The smell of the village has always been very specific. Penetrating, intoxicating, sweet, intense, animal, heavy, unpleasant, pleasant… and it remains so even in the 21st century. This was also confirmed by French senators in early 2021, when they passed a new law preventing lawsuits against village residents and protecting the sounds and smells of the French countryside. Also in Slovakia, a problem often arose when newcomers from villages or from nearby villages complained about the smells and sounds of the countryside. It is only about the attitude and the view on the matter, and in an exaggerated sense one can use the quote: "Hay smells differently for horses, differently for those in love" (Stanisław Jerzy Lec). A village may smell differently to townspeople and to peasants.
Apart from architecture, cicadas singing, sounds of logging trees, agricultural machinery and other sounds, the village has a peculiar smell. The earth itself smells like flowering meadows or mowed grass, which often bears the scent of naturally grazing domestic animals. Likewise, bustling markets and fairs were places with a wide variety of smells. Also, the smell of a person has always been specific and applied not only to ordinary hygiene, but also to the profession. It is also recorded in Zemplin's songs. "You smell like cherry ..." is one of the song's chorus. Smell in the Zemplin dialect means voňať (to smell). Paradoxically, the word smell in the dialect is currently (in Slovak) considered offensive and indicates an unpleasant smell.
The smell of food, smoking and family fire, the smell of dried mushrooms, the smell of the church and prayer book, the smells of farmland or farm animals, and various other types of smells are now seen as a heritage of the senses, and many of them have been with us for centuries.
Breeding of domestic and farm animals.
The population of Upper Zemplín made a living from periodic seasonal work in the more fertile Lower Zemplín. Upper Zemplín was mostly mountainous, which was mainly related to the production of wood in the local forests. Naturally, however, apart from cutting wood, horse and cattle breeding also developed here. Horses assisted in obtaining and removing wood, and the animals' traction was also used in farming. Farmers grazed cattle, horses, pigs, goats and sheep.
Aromatic herbs and forest fruits.
The collection of wild-growing forest fruits and herbs in people's lives in the past was very important. It was mainly the task of women and children, and sometimes also of men, who were associated with work in nature. They included shepherds, lumberjacks and miners who spent most of their time in the woods because of their work. Plant picking was also practiced in the early evening when plants had magical powers. "It was about the so-called protective magic, which was a professional definition of prohibitions and practices aimed at protection against evil forces, diseases, natural elements and other disasters. "
On Easter Monday, it was customary to pour water on girls, which was associated with the idea of cleansing and beauty. The cologne was gradually added to the water, which brought a new fragrance to the old custom. The first cologne was created in the 18th century and it contained interesting shades of fragrances, including citrus, flowers and herbs.
Aromatic flowers were worn by women and girls as an accompaniment to Christmas attire to church and party activities. It was a small bouquet of flowers called voňačka.
The text comes from the study "Projekt Etnocarpathia Inventory of the sources of 3 ethnographic areas on the Slovak side / Šariš, Zemplin, Zamagur /" realized collective work for Mestský dom Kultúry, prísp. org.
Author: Mr. Vladimír Michalko.
Login
