Walking with a rooster [1] ( Polish. Chodzenie z kogutkem, Chodzenie z kurkiem, Kurek Wielkanocny ) - Polish rite of walking with a rooster, as a symbol of the risen Christ, performed on Easter . The rite was attended by guys who have reached marriageable age. They went around all the houses where the girls on marriageable age lived [2] .
Symbolism of the Rooster
In many cultures, the rooster is considered a symbol of the sun and vitality, a symbol of harvest and fertility. He was supposed to ensure health and well-being for the coming year.
Rite
On Easter Monday, a group of boys or guys, sometimes mummers, drove a live rooster (chicken) in a two-wheeled cart. They tried to crow crow loudly, and for this they usually fed him grain impregnated with alcohol in advance. Over time, live birds were replaced by wood, clay, glued from paper or baked from dough. In this case, the rooster was glued with feathers. The cart was often painted red and decorated with dried stalks of cereals, herbs and flowers, as well as multi-colored ribbons. Sometimes they walked with a live cock without a cart [3] .
During the walks with the rooster, the boys collected Easter eggs and looked after the brides. They brought a rooster into the house where there are girls, and invited them to dance on kogutka ( Mazovian. ). The guys then shared the eggs, cheese, butter, lard and sausage with each other ( lobnits. ) Or arranged in the evening from gifts received from the girls, refreshments - podkurek ( recognized ). In addition to matrimonial themes, the ceremony develops the theme of seeing off winter and the onset of summer, the spring rebirth and resurrection of Christ. In the songs, the participants of the tour wished the owners a rich harvest in the summer, health and good luck [1] .
See also
- Easter in the Slavic tradition
- Goat driving
- Driving tour
- Driving a bear
- Horse riding
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Gora, Uzeneva, 2004 , p. 35.
- ↑ Agapkina, 2004 , p. 645.
- ↑ Holidays and ceremonies of the Polish people, 2008 , p. 44.
Literature
- Easter / T.A. Agapkina // Slavic antiquities : Ethnolinguistic dictionary: in 5 volumes / under the general. ed. N. I. Tolstoy ; Institute of Slavic Studies RAS . - M .: Int. Relations , 2004. - T. 3: K (Circle) - P (Quail). - S. 641–646. - ISBN 5-7133-1207-0 .
- Rooster / Gura A.V. , Uzeneva E. S. // Slavic antiquities : Ethnolinguistic dictionary: in 5 volumes / under the general. ed. N. I. Tolstoy ; Institute of Slavic Studies RAS . - M .: Int. Relations , 2004. - T. 3: K (Circle) - P (Quail). - S. 28–35. - ISBN 5-7133-1207-0 .
- Holidays and ceremonies of the Polish people (Ukrainian) / Editors - M. G. Fedorov, Yu. B. Voronova. - Samara, 2008 .-- 55 p. Archived July 25, 2015. Archived July 25, 2015 on Wayback Machine
Links
- Wielkanocny Kurek (Polish)