Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1981 Jan
Contents
suspected of casting bad spells; the spells could be remedied by spitting three times and inhaling smoke from three burning matches. During our stay, modern, car driving g6rale warned us: "Don't let old women look at your daughter!" But the old women looked, touched Tara to their hearts' delight, and she remained fine. Today, superstitions notwithstanding, g6rale practice Roman Catholicism with zest. They recently lost their beloved Arch bishop Karol Cardinal Wojtyla to the Vati can. Now Pope John Paul II, he was born in Wadowice, just north of Podhale, and is considered an honorary g6ral. He used to ski and hike in the Tatras and knows the people intimately. Anticipating the papal visit in 1979, people were in a daze. They made vows to improve their behavior, wrote welcoming songs, sculpted and painted gifts for the exalted visitor, and decorated their houses. Some even swore off vodka. Church Erected Despite Orders On Easter Sunday, worshipers in Murza sichle trod in snow during the procession around the church. The cold lent an edge to their singing voices. A lovely wooden church had replaced the roadside lean-to where Masses were held in my childhood (pages 120-21). The congrega tion used to block the road. Irate motorists blew their horns, disturbing services, so the villagers asked the authorities for a permit to build a church. It was denied. G6rale are a law unto themselves. People donated a building site and their labor. Sen tries stood guard at both ends of the village, signaling with white sheets when police ap proached. Hidden in the forest, carpenters cut, planed, and notched spruce beams up to 50 feet in length. These were carried to the site after dark and dropped into place. The fit was perfect. The police posted notices, even fired some volleys. Finally government officials ar rived for a showdown. The g6rale received them with characteristic diplomacy. Sud denly a fat, loudmouthed woman parted the crowd. Carrying a large, menacing rock, she breathed fury and shouted abuse. The visi tors left in a hurry. The seasons changed during our visit. The daughter of our neighbor was married. A wedding without two or three days of mer rymaking does not count. Homemade sau sages, hams, pigs' feet in aspic, sheep cheese, pickled cucumbers, meat and fruit pies filled the white room. The wedding vodka was made of 180-proof spirytus mixed with sweet tea. Most people agree that drinking does them no good, but they forsake this truth easily. Sadly, there is never any shortage of vodka in Poland. My nursing of Tara was not considered an excuse: "Have a drink, she will sleep better, poor thing." John, a New Zealander, was overwhelmed by Polish drinking habits. He would empty his glass under the table or excuse himself by citing Polish laws that strictly prohibit drinking and driving. Yet the g6rale liked John. At the wedding a woman offered to buy him from me. When John suggested a price of 100 zlotys ($3.30), she protested. "That cheap? Even if he isn't any good, that's still too little for a tall, hand some man." The wedding crowd grew mer rier, women resplendent in corsets, embroidered blouses, and flowered skirts. Men wore white felt trousers and eight-inch wide brass-studded belts. Musicians-three violins and one bass-kept to a wild rhythm. The popularity of Podhale folklore has encouraged many dancing and singing ensembles who perform locally and abroad. Wedding or not, the chores had to be done. The bride's parents quietly milked the cows, while the floor trembled under the dancing feet behind the wall. Party Line Not Always Convincing Wedding festivities only briefly set aside harsh realities. In the Communist Polish People's Republic any public criticism of the ruling party is forbidden, and censorship is enforced. People continue to distinguish between the official line and their own understanding of facts. The story is told of a political lecturer who sought to convince the g6rale that collective farming was best. When united, he said, people could sleep longer, enjoy the benefits of modern machinery, have ready cash to spend and even a discotheque for evening entertainment. The land? It would remain forever theirs. A strapping g6ral got up: NationalGeographic, January1981 122
Links
Archive
1981 Feb
1980 Dec
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page