made on bed. They put a candle around the dead, which is taken out when the deceased is laid into the grave, then it is cut into pieces and it is lighted on the grave up to six weeks. His hands are crossed upon his chest, and under them they put an icon and a cross, and between his fingers a candle. Under his arm they put some money saying: - Here is some money to pay your trip. Under his head they put some bread so he would not be hungry. Next to the deceased near his head it is left a dish with wheat in which there is a lighted candle. A smaller dish with wheat is also put near his legs. The wheat and the bread are given to the cattle after the funeral. The candle should be lighted until it is sang a requiem for him. Then they burn incense in the house and they do that until the fortieth day in order not to become a vampire. Guarding of the deceased - In the entire region there is custom to guard the dead for twenty-four hours and then to bury him. During that time he mustn't be left alone. His close relatives most often sit next to him, women lament, and the others sit in the other rooms or in the yard. During the night the deceased is covered, the candle is blown out and elder people, who change after some time, guard him. All the time during the guard it is paid attention that neither a cat nor a hen comes in the room or somebody gives something over him: While the deceased is at home, it is not good to give anything over him, neither a cat is good to step over him, nor a hen to fly over him in order not to become a vampire, therefore he is guarded all the time. In the morning when the sun rises they wash his face with a sweet basil moistened in wine and oil. The wine and the oil are poured in a bottle and on the funeral they are placed in the grave. Seeing off with the deceased - All his relatives, neighbors and friends come to see off with the deceased. When they enter they say: May God forgive him. They bring a candle, flowers, sweet basil, a boiled egg, an apple, chestnuts, walnuts and they left them next to him. CUSTOMS DURING THE FUNERAL Digging of the grave - In the reviewed period, the funeral is the next day after coming of death. The place for the grave is chosen among the graves of the other relatives. Three men - relatives, neighbors or friends, dig the grave. In the reviewed period the graves are built in rectangular shape with stone blocks from the sides and a big stone plate over the entire grave. As soon as they dug up the grave, one of the diggers stays there to guard the empty grave in order not to be jumped over by something. Carrying out of the deceased person - Up to the '30s - '40s of the XX century the deceased was buried without a wooden chest - coffin. The body is wrapped in the rug on which he was laid, and he is put on stretcher taken from the church. Younger brothers, cousins or grandsons carry him on their hands and they take him out through the door

with his legs in front, because, according to the folk's belief, in this way he won't come back and take somebody else. After taking the deceased out of the house, two or three women stay in the house to clean it. On the place where the deceased was laid, they break a scoop - crpka (dried fruit used for water) with water, and in the '40s of the last century they break a pitcher with water.18 The whole water which is in the house is poured out, and the vessels of water) are laid on the ground. The same make the neighbors, even the entire village does this: - When the deceased was passing by, when they carried him through the village, the pitchers with water that we had, we would have poured and laid down, to be empty, so that when they passed in front of the gate, the dead would not come for water, would not become a vampire. Dropping into the grave - at the cemetery, after the funeral service, the close relatives see off for the last time with the deceased by kissing him. After that they unbutton him and untie him - not to be tied, so he could go freely to paradise, and two men with ropes lower him down into the grave and they leave the bottle with wine and oil in the grave too. As soon as the deceased is laid into the grave, they put some things, which should serve him on that world. Most often these are the things that he used in his everyday life: equipment of personal hygiene (a comb, a razor) or eating utensils. It is widely spread the custom all the present persons to throw a lump of earth in the grave so that the earth to be light on him and they would not to have dreams about him later. Then the grave is covered and it is put a cross.19 CUSTOMS AFTER THE FUNERAL Funeral lunch - After the funeral, at the cemetery, there are made some ritual actions. It is usual that the family of the deceased hand over cooked wheat, wine, brandy and lunch for the soul of the deceased. Almost in all villages in the community of Krivogastani, the cemetery is in the churchyard. Therefore the funeral lunch, most often, is given in the church dining room.20 In preparing of the lunch and kneading of the ritual bread, the most important person is the mesarija (the main cooker- usually a woman). If the funeral is in time when there is no fast, then it is butchered some animal. If the deceased is a man they butcher a ram, if it is a woman, then, an ewe. 21 If it is a fast period, then usually it is served beans. Before the lunch, the woman cooker pours some water from a metal pitcher to everybody who attended the funeral, in a washbowl to wash his hands, and then she gives a towel to wipe the hands. Mourning for the deceased - For the dad mostly it is mourned up to three years.22 This is shown through the appearance and clothes f the person who is mourning. Women wear guna (a kind of coat without sleeves) and a black kerchief tied under the chin. In case the deceased was her husband, son or daughter, then because of her great sorrow she would wear the coat inside out, ungirt, untied with an apron. Men don't shave their beards and they don't cut their hair until six weeks - he is the ruet.
On the place where the deceased was laid, after the funeral, the priest christens water. There is a custom if the deceased is a baby to bury it together with the cradle. 20 In the settlements where there is no church, the funeral lunch is given at home and most often on the place where the deceased was laid. 21 If a man is very ill they say: He is ill, he will give either a ram or beans. 22 In case there is a widower with very young children, habitual practice of the traditional rural community, allows him to remarry after forty days of his wife's death.
18 19

Memorial services - Customs, which are practiced during the memorial services, are closely connected with the folk's notions about the soul. According to them, the soul, up to forty days, goes everywhere around where it was during life or it walks around the house. Every morning and evening, up to six weeks, members of the close family of the deceased visit his grave, light a candle, and pour water around the grave in the morning, and wine in the evening. Pouring around the grave is always from he head, then from the right towards the legs and finish again at the head. Up to six weeks, there are memorial services on the third day, on the ninth and the twentieth day. On these days, they carry special pies, bread - host, doughnuts, walnuts, chestnuts and they are handed over, and after returning home all of the have breakfast. The memorial service on the fortieth day, in the entire region, is considered as the most important, because, according to the folk's belief, the soul of the deceased finally leaves the earth and goes to God. This happens immediately after the priest's service, therefore it is paid attention the service to be before twelve o'clock otherwise the soul will be captivated on earth until the next service.23 During this memorial service, always the family of the deceased gives rich lunch. All the present relatives, friends, neighbors bring some food which is handed over for the soul of the deceased. Then, there are given also the gifts to those who were present at the ritual preparations of the deceased: the woman cooker, diggers of the grave, carriers of the deceased and some close relatives. The gifts could be: a vest, an apron, socks or a towel. Giving of the gifts is made across the grave so that the deceased could see that the gifts are given. On the left stands the one who gives the gifts, and on the right the one who receives the gift. After the forty days' service, memorial services are made for six months, one year and for three years, that is the last service. NON-REGULAR FUNERALS Traditional folk notions about the soul and death, of the deceased persons who died from unnatural death, caused a creation of special habitual practices. About the people who killed themselves (make a suicide, drown24) it is considered that they have followed the devil. For those persons there are no ritual services by a priest and they are not brought in the church. They are buried outside the cemetery. The same is practiced about non-christened children because they are considered as unclean. According to the folk's belief also the woman who has just brought forth a child is not clean, so when she dies, she is not brought in the church, but she is buried directly in the cemetery. It is usual practice that the parents do not attend the funeral of their first child.
Up to six weeks the soul is here and it goes later. It is given a mass up to twelve o'clock. After twelve it leaves. Some people were late with the mass for six weeks, and after that the deceased came in the dream to one of them, and said: - Why you didn't give a mass? - We gave a mass, we came. - When did you come? Now give a mass again! ANOH, Inv.no. K-5-2003: Recorded by Eli Miloseska on 05.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Infirmer Cuculeska Dosta, born 1935 in v.Zapolzani, now lives in v.Krivogastani. 24 If they were drowned, but not intentionally, then they are buried like the others.
23

If the deceased died abroad and his family could not take the body, then there is no funeral, but only memorial services. The services are performed on some other fresh grave of a close relative - they will gather at home and on some grave of their relative, they will lament and mention him, they will grieve for him. CHAPTER II RURAL ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTS AGRICULTURE Basic industrial branch of the population in the municipality of Krivogastani, in the period from the XIX to the middle of the XX century, is the agriculture. Traditional agriculture, according to the cultivated plants, consists of: farming, production of industrial crops, viniculture and gardening. FARMING Field crops that are cultivated are: wheat (Triticum saivum), barley (hordeum sativum), rye (Secale cereale), corn (Zea mays) and oats (Avena sativa), and industrial crops: hemp (Cannabis sativa), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and sunflower (Helanthus annuus). The basic working of the soil is plowing. The field is plowed three times before it is sown. First time, after the harvest, it is plowed the stubble field, then it is plowed when the fallows are mixed and third time is plowed before sowing - autumn plowing, immediately after Holy Cross Day, when there are left great areas also for the spring sowing - spring plowing. It is a usual practice one time to sow the field with autumn cereals, then it is left to rest - summer fallow, and after that there are sowed the spring crops. The field is left to rest half to one year and that field is called fallow. In order to yield a good crop it is a usual practice to fertilize the soil with compost and most often before sowing. The basic tool for plowing of the soil is the wood plow, which is used up to the '20s and '30s of the XX century. Then it is replaced by the iron plow. The draft cattle - a pair of oxen or buffaloes are hitched by means of yoke. For digging of the soil there are used the following tools: hoe, spade, shovel and * In the beginning they are made at the local blacksmiths, and then they are bought from the factory production. Depending on the plants, which are sowed, the sowing is carried out during the autumn or spring. The autumn sowing starts from Holy Cross Day and finishes at latest to Mitrovden (8 November), when all the crops should be sowed. Then it is sowed wheat, barley and rye, and in spring corn, oat, and sometimes spring barley, hemp, tobacco and other field crops. Before sowing the filed is plowed in furrows, made by the plow. On the area between the furrows, called chelus, the seed is scattered. The sower spreads the seed, which is prepared for crop in his bags, evenly from one end to the other one of the field. The scattered seed then is covered in the soil or through plowing - under plow, or by dragging of the harrow - under harrow. The first way is mostly used in autumn, in order the seed to go deeper in the soil, to be protected from the winter cold and freezing. The

second way is used in spring, when there is no danger of freezing and the humidity of the soil is greater. To ensure fruitfulness and good crops, in the reviewed period, there are practiced habitual-ritual activities of a productive and magical-imitational character. Before the first sowing, the seed is prepared for crop. Therefore it is put a ring in the seed, and a candle in it, which should light all night, and a raw egg - so that as the egg is clean the crops to be clean too (v.Pasino Ruvci). Or the seed is put in a sieve and it is chased with sweet basil (v.Krivogastani). For protection of the crops from various deceases - not to mold - blacken, the seed is mixed with copper sulfate (blue copperas). According to the folk's believes, great significance for bountiful harvest plays the sowing day. Monday and Wednesday are considered good days, and it is not good to start sowing on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. It is good to go to the fields early in the morning. When the sower arrives at the field he puts a ring on his right hand (v.Bela Crkva) and enters the field with his right leg. He adds white grapes in the seed and he starts to sow with it so that the crops would be white and clean. First he makes symbolic, ritual sowing, which consists of throwing two-three handfuls seed across the field. Then he sits to eat previously prepared food by his wife, especially for the beginning of sowing: round bread, special pie, chicken and wine in a special bottle. Harvest starts from St. Peter's Day (July) and ends at the beginning of September. It is reaped with toothed sickles. During the harvest the entire family is engaged, together with the children. The grown ups reap and make stacks, and the children carry the stacks to the binder, who makes the bundles. With a rope made of rye stalks and winch he lays the string, the children bring the stacks, and he presses and evens them, and at the end when he estimates that the bundle is heavy enough, he ties it. Then the bundles are gathered in a pile and there are made ricks or crossroads by means of a pitchfork. During the harvest, in the middle of the field, it is left not reaped crop, and from the ears of grain, it is made a beard of the field. It is woven like a cross, it is decorated with flowers on the three corners and it is tied with a red wool thread. The sickles are also tied with a red thread. One child, no matter if it is a boy or girl, in one hand holds the beard and in the other one the sickles. In its mouth the child has three small stones and he must be silent al the time, it mustn't even show its teeth, because it is believed that if it doesn't do that, it will happen some accident with the crops or with it. He leaves the beard first on the fireplace, then to the support pole and at the end in the barn. There he leaves the sickles and he throws the little stones and repeats three times: Let the mice bite the stones, not the grains. Very rarely the beard is left on the rick (v.Kruseani). Every house has got a large yard with threshing floor and a support pole, which is place set for threshing. The wheat is lined up around the support pole with the ears of grains upwards, and the barley with ears downwards. It is threshed with horses on which there are put slip-knots and on them it is tighten the rope that is tied on the support pole and the horses circling step on the bundles until the rope is wrapped around the support pole. Then the horses turn in the opposite direction. During the threshing the straw is lifted in the air with pitchforks so that the grains remain down and the straw is at the top. Then the grains are collected in the barn. This is how the crop is collected.

PRODUCTION OF HEMP Hemp grains are sowed in spring, the end of March-beginning of April, on soft ground, three times plowed, so that the hemp could easily sprout. In the autumn, around the Mother of God Days, as soon as it is ripened, the trunk is pulled out entirely with the root, and it is tied into bundles - kijajnci.17 The bundles are stacked in small piles called kuparici and they are left in the field to dry at least three days. Then they are brought home by carts and on the threshing floor they are struck so that the grains fall out. After two days the bundles are carried to the river and they are placed into the water in order to get drenched. Certain places in the river are enclosed - sods, where the water will constantly moisten the hemp, but it will be also flowing. There, the bundles are lined up so that some are with the peaks in one direction and the others in opposite direction of the first. Then, the hemp is washed in the water to become white - to make it very nice. The bundles stay there for two to three weeks, then they are taken out, they are washed with clean water and they are placed straight in bigger piles in order to dry. After a week they are taken home, they are scattered in order to finish drying and then they are gathered in bigger stacks. With this finishes the first part of the hemp production. The second part starts in spring by frying of the hemp in fryers. The fryers are buried in the ground up to 1,5 m and in width of 2 m. The roof structure is made of across lined up wooden beams on which there are placed the bundles of hemp, and below them it is light a fire with straw in order to fry the hemp. It should be paid attention so that the fire is not too strong and not to smoke, so the hemp would not burn or get smoked. After frying, the roots are broken off and the bundles are brought to a mill for pressing, squeezing of the hemp. The mill is incurved willow tree like a trough, on which there is mounted by means of a wedge, a handle like a knife for squeezing of the hemp. By pressing of the bundles the peel falls and the hemp comes out. When the hemp is taken out of the mill it is beaten with wood called small bear - in order to be pattered, to be made like hair. Such obtained hemp fibers are not clean enough and they are called unprocessed tow of which mostly, after spinning, there are woven rugs, covers hemp shoes etc. In order to obtain pure hemp - pure tow, the hemp fibers are twisted on a special tool - rodan and there are obtained hemp threads. Besides that, on the tool there are put whirls for gathering of hemp threads into a string and the string into a rope. PRODUCTION OF TOBACCO Bringing up of tobacco goes through several phases. In the middle of March there are prepared the beds of seedlings. The soil of the beds is fertilized with compost and over it, it is thrown the tobacco seed. Of the decay of the compost it is obtained warmth, which is necessary for sprouting of the tobacco. The beds with tobacco seedling are watered almost every day in order to grow up faster. If there is some weed in the seedlings, then the beds are weeded. At the end of May or the beginning of June, as soon as the tobacco seedlings are ready for planting, the seedlings are pulled out from the beds and it is put in baskets, which are then brought to the field that is already prepared for planting. Planting of tobacco seedlings is made manually by means of a small wooden stick. It is made a hole in the soil with the stick, then the rootlet is put into the hole and it is tighten in the soil again
17

One bundle, i.e. kijajnca is big as four grasps with the hands.

with the stick. Then it is watered. When the tobacco is planted after several days it is dug two times. The tobacco is ready for picking when the first leaves start to become a little yellowish. Picking of the tobacco is performed in five phases, that is five pickings or as they are called five hands. As soon as the first hand - dip is collected, there are appear seven to ten leaves for the second picking and so it is up to the fifth hand - peak, and sometimes it is possible to have more pickings - hands depending on the time when the bloom appears. The tobacco is picked already at two o'clock after midnight. Handfuls of picked tobacco are placed in baskets and with a cart, or in older times on a horse or a donkey, are carried home for stringing. Stringing of the tobacco is also manual, by means of a long special needle. The stringed tobacco from the needle is removed on a string long 2 meters, there could be 5-6 needles on one string. The strings are hooked on the walls, under the eaves of the house or the barn. Depending on the weather conditions, the tobacco is dried about two weeks and it is stored in the attic in packages of five strings called bale. After the picking of tobacco, which finishes in the beginning or middle of October, the next phase is smoothing - leveling and tying. Somewhere it is started immediately, but most often it is smoothed from Christmas to Easter. The person who is smoothing kalapach sorts each leaf of tobacco according to the size and color and puts them into frames, and the tier ties the tobacco in bales. The tying is performed in wooden boxes with a sackcloth and a hemp rope. With this, the process of tobacco production is completed, and the baled tobacco is delivered to the reception stations. VINICULTURE Growing of vine (Vitis vinifera) is widely spread in the reviewed period. The most cultivated kinds of vine are those, which could survive winter as bager vine, americanka, talianka and later drenak - pupuliga. The basic tools for cultivation of vine are dikel - for digging of the vineyard and the knife (scissors) for cutting out. The vineyard is cultivated in four phases: digging, cutting out - trimming, rarifying and spraying. Usually the grapes is picked about Holy Cross Day and it is processed into wine, which is kept into special wooden large barrels. Widely spread vine growing in the entire region has a long tradition also with the celebration of St.Trifun (14 February), when the vine growers ritually start cutting out the vineyards.18

GARDENING

18

See: Calendar holidays and customs.

Although gardening has a secondary role in the economy, however, every family, in the entire region, grows vegetables, mainly to satisfy their own needs. Gardening is mainly women's occupation and they work in their gardens most often on Saturdays and Sundays. The small vegetable gardens called bavchi, which are not larger than one are (100 m2), are usually made near water, in the yard around the well, and in the fields along the rivers. They usually grow onion (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum), leek (Allium porrum), peppers (Capiscum annuum), tomatoes (Lucopersicum esculentum), cabbages (Brasica capitata), cucumbers, carrots (Daucus carota), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), beet (Beta vulgaris), pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) and melon patch - water melons and melons. The gardens are dug, fertilized upon necessity and then the respective vegetables are distributed in them. For watering it is used water from the wells or rivers, which is brought in pails. FRUIT GROWING Fruit growing is not a branch of industry of the population in the settlements in the municipality of Krivogastani. There are grown these fruit trees: apple trees (Pirus malus) mainly petrovki (early apple, it is ripe in July), pear trees (Pirus communis) - winter and summer kinds, plum trees (Prunus domestica) - dzanki for brandy and black plums so called pozjegachi or charshanki for drying and quince trees which are scattered around in the yard, in the fields and vineyards. The fruit trees are grown only to satisfy the domestic needs of fresh and dried fruit. CATTLE BREEDING Cattle breeding is the second important branch of industry of the population in the municipality of Krivogastani in the period from XIX century up to the middle of XX century. There are raised sheep, neat horned cattle, swines and fewer goats. For freight carrying and threshing they breed horses, and from poultry, they raise hens. There are families who raise as many cattle as it is necessary to satisfy their daily needs, but there are also families who raise big herds of cattle, so they have surplus food and raw products, which they sell. SHEEP RAISING In the reviewed period or more exactly up to the collectivization, sheep raising is mostly developed because of the food and raw products. In the entire region there are families who raise from 10 to 150 sheep. Since they live in a big family cooperative, each house has a shepherd, who drives the sheep to pasture and takes care about them. If the families have a small number of sheep, for example 10-15, and there is nobody who can drive them to pasture, then they agree between themselves, they bring the flocks together and they give them to ruga (salary) to some boy-assistant to take care of them for half a year - from Gurgovden - St. George"s Day up to Mitrovden (November). That is summer ruga (salary), and in winter it is paid for so long as he drives the sheep to pasture.

The sheep are kept in a pen, in the working part of the yard. In front of the pen there is enclosed yard - korda, which serves for feeding of the sheep during the day. The sheep are driven to the common pastures, near the village, called meadow-pasture places. The pasture is divided in several parts called chairi, where at certain periods it is forbidden to drive cattle for pasture - branejnci. Then the forbidden places in the pasture are changed. Sex-adult characteristics of the sheep are the following: when the female is born up to the autumn it is called lamb; from the autumn it is called shilezje; next summer it is called dziska, then last year's dziska and after it brings forth a lamb it is called ewe. Depending on that how many it has brought forth a lamb, it is called a sheep of two lambs, of three, of four etc. The male from the birth up to the autumn is also called lamb; from autumn shilegar, and the next year dzvizar; when it is ready for breeding it is called ram, then milker, then on two milks etc. It is practiced castrating - emasculating of the male lambs because so they fatten easier and it is obtained greater quantity of meat, for home use as well as for sell. The castrating is called beating - because it is done by hitting with a special wooden hammer and most often after Ilinden (August). The shearing of the sheep is practiced from the beginning of May, around St George's Day, and shearing of the lambs in August - not to be cold, windy, because when the summer is coming the lamb could get sick, wither, for example if the husband or the son is a shepherd, and he didn't shear the sheep on time, the wife or mother will say: -Come on, what are you doing, the wool has burnt up! If you keep it until June, July it would not be good for clothes that you could make, they would be burnt by the sun. Serejlija - dirtiness, simply sticks on the hands and that is called serej, and the wool unwashed is called serejlija. The sheep are sheared with special so-called sheep shears. The shearing most often is done on Sunday and on that occasion it is arranged a special celebration: they butcher a lamb, make special pies and invite guests. It is made a great feast with bagpipes and dancing folk dances. For identification of the cattle there are made marks on the sheep and it is called marking. The marks are most often made on the sheep's ears and each household has its own mark. The marks have special names: predorezi - the ear is cut folded in half with the shears in front; zadorezi - from behind; zamba - the ear is cut with a tool called zamba and there is zamba in front, zamba back, two zambas in front, two zambas back. Marks are also made with molds on the wool, by tying ribbons or red thread, and also by dying of the wool, especially on the wethers. For easier following of the flock during pasturing it is practiced to put some bells and rattles on the sheep. Breeding of the sheep is carried out in August - September. They bring forth lambs from January and by the end of February all of them are with lambs. The lambs are nursed until St. George's day and then they are weaned. Milking of the sheep is made in the korda. One person lets the sheep one by one in the korda (yard) and another one in the pen, near the door, milks them in a wooden pot called kobel - large bucket. Then starts the processing of milk. The milk is filtered through a strainer in a kettle-copper and it is boiled. The boiled milk then is processed into cheese, curds and sour milk. CATTLE RAISING

In the reviewed period the raising of neat horned cattle - oxen and buffaloes, is connected mainly with the use of their working power for plowing, and the cows and shebuffaloes for breeding and milk. The cattle is driven to pasture by the village herdsman with whom they bargained for half a year - from St. George's Day until Mitrovden (November). But most often some child from the family called a cowboy drives the cattle to pasture. The young of the cow is called calf. If it is female the second year it is called heifer and if it is male bullock. When the heifer brings forth a young it is called prvostinka, then with two calves, etc. When the bullock is able to work after the 3rd or 4th year it is called an ox. Young of the buffalo is called young buffalo or if it is male suckling. The female young buffalo after the second year is called two-years old, then three-years old and after it brings forth a young it is called prvostinka. Then it is called she-buffalo. The male young buffalo after the second year is called a young bull, after the third year a bull and after the fourth year a buffalo when it is used for plowing. During the night and in winter the neat horned cattle stay in a stable or a stall, which is in the house, and later as a separate building in the yard. HOG RAISING In the reviewed period, each household has got 10 to 15 swine, which are used to obtain meat. They are butchered during the winter after Christmas, and two or three swine are left for breeding. The village swineherd drives to pasture all the swine in the village during the whole year. If the village is bigger, then there are two swineherds. The swine are kept in separate construction in the yard, built of stone, called pigsty. Diseases of the domestic animals - One of the most spread diseases of the cows is the so-called disease of the udder, which characterizes with inflammation of the mammary canals, suppurating and decay of the udder. Another disease of all domestic animals (except horses and donkeys) is mouth and foot disease, that is appearance of slobber - salivation on the mouth. The people do not know a lot about diseases in this period, so, most often they take the cattle to sorcerers, who heal the cattle with herbs. In order to protect them of enchantments (their milk not to dry, not to be bad etc.) they tie red ribbons of wool threads on the tails of the cows and buffaloes that have just brought forth young.

CHAPTER III FOLK COSTUME Traditional peasant costume, as a part of the material culture of a nation, presents the real reflection of the folk traditions, whose roots are in the ethno-cultural history, in

the social relationships, sociopolitical circumstances, in some elements of the folk believes, as well as in some aesthetic comprehensions created across the centuries. The main bearer of the handiwork and aesthetic creation of the clothes, that is the folk costume, in the entire region, in the period from the end of XIX up to the middle of XX century, is the woman. To this kind of folk creation, in the reviewed period, she devotes her early childhood and her entire youth, proving herself as a real creator and artist. BASIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE FOLK COSTUME From the earliest times up to now, the clothes to a greater or smaller extent depend on the geographic factor, on the way of economy, ethnical-social relationships, the cultural development etc where the certain social community lives. All the villages in the community of Krivogastani are field-plain type of settlements, and the basic occupation of the population is the agriculture and secondly the cattle breeding. Hence the peasant costume could be defined as field clothes where prevail lot of fabric parts (of cotton, hemp, silk), but also woolen clothes which are characteristic as outer garments for the winter period. The traditional costume is identical in the entire region. Each costume is clearly differentiated according to the sex. It is divided into man's and woman's costume. Opposite to this differentiation, some parts of the costume are present in the man's as well as in the woman's costume. Typical example of that is the apron. The man's costume consists of the following parts: a pullover, a shirt, a gura, pants, trousers, bechvi - drawers, a belt, an apron, a vest, a kuvche-long vest, dzamadanvest, a resachka - vest, a dolman, a japanjack, a talagan, a chepe, a coat, a fur-coat, socks, pratejnci-socks, a cap, a towel, opinci - peasant shoes. Vanela - pullover - woolen, woven on cotton warp, white colour. It is worn under the shirt. Shirt - hacked, made of white homemade cotton cloth, with widely open sleeves, with four rebornici (folds) for elder people, and for the younger with more folds, long up to the knees; embroidered on the chest part - on the fronts, the collar and the sleeves. The man's shirt characterizes with a specific style - a dress trimmed, patterned in more pieces rebornici and it is a constituent part of the festive costume. Gura - a rectangular piece of white cotton cloth, for covering of the front, chest part of the shirt. The bachelor's festive and the bridegroom's gura are decorated with archoj (costs) - pearls and costume jewelries. Pants -white, made of the same cloth as the shirt, long up to under the calves. Since the '30s of the last century they are worn in black colour. Component part of the summer clothes. Trousers - bridge, with pieces above the knees, made of white or black, wool homespun cloth. They are worn over the pants. Bechvi -made of white klashna, with black cords along the edges, narrow, worn in combination with wool, knitted pratejnci or objala, without foot, from the ankles to under knees. They are worn in winter. Belt - woolen, loosely woven, fourfold, in red colour (aloven), djuvezen, later black, long 5-6 m so it could be wrapped several times around the waist.

Apron - woolen, woven in two parts-folds, joined horizontally, in darker colouring. It is a component part of the costume, mainly of the aged men. Vest - outer garment without sleeves, made of wool homespun cloth, sour cherrycoloured, long up to the waist. Kuvche - outer garment without sleeves, long up to under knees, made of black, wool homespun cloth. Dzamadan - outer garment without sleeves, made of wool homespun cloth in white and old gjuvezna colour, and later in black colour, decorated with black cords along the edges. It is worn over the vest. Resachka - outer garment without sleeves, made of black, wool homespun cloth, long up to under knees, with fringes on the inner side. It is worn above the dzamadan. Dolman - outer garment up to the waist, with long sleeves, woven of wool, in black colour. It is worn over the resachka Japanjack - outer winter garment, with short sleeves, made of black carded wool. Talagan - outer winter garment with sleeves and hood, long up to under knees, made of black carded wool. It is worn over all clothes. Chepe - shepherd's outer garment up to the waist, with short sleeves up to the elbows, made of black wool homespun cloth, with big collar, which is formed into a hood. Coat - as a component part of the costume it appears in '30s-'40s of the last century, outer garment, long up to under knees, made of black wool handspun cloth, with velvet around the neck. Fur-coat - outer winter garment, long up to under knees, with long sleeves, made of sheepskin. Worn by the aged people. Socks - woolen, knitted, patterned on black warp. Towel - white cotton towel, it is hitched with a pin. It is worn during harvest. Hat - mackina - 4-5 cm high, flat top with black velvet and brim around; visor cap; knitted white bonnet; fur-cap - made of sheepskin. Opinci - coseli, made of pig's, buffalo's or bull's skin, and later there are worn shoes - low shoes of black skin - shoemaker's handiwork The woman's costume, in the reviewed period, consists of the following parts: a shirt, a gura, half-sleeves, a saja, a shajak - wool homespun coat, a guna - long jacket, a belt, an apron, socks, kalci - wool socks, a darkma - scarf, a kerchief. Shirt - homemade white cotton woven cloth (warp-hemp, and woof-cotton), trimmed like a tunic of front and back part, four rebornici (pieces, folds), with short sleeves up to the elbows and a collar - koril with fronts; embroidered with rich embroidery decoration on the sleeves - one span, on the collar and the shirtfront, around the bottom part and on the back halves - two spans. The embroidery decoration characterizes with numerous variants of abstract, geometrical and geometrized vegetable forms. According to the used embroidery techniques, the shirts could be divided into three groups: a. grabeni shirts, b. lozeni shirts and c. written or drawn shirts. The first are considered as the oldest, embroidered with little wheels, about the lozeni shirts characteristic are the motifs: the small bonnet, three bonnets, the small half, small crosses, vegjana and four leaves; the motifs are marked with a black thread first, and the they are filled with a stitch in a Gobelin technique. The written or drawn shirts at the bottom part are embroidered with round written wheels and with written crosses. By the end of XIX and the beginning of XX century the basic colours are alova (light red), gjuvezna, black, green and yellow, and embroidery techniques are gtabeno

(with wheels), lozeno(marking of the motifs), leveled, unleveled, filled, podlachno (under elbow) etc. In the first decades of the last century, the former old alovi embroideries start to be embroidered with an additional embroidery naklavano or embroidery over embroidery with white cotton thread tirip. This kind of embroidery becomes of current interest, so that these shirts with relief structure are called tiripeni. The tiripeni shirts are consistent part of the festive woman's costume, especially with the young girls. In the '30s of the XX century there are some changes in the embroidery decoration with the appearance of the black embroidery, which is also characterized with relief structure with naklavan (one over another) black and white tirip. Between the two World Wars it is widely used a decoration of the shirts on the bottom part and the sleeves with pearls, pulejki - costume jewelry and laces. Gura - a rectangular piece of white cloth, for covering of the front chest part, which is tied with a grluvche (kind of band) around the neck. Around the '30s of the last century on holiday days they wear a gura of white silk or black velvet so called scarf gura with rags. Half-sleeves -made of cloth or wool, and of silk on holidays; they are worn under the sleeves of the shirt. Saja - outer garment without sleeves, long up to under the waist, made of homemade four-fold woven cotton cloth in black colour for everyday use, and white on holidays. It is made of back part, two front parts-halves and two triangle rebornici-fold on each side part, decorated with embroidery along the hems of the back part, along the rebornici and on the shoulders, and around, along the hems bordered with a black braid. It is worn usually in summer. Shajak or klashenik - made of white wool homespun cloth, patterned and decorated like the saja. It is worn mainly in winter. Guna - outer garment without sleeves made of white wool homespun cloth, long up to under the waist. During mourning it is worn inside out and not tied. Belt - made of five braids of black wool yarn, which are sewn together, long about 4 meters, it is tightened with a hook. Apron - wool woven apron of two horizontally joined rugs - on two dipli- rugs, ornamented with small motifs in horizontal lines. Socks - woolen, knitted, decorated with ornamental decoration on black base. Kalci - a kind of half socks without foot, ornamented like the socks and they are worn in summer. Opinci - made of pig's, buffalo's or bull's skin, and from the '30s of XX they are worn only during harvest. In the same period they are replaced with naluni (wooden slippers)- low for everyday use and high, painted with yellow and black straps and flowers - worn on holidays. Darkma - white square kerchief - zabratka to tie on the head, embroidered with alovo-red on one corner, later with black, decorated with fringes of black silk thread. Kerchief - white or gjuvezna, square, with fringes, it is tied up on the head - on chkepina, prevrlok and later on in the '30s it is worn a tuljben - white square kerchief with fringes - zabratka for the head, embroidered with blooms in different colours on one corner. It is tied in two ways: on chikulec and dindare. Besides the classification according to the sex, the costume is clearly differentiated according to the age of the users:

1. Costume in the period of childhood - from the birth until the puberty period; 2. Costume in the period of youth - bachelorhood and maidenhood; 3. Costume in the period of adulthood - wedding period, after-wedding period, and period of a middle age; 4. Costume in the period of old age - old age period.19 COSTUME IN THE PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD The costume in the period of childhood consists of two phases. The first phase includes the period from the birth until the age of 7 years, which consists of two subphases: the period from the birth until the age of 3 years, when the child is the most connected with mother and as such it is a passive member in the social activities of the rural community and the period of age from 3 to 7 years, a period filled with child's game - activity which precedes labor. The second phase includes the period of the age of 7 until the puberty period. The children of this age gradually enter the world of adults. The male children are informed about the activities of men, while the girls make their first steps in the home production, when it is paid special attention to the handiwork of clothes, particularly to the embroidery. Clothing in the first phase up to the age of 7 is quite simple and it has practical function. The newborn infant, immediately after the birth is wrapped into a diaper or a kerchief, but this is not considered as clothes, because under the term clothes it is understood tailored and sewn clothing. The clothing of the newborn infant consists of 2-3 woven diapers, gossamer diapers for summer and woolen ones for winter. Another part of the baby's clothing is the woolen saddling band (povojche), which is tied around the body so that the baby would be straight and firm. As dressed, on the entire territory of the region, as well as wider in Macedonia, it is considered a child who wears a shirt. The child begins to wear a shirt since the moment it begins to walk. This shirt, called djopche, is different from the first shirt, which is worn on the third day after the birth. Mother-in-law most often sews the first shirt, which has a ritual-magic function20, after the birth of the child. It is sewn by hand and it is very simple - white cotton or gossamer fabric is folded in two halves, it is made an opening around the neck, a cut for the arms and then straight sleeves are sewn. In contrast to this one, the shirt djopche is woven longer - up to the feet, and except white, cotton and gossamer, it is woven also a woolen one for winter. Besides this shirt, depending on the weather and other circumstances, in the period from beginning to walk up to the age of three years, part of the child's clothes are also the small apron with which the child is wrapped from underarms downwards and the cap. This clothes is completely the same for the boys as well as for the girls. The difference between the female and male child is in some other signs. The first sign - on the upper front part of the hair of the boys it is attached a silver coin by means of wax. Second sign, by which the boy differs from the girl is the cap, which he gets while he is still in the cradle. The female child differs by the pierced ears, through which first it is put in a red woolen thread, which sooner or later is replaced by earrings. One earring could wear also a boy of parents whose children don't live long or if he was born on
The classification is made according to d-r Gjorgji Zdravev: Macedonian folk costumes I, Matica makedonska, Skopje 1991, page 180. 20 See: Customs connected with pregnancy, birth and child upbringing.
19

Saturday. Another important sign is the hairstyle, which becomes apparent after the first haircut - the boys, until they become bachelors, their heads are completely shaved and it is left only one lock (prshka) in front. The girls' hair is left long and it is braided. From the above mentioned we could conclude that the parts of the clothes of the child up to the age of seven years have practical, aesthetic and ritual-magic function. The last one is the most emphasized. The second phase from the age of seven years until the puberty period is also with a simple structure, but there are noticed also clothes that are worn by the adults. We have already mentioned that at this age the children are being included in the activities connected with labor, so because of that, for example, the children who are responsible for the cattle, as shepherds or cowboys, wear a dzamadanche - vest, like the adults. The male children begin to wear also bechvi (drawers) or pants, but they are not obliged to wear them. According to the folk's tradition, the child until the puberty period is forbidden to wear clothing, which is not included in his clothes. For example, until the age of 14-15 years the girl doesn't put a knitted belt on, and the boy a woven one. The shirt is tightened with the band of the pants or by the apron. The child's shirt is hemmed only along the edges and underarms by a red thread. Considering on the whole, the child's costume until the puberty period, first of all, has a practical function and significantly differs from the clothes of maidens, bachelors and married people. COSTUME IN THE YOUTH PERIOD-BACHELORHOOD AND MAIDENHOOD During the period of youth it is apparent including of the bachelors and maidens in all fields of the social life and deeper involvement in the material and spiritual activity. Concerning this, for the female sex, it is characteristic the more intensive preparation of the dowry, and for the male sex, greater involvement in the activities of the man's labor. The period of bachelorhood and maidenhood begins at the age of 14-15 and lasts until the age of 25 years, that is until marriage. In that period, the bachelors and maidens, besides they are active members in the labor activity of the community, they are active participants in the village gatherings, home feasts and wedding customs. The girl wears her first maiden's clothes, on some great spring holiday - Easter or St. George's Day. The maiden dressed in them, in contrast to the previous phase of her life, for the first time she dances a folk dance. By dressing the first maiden's clothes, actually it is legalized her entering the group of mature girls and she is already a maiden for marriage. The first maiden's clothes are, in the true sense of the word, a symbol of maturity of the girl. She waves, sews and embroiders herself her first maiden's clothes, which means that she has already become a mature girl. The appraisal, which she will get for the clothes, has an important significance for the prestige in the circles where she lives. Something similar is noticed with the boy. He dresses his first bachelor's clothes at the age of about 14-15 years and most often that happens on Kolede (The Day before Christmas) and on the above-mentioned great holidays, which means passing in the period of bachelorhood, that is mature bachelor, a candidate for marriage. The maiden's costume consists of the following parts: a shirt, a gura, sleeves, a saja, a belt, an apron, socks, kalci, opinci, a kerchief. The hair of the girl is braided in two braids, and on holidays in more braids. Every day the girls decorate themselves with

bunches of flowers, and on holidays they decorate themselves also with jadici (hooks) silver coins attached on the belt of the apron, a chain with vrangi (gold coins) around the neck and in the '30s of XX century a chain with silver coins petolevki. The bachelor's costume consists of a shirt, a gura, pants, drawers, a belt, dzamadan, opinci. The costume of the bachelors and maidens reflects the qualitative changes in the content of the social life. At this age the costume appears with a more extended structure in comparison to the previous age group. Most of the clothes, especially the festive clothes, are richly decorated, by which it is designated the status of each individual, and by that it is emphasized the aesthetic function. COSTUME IN THE PERIOD OF ADULTHOOD - WEDDING PERIOD, AFTER WEDDING PERIOD AND PERIOD OF A MIDDLE AGE This age group presents complete entering in all fields of the social life. The first phase is the wedding - entering of the young into a marital community, which represents a ritual of passing - initiation, through which the young enter into a new social status, in the class of grown ups - married. As the most important moment in the human life, it is particularly pronounced in the wedding costume, which besides the aesthetic has a ritualmagic function. The bridal costume consists of a shirt, a gura, a guna, a fermele (vest), an apron, socks, a kiska, a kocle, polesnici, a prevrloshka and jewelry. Shirt - according to the development of the embroidery techiques the bridal shirts could be divided in three groups: a. grabeni, the oldest; b. lozeni - the small bonnet, three bonnets and c. written or drawn - black written, written, the small comb. Gura - a rectangular piece of black velvet for covering the chest front of the shirt, and since '30s of the XX century it ia made of white silk, decorated with laces, pearls and pulejki (metal pearls). Guna - outer sleeveless garment, long up to the knees, made of black wool homespun cloth, decorated around with black braids and white laces. Sleeves - they are worn sewn on the upper part of the shirt's sleeves, decorated with laces and pearls. Fermele - as a consisting part of the bridal costume it is worn since the '40-'50s of the last century - short up to the waist, without sleeves, made of black wool homespun cloth with fur on the edges. Apron - wool woven apron of two horizontally joined rugs, decorated at the bottom with embroidery vegetable decoration - flowers with twigs, sewn coins and laces on the edges. Socks - knitted, woolen, richly decorated with ornamental decoration on black base. Kiska - it is placed on the front of the belt, made of cardboard, covered with white cloth and arranged with a gold coin-vranga in the middle and other smaller silver coins, pearls and sweet basil. Hair - behind the ears it is braided in 3-4 braids, which are joined with the other braids from the back part of the hair and they are left down the back. There are attached other braids - attachments braided from the hair which falls while combing. In the '30-'40s there are braided two braids, left down the back and connected with white and pink patliki (ribbons).

Kocle - a hair ornament made of black twisted wool or gossamer yarn, it is tightened behind the ears. Plesnici - small flat braid, lined with 3-4 rows of pearls and attached on the braids from the shoulders downwards. Prevrloshka - an ornament for the head as a tassel, made of cardboard, covered with dark, and later with white cloth, it falls down the back up to the waist and it is decorated with laces and pearls. Wreath - for the head, woven from different flowers and sweet basil in a round form. Jewelry - besides the already mentioned ornaments the jewelry consists of the following: a. a chain with vrangi - ornament for the chest, b. chostec -silver jewelry for the chest - jewelry handiwork, c. pafti - silver jewelry for the belt - massive and heavy 1-2 kg., d. jadica(hook) -silver coins in two rows attached to the belt of the apron, e. podveska an ornament for the back part of the guna, made of black braids, with a chain of coins attached on it and decorated with pearls, f. kopec (buckle) - an ornament for the breast and a belt with three rows of coins - celca, the two rows are longer and the third is shorter. Up to the '30s-'40s of XX century they wore opinci(peasant shoes), and then black shoes - shoemaker's handiwork. Bridegroom's costume is the same as the abovementioned man's costume, except the kuvche, japanjack and talagan, and it is more decorated, more embroidered. In the entire region, the bridegroom on the wedding day distinguishes by the impressive cat cap with tassels of coins. Namely, first his mother sews a coin, and then also all other relatives. After the wedding ritual, the newly created changes in the costume continue also in the after-wedding period, which is more expressed in the woman's costume. The woman is obliged to wear the bridal costume for three years. Since the middle age period starts the reduction of the parts of the clothes as a result of decreasing of the productiveness and the physical activity. COSTUME IN THE PERIOD OF OLD AGE In the period of old age, after the age of 50-60 years of life, because of the reduced productivity and decreasing of the life energy, the older people are passive members of the rural community. Difficult physical works are left to the younger people and they take care of the organization of work activities and the family life. This has a reflection also in reducing of the parts of the costume. In this period it is emphasized the practical function of the costume, while the aesthetic function is present only during some great village celebrations and weddings. The basic characteristic of the old-age-costume is the dark colouring - darker colours, blacker clothes, it is mostly noticeable by the black socks, without any decorative patterns, the black kerchief and the black fur coat. From the abovementioned, there are also other classifications of the costume depending on its function. According to the basic purpose for certain occasion, the costume, in the reviewed period, differentiates as follows: everyday and festive; ceremonial; connected with birth21, wedding and mourning22; summer and winter clothes.
21 22

See: Customs connected with pregnancy, birth and child upbringing. See: Customs after death.

CHAPTER IV NUTRITION In this chapter we will review everyday nutrition23 of the population in the municipality of Krivogastani from the end of XIX up to the middle of XX century. In this period the population use products for cooking from vegetable as well as animal origin, which are mainly obtained from their own production. They buy only salt and sugar. FOOD OF VEGETABLE ORIGIN Bread and dough products - In all the villages in the region the crop grains are kept in barns, made of boards. The grains are milled in the watermills near the village Belusino. The grinded flour is poured in smaller wooden barns. For making bread and dough products most often it is used wheat flour, or mixed with barley and rye flour. Before kneading the flour is sieved through a sieve, and the dough is kneaded in wooden troughs, carved from a whole trunk, called nocvi (kneading table). Bread is kneaded by redovnica (the woman whose turn is on that day), on every third day and it is made of mixed flour (wheat, barley and rye flour). Everyday bread is kneaded with homemade yeast, left from the last kneading of the risen dough. Before the bread is kneaded, the yeast is mixed with water and some flour and it is left to rise. Early in the morning the flour is mixed with lukewarm water in the kneading table, then it is added the yeast and it is kneaded for a while. Then, it is left to rise, and it is kneaded again and the bread is formed. It is put on a board, usually two or three pieces of bread one over another. Mostly, there are prepared ten to fifteen pieces of bread. They are round, with great proportions - two bushels (ca. 1.5 kg) flour of each kind. Then the bread is baked in crepna (an earthenware vessel), covered with vrsnik (earthenware cover) or in an oven. The baked bread is kept in the kneading table, wrapped in a cedilo - woven hemp fabric. Besides this bread with yeast, it is made also fresh bread without yeast from wheat flour so called presna pogaca (fresh round bread). Characteristic for the entire region are the so-called maznici (pies). They are prepared from rolled thin layers of dough, which are arranged in a copper baking dish. Each layer is sprinkled with oil. Between the layers it is put curds or cooked beans. They are baked in the dishes, which are placed in the earthenware vessel and covered with the heated earthenware cover. In case it is put spinach or other vegetables-greens between the layers then it is called zelnik (vegetable pie). Flour porridges - Flour porridges are prepared from fine milled cornmeal. Mostly it is prepared kachamak or bakrdanik (polenta, corn mush). According to the way of preparing there are two types of polenta: boiled and shaken. The boiled polenta is prepared as follows: it is poured water and cornmeal into the kettle. There are made three holes with the rolling pin and it is cooked over a low fire. After it is cooked, the kettle is taken out of the fire and the mixture is mixed with the rolling pin. Then the polenta is poured into a copper pan and it is sprinkled over with fat, or it is dipped into fat of fried
23

About the ceremonial food see: Calendar holidays and customs and Home and village feasts.

meat. The shaken or spun polenta is softer. For its preparation there are needed two women. When the water is boiling one of the women mixes with the rolling pin and the other slowly pours the cornmeal. When it is cooked it is obtained thick mush, which is ladled with a spoon and put into a copper pan one layer, then it is sprinkled with fat or curds, then it is ladled another layer, it is sprinkled and so it is done until all the mixture is ladled out. The women also prepare varejnca of pure flour - wheat, corn or rye flour. The flour first is baked for a while and then it is cooked porridge, in which there are put some additives like cheese, curds etc. From pure flour also it is prepared turipeche. Since the baking pan is heated on the earthenware vessel, it is poured a thin layer of the prepared mush and it is covered with the earthenware cover. When it is baked it is greased with lot of fat and it is poured another ladle of the mush. Cooked vegetables and greens - Widely spread meal for dinner and supper is cooked fast beans (without fat) or cooked beans with smoked meat, then cooked cut sauerkraut or cabbage with or without rice and broths of spinach, dock, nettle and sour plums. They are prepared in earthenware or copper pots called grnci (pottery). One of the basic food products is the pepper, which is consumed in several ways: pickled peppers with rice or prepared with flour mush, cooked red dried peppers and pestled with cooked potatoes and dry ground red pepper - bukovka, which is used as an additive to the food. Winter stores - In autumn women prepare pickles of green peppers and green tomatoes. The vegetables are washed thorough and placed in wooden tubs with hoops, and then poured with salted water. Also they make sauerkraut from sour cabbage put into wooden tubs. In order the pickles and the sauerkraut to be good, it is practiced the pickle to be tapped several times. The tubs are kept in cold place. Onion and garlic are braided into braids and hanged on the walls in a dry place, and they are used so until the spring. Red peppers are stringed in strings and they left for some time to dry outside. Dried peppers are used as an additive to some dishes. Fruit - Since the entire region is rich with fruit trees (apples, pears, quinces) and forest fruits (cornel cherries, hips, blackthorn), in the reviewed period, it is practiced gathering and drying of the fruit in the sun in order not to be worm-eaten and to last longer. During the winter the dried fruit is cooked in water and it is obtained compote so called oshav. Forest fruit is mainly used for making tea. FOOD OF ANIMAL ORIGIN Milk and dairy products - in the reviewed period every household raises sheep and cows of which they get large quantity of milk. It is manufactured into cheese, curds, sour milk and fat. The consumption of cheese in everyday food is significantly great. In all the villages of the region it is produced two types of cheese: white cheese and ripened (beaten) cheese. White cheese is made from boiled milk, which should be little warm and then it is added ferment and it is mixed. If it is liked the cheese to be harder, the prepared mixture is heated for a while. Ripened (beaten) cheese is made as follows: boiled milk, while it is still warm, is poured in wooden tub and it is curdled with ferment. After a certain time it is mixed with the shaker of the butin (wooden container) and it is added boiled water, and it is stirred again until it is well crumbled. Then it is put in cedilo

(cheesecloth), it is taken out, it is cut like a cross and it is baked in the sun. As soon as it is ripened it is salted. The cheese is kept in wooden tubs with hoops. Sour milk is the most freshening food during the hot summer. It is obtained by curdling of the boiled milk. Namely, in not very warm milk it is put ferment, it is mixed and left covered for a certain time. Sour milk is drunken, it is eaten with bread, with pies (zelnik, maznik) or it could be made mastejnca, it is added water and mixed. Neither adults nor the small children drink fresh milk. Milk is milked in wooden vessels with hoops called buckets. Then it is poured in copper vessels in different size. It is widely spread the use of curds. It is obtained by boiling of mashtenica (sour milk mixed with water), until it is made in small balls. Then it is poured in cheesecloth, in order to strain the water and to be left only the curds, which is salted and it is eaten soon since it is not lasting long. In a similar way it is obtained urda, which is prepared from the whey of the ripened cheese. Comparing to the curds, which has krasat (sour) taste, urda is softer. Urda and curds are eaten by dipping the bread into them, they are fried with eggs or peppers, and also they are put in rolled dough products. Fat for home use is made in smaller quantities. Milk is boiled and it is curdled. Then it is poured in the well washed wooden butin and it is beaten with the mixer for a longer period. At the beginning there are caught tiny balls on the shaker and by further beating it is obtained the fat like a clew. Meat and meat products - Consumption of pork is widely spread. The pigs are butchered starting form Arhangelovden (Day of St. Angel Michael) but mostly from Christmas. Up to St. George's Day it is consumed pork, but after that day people eat lamb or mutton. The meat is kept in wooden tubs with brine. Pork meat is usually eaten as fried. They make sausages of the pork, cut in very small pieces, with bukovka and salt, and with this mixture they fill the intestines of the pig. In order to last longer, during the winter, the sausages are hanged on pracke (sticks) above the chimney, and from the smoke they are gradually dried. In this way they obtain smoked sausages. The bladder of the pig is washed well and it is filled with onion and the same mixture for the sausages. Such prepared food is called shirden. From mutton, in the reviewed period, it is often made pastrma. Meat is cut into strips, it is rolled in flour and it is left in the sun to bake. Then it is placed in tubs and it is kept in the ceiling. It is cooked with beans or cabbage. Besides pork and mutton in the nutrition of the population in the entire region it is also used veal, and most often it is cooked. Chickens are eaten in summer and in winter too. They are prepared in mandzi (food) with rice. DRINKS Water for the population in the entire region is not a problem. Almost in every yard there is a well. Besides that in all the villages there are public wells and fountains. Water is kept in earthenware vessels - stomni (water jugs), bardinja (pitchers) and torki. Adults drink from stomni, children from bardinja and torki are used when going in the fileds. Place where it is kept water it is called vodnik (water place). It is either in the room where it is cooked (in winter) or on the hall (in summer). Vessels with drinking water are placed directly on the ground or on raft (shelf).

Drinking juice is not a usual practice. It is prepared only juice of bozje (elderberry). Also, tea is drunk very rarely. Coffee is made of baked grains of rye, barley and chickpea. Almost every household in the villages has vineyard. Grapes are processed in red wine, which is kept in large wooden barrels. From the husks, after it is strained again, it is made brandy, which is kept in glass knitted bottles. Wine and brandy are drunk on working days as well on holidays. In the morning it is drunk a little brandy (in winter warm brandy), for lunch it is drunk wine, and in the evening brandy and wine too. Brandy is obtained also by distillation of wild plums called dzanki. WAY OF EATING Daily way of eating is everywhere the same. Usually they eat three times a day: at 8 o'clock they have breakfast, at 12 o'clock they have dinner, and they have supper when it gets dark. In summer, when there is a lot of work in the fields, they eat four times a day and they have an afternoon snack about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Food is prepared by the woman (redovnica) whose turn is that day. Namely, in the family community while all others are occupied with work in the fields or with the cattle, one woman remains at home and takes care about the preparation of food and cleaning of the house. This woman is called redovnica. Duty of this woman is one week, and after that another woman replaces her. The food is prepared in the house, on an open hearth, which has verushki with a hook at the end. The fire is lit with straw and dung. By the fireplace there is long iron tongs, which serves for stirring up the fire. Smaller kettles and pots are placed on a triangle iron firedog, placed over the embers of the fire. If the family community consists of a small number of members, then they eat by a low round wooden table - sinija, and if it is numerous they eat by a long table - trpeza. Trpeza is a long table, forged of several boards, joined to each other. After finishing with the meal the table is cleared away and lifted. Men sit on tripod chairs around the low table, while women sit on their knees. Children eat separately. If they eat by a long table then all of them sit on long wooden benches. Before the meal, the woman redovnica pours some water to all of them to wash their hands, beginning with the oldest member - the head of the family. Food is eaten in wooden and copper dishes or directly from the baking pan with wooden spoons. In the 30s of XX century they begin to use aluminum dining set.

TRADITIONAL MATERIAL CULTURE

CHAPTER I SETTLEMENTS AND DWELLINGS According to the regional ethnographic division of the territory of ethnic Macedonia, the settlements in the municipality of Krivogastani belong to the Brsjacka ethnographic entirety, in the area of Prilep-Bitola field. The municipality Krivogastani consists of the following villages: Vrbjano, Slavej, Krivogastani, Korenica, Godivlje, Kruseani, Obrsani, Pasino Ruvci, Bela Crkva, Vogani and Borotino. The entire region is about m2 , with total number of citizens according to the census of . The settlements are located in the west part of Prilep field, which is a part of the big Pelagonija plane. Only on the west and north-west they are enclosed by the divisions of Busova Mountain, and on the east, north-east and south they are widely open in the plane of Prilep field. By the end of XX century the villages have got fully formed and characteristic architectural structure. Their appearance has been influenced by many factors - fertile soil, good climate, river and spring water and important roads. As in the remaining part of Pelagonija, also on the territory of the entire region mainly prevail the following types of soil: diluvial, alluvial, alluvial-meadow, meadow-mud and to a smaller extent salted soil. Such structure of the soil, accompanied by moderate-continental climate and hydrography, to a great extent contribute to the development of the agriculture, which is the basic occupation of the population in this region, and cattle breeding. Through the village Krivogastani passes the main road, which connects the settlements with the two nearest cities - Prilep and Krusevo. By the road, which leads from the v. Krivogastani, close to v. Korenica and v. Godivle, the region is connected to Brod region. The third important road, which starts from v. Krivogastani, through v. Kruseani, v. Obrsani, v. Bela Crkva, v. Vogani and
1
1

Except the village Slavej, which is formed after World War II

through v. Bucin enables connection with Bitola and through v. Sveta with Demir Hisar region. All these factors contribute the region to be settled since the earliest historic periods, for which there is evidence in the numerous archeological remnants found at certain places in the same. The settlements from the Neolithic period (Vrbjanska Cuka near v.Slavej; Kruseanska Cuka and Popadica - v.Vrbjani), the settlements of the Bronze Age (Tumba near v.Borotino; Tumba near v.Vogani; Tumba Cair near Pasino Ruvci), the necropolis (Cukarce Momirsko, on the south of v.Vrbjani) and the tumulus (Cukarcinja near v.Vrbjani) from the Iron Age, then the archeological finds from the Hellenistic period (near the church St. Mother of God - v.Bela Crkva), the settlements (Petkov Vir near v.Borotino; Cuka-Livage and Cukarce Cvetkosko near v.Vrbjani; Seliste_Mogilani near v.Pasino Ruvci) and the great number of finds from the Roman period (in the Village church in v.Vogani; in the church St. Atanas in v.Godivle; in the churches St. Dimitrija and St. Nikola and the place Krajni Rid in v,Krivogastani; in the village churches in the v.Obrsani and v. Pasino Ruvci), and also in the remnants of the ancient buildings (near the church St. Bogorodica in v.Bela Crkva)2 tell us about the continuity in tradition of living on these areas. The oldest historic data in which we come across the names if the villages Bela Crkva, Obrsani and Krivogastani are the grammots of the Serbian czar Dusan of 13341335, 1343-1344 and 1344-1345 and the fourth grammot about the monastery Treskavec.3 Confirmation that the villages in the municipality of Krivogastani have already been established as settlements in the XIV and beginning of XV century, give us also The Extensive census notebook, no: 4, of 1467/68, in which it is given a survey about the entire Prilep vilayet (property). Among the others, there are mentioned: Bela Crkva, Borotino, Vodnani, Vrbjani, Godivle, Korenica, Krivogastani, Krusevjani, Obrsani and Rufci.4 During the reign of Ottoman Empire until 1912, the villages are chiflici (feudal lands) of the Turkish veleposednici (owners of larger estate). From this period there are preserved specific architectonic structures like the towers and kulicinata (small towers). TRADITIONS AND LEGENDS ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE NAMES OF THE SETTLEMENTS
Archeological map of Republic of Macedonia, volume 2, MANU (Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts), Skopje, 1996, p.280-311. 3 Lidija Slaveva, Vladimir Mosin, The first grammot of Stefan Dusan about the monastery Treskavec from 1st September 1334 until 31st August 1335, in: Monuments about Middle Age and the latest history of Macedonia, volume IV, Institute of Old Slovene Culture - Prilep, Skopje, 1981, p.78 (Bela Crkva), 88 (Krivogastani); Lidija Slaveva, Vladimir Mosin, The second Dusan's grammot about the monastery Treskavec from the end of 1343 and beginning of 1344, in: Monuments about Middle Age and the latest history of Macedonia, ISC - Prilep, Skopje, 1981, p.114 (Bela Crkva), 118 (Krivogastani), 125 (Obrsani); Lidija Slaveva, Vladimir Mosin, The third Dusan's grammot about the monastery Treskavec from about 1344-1345, in: Monuments about Middle Age and the latest history of Macedonia, ISC - Prilep, Skopje, 1981, p.145 (Bela Crkva), p.146 (Krivogastani, Obrsani); Lidija Slaveva, Vladimir Mosin, Introduction to the fourth grammot of Stefan Dusan about the monastery Treskavec, in: Monuments about Middle Age and the latest history of Macedonia, ISC - Prilep, Skopje, 1981, p.176 (Bela Crkva), 178 (Krivogastani), 179, 184 (Obrsani). 4 Turkish documents about the history of the Macedonian people: Extensive census notebook no.4 (1467/68), Archive of Macedonia, 1971.
2

Regarding the genesis and origin of the titles of the settlements, there are lot of traditions and legends. According to the tradition, the village Krivogastani origins from the ancient city settlement Kriv Grad (Curved town), which extended from Debreste up to Cepigovo, established during the settling of the South Slovenes in the Balkans. It was called so because of the curved, narrow, long streets. In a certain historic period there was a great earthquake and floods, so from the town remained only today's village Krivogastani. 5 This living tradition about the existence of the ancient city, the population supports with the finds, which they find during working the land, such as foundations of ancient buildings, stone plates of tombs, various ceramics, earthen vessels etc.

ANOH, Inv.no. T-1/2002-2003: Recorded by: Klekackoska Marina, Poposki Kire, Gudeski Stojan on 11.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Jonce Zezoski, born in 1944 in v.Krivogastani, now lives in v.Krivogastani; ANOH, Inv.no. T-3/2002-2003: Recorded by: Elena Zitosanska on 17.01.2003 in v.Krivogastani. Informer: Dragan Cavkoski, born in 1936 in v.Krivogastani, now lives in Krivogastani.
5