Ostatnie dni Wielkiego Tygodnia w regionie opoczyńskim w zwyczajach i obrzędach ludowych

Abstract

The article presents the customs, rites and beliefs of the inhabitants of the Opoczno region villages held on the last three days of the Holy Week, earlier called Triduum Sacrum in the Church liturgy. The author of the present paper made use the literature of the subject and his own field studies conduc-ted in the Opoczno area and concerning folk religiosity. After the Mass on Holy Thursday, the Blessed Sacrament is processionally transferred to the “dark room”, which is a side chapel or alter. After the procession, the priest took of the alters covers, crosses and candlesticks from the main and side altars. The faithful adored the Holy Sacrament hidden in the tabernacle till the Good Friday. In the beliefs of the Slav people, Holy Thursday was an all souls’ day. On that day, weaving, sewing and making fire on the crossroads were forbidden. A certain relic of the all souls’ day are the rattles, which were used not only in the church, where they replaced the bells. They were also used by the boys, who walked round the village after the Church service and created a magic circle. In this way they wanted to frighten away any evil threatening the village. The Good Friday is the day of Christ’s torment and death on the cross. The Good Friday liturgy is closed with transferring the Holy Sacrament to the so-called “Lord’s Tomb”, where the faithful stay adoring the tomb and praying till the Resurrection Mass begins. In the Polish religiosity, the passion spirit occupies the principal place in the way of experiencing the Lent. This is reflected in the words of the songs and the Church services. On that day, people abstained from eating meat and dairy products. The food was limited to only one meal. Some people consumed no food and drank only water. Besides, the folk beliefs forbade the people to begin any kind of work on the farm. Then, the river water was attributed miraculous properties, that is why people went to wash themselves in the river in the early morning. In their opinion the water had the miraculous power because blood and water flowed from the wounded side of crucified Christ. The liturgy of Easter Eve is of paschal character. It consists of the liturgy of light, water, and the Holy Mass. A lot of folk customs appeared which had their basis in Easter Eve liturgy. After the Church service the faithful took non-burnt coals from the fire and the blessed water and brought them home. Those served as apotropeic means, which protected against some diseases, rodents, worms, lightning, etc. On that day there was a tradition of blessing the food, which usually included painted eggs, boiled eggs without shells, bread, cheese, butter, salt, horse radish, a piece of cake, sausage, and ham. That food had a symbolic meaning. While analyzing the customs, rites and beliefs of those last days of the Lent in the Opoczno area, one should observe a considerable ability of the village inhabitants to link the religious elements with everyday life. This link created a characteristic atmosphere of the period, wich enabled realization of old customs and rites and at the same time prepared for Easter. Today only those customs are kept alive which found their place in the liturgy of the Paschal Triduum.