PEDAUNSURLIC SACRED LANGUAGE OF THE VLACH BREAD ILLUSTRATED BOOK AND DICTIONARY IN 40 PICTURES foundation Belgrade 2011 3DXQ(V'XUOLü SACRED LANGUAGE OF THE VLACH BREAD Illustrated book and dictionary in 40 pictures Balkankult Foundation BELGRADE 2011. Bread told me: I am not food for the hungry or a redemption offering, nothing of the kind! I am a living language of Old Gods which Man spoke at a time when he was close to God; when everyone who spoke the language could become God himself! Bread told me this as well: As food, I last but one moment, but as a sign, I last forever, as hope in life eternal! It was then that I understood the words of Jesus Christ: Take it and eat; this is my body! I am the bread of life; if anyone eats of this bread KHZLOOOLYHIRUHYHU7KLVEUHDGLVP\¿HVKZKLFK, will give for the life of world. Take it and eat it; this is my body! )URPDQHWKQRORJLVW¶V¿HOGGLDU\ “Conversations with Vlach bread”) INTRODUCTION 0LQLDWXUHRQWKH9ODFKVRI(DVWHUQ6HUELD ,QWKLVLOOXVWUDWHGERRNZHVRXJKWWRSUHVHQWWRDEURDGHUSXEOLFIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH one aspect of the spiritual culture of the Vlachs of Eastern Serbia, which has survived over centuries in ritual breads and traditions. The most prominent among those is pomana, a ritual for which the Vlachs bake hundreds or even thousands of breads! The material was collected in the framework of project “The Vlach ritual bread and pomana´ODXQFKHGE\3DXQ(V'XUOLü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foot of the southern rim of the Carpathian mountains, extending from Bratislava LQWKH6ORYDN5HSXEOLFDFURVVWKH&]HFK5HSXEOLF3RODQG8NUDLQHDQG5RPDQLD WR6HUELDZKHUHLWXQLWHVZLWKWKH%DONDQPRXQWDLQVDWWKHýHVWREURGLFDEHQG,Q 6HUELDWKH&DUSDWKLDQPRXQWDLQVDUHLQWHUVHFWHGE\WKH'DQXEHULYHUIRUPLQJD SLFWXUHVTXH'MHUGDS*RUJH7KLVHQRUPRXVPRXQWDLQFKDLQWKHQWXUQVLQWRLG\OOLF YDOOH\V OHDYLQJ EHKLQG PRXQWDLQ EORFNV RI 0W 0LURþ 'HOL -RYDQ +RPROMH %HOMDQLFDDQG.XþDM3RUHþND5HND5HVDYD0ODYDDQG3HNULYHUVÀRZWKURXJK LQWHUVHFWLQJ YDOOH\V DQG JRUJHV WKHLU ZDWHUVKHGV GR QRW IRUP RQO\ VHSDUDWH K\GURJUDSKLF ZKROHV EXW VSHFL¿F HWKQRJUDSKLF DUHDV DV ZHOO 6HYHUDO VXFK DUHDVDOVRIRUPYDOOH\V=YLåG6WLJDQG%UDQLþHYRLQWKH:HVWDQG1HJRWLQVND .UDMLQDDQG.OMXþLQWKH(DVW0DMRUWRZQVRI(DVWHUQ6HUELDLQFOXGH3RåDUHYDF 0DMGDQSHN1HJRWLQ=DMHþDU%RUDQGûXSULMD7KHWRZQVRI%RUDQG0DMGDQSHN DUHSDUWLFXODUO\IDPRXVIRUWKHLUPLQHV7KHODWWHU¶VKLVWRU\JRHVEDFNWRWKHSHULRG RI 9LQþD VSDQQLQJ PRUH WKDQ \HDUV ZLWK PLQRU RU PDMRU LQWHUUXSWLRQV Due to ore deposits in its neighborhood along with archeological prehistoric PHWDOOXUJ\VLWHVLQ0ODYDWKLVDUHDLVFRQVLGHUHGD(XURSHDQELUWKSODFHRIPHWDO ZKHQ1HROLWKLF(XURSHPRPHQWRXVO\VWHSSHGRXWRIWKH6WRQH$JH6WLOOLWLVQRW MXVWWKDWDUFKHRORJLFDOPHWDOOXUJ\OHIWLWVDQFLHQWPRQXPHQWVLQWKHSLFWXUHVTXH 'MHUGDS*RUJHWKHUHLVD0HVROLWKLFVLWHRI/HSHQVNL9LUIDPRXVIRULWV¿JXULQHV 5 DQG WUDSH]HVKDSHG VHWWOHPHQWV 2QO\ D IHZ NLORPHWHUV GRZQVWUHDP WKHUH LV 9ODãDFIURPZKLFKWKHFXOWXUHRI/HSHQVNL9LUVSUDQJ,WZDVWKHUHWKDWDVWRQH VDFUL¿FLDODOWDUKDVEHHQUHFHQWO\XQFRYHUHGZLWKJUDSKLVPVLQGLFDWLQJWKDWWKH KLVWRU\RIDOSKDEHWVWDUWHGDIHZPLOOHQQLDHDUOLHUWKDQDQWLFLSDWHG ɌKH7LPRNDQGWKH3HNDUHJROGEHDULQJULYHUV7KHODWWHURZHVLWVFXUUHQWQDPH to ancient greed for gold. It stems from the Greek word pekósVLJQLI\LQJ³VKHHS ZRRO´WKHROGHVWJROGUHFRYHU\WHFKQLTXH:RROXVHGWREHSODFHGDWULYHUEHQGV WR FROOHFW JROG GHSRVLWV ZDVKHG DZD\ E\ QDWXUDO HURVLRQ IURP WKH +RPROMH 0RXQWDLQV7KHWUDFHVRIWKHGreeksIURPWKHSHULRGRI-DVRQ¶V$UJRQDXWVFDQEH WUDFHGLQWRSRQ\PVHomolje and Stig. $FFRUGLQJWRKLVWRULFDOVRXUFHVWKHROGHVWWULEHVLQWKHVHUHJLRQVZHUH7ULEDOOL 0RHVLDQV3LNHQ]H7ULNRUQHQ]H7LPDKLDQG'DUGDQLDQV6WLOOVRIDUWKHVFLHQFH has not been able to prove which of those belonged to the Celts, or Dacians i.e. 7KUDFLDQVRUSRVVLEO\WR,OO\ULDQV,WZDVWKH&HOWVWKDWEURXJKWWKH9ODFKQDPH WR WKH %DONDQV 7KH QDPH LWVHOI FRQWLQXHG WR H[LVW LQGHSHQGHQWO\ FKDQJLQJ LWV PHDQLQJQRWRQO\LQHWKQLFEXWLQVRFLDOVHQVHDVZHOO7KLVFRPSOH[HWKQLFPDNH XSZDVDOPRVWHQWLUHO\5RPDQL]HGLQWKHSHULRGIURPWKHVWWRWKHthFHQWXU\ 'XHWRLQH[SOLFDEOHKLVWRULFLQHUWLD5RPDQL]DWLRQFRQWLQXHGHYHQDIWHUWKHEUHDN up of the Roman Empire which gave rise to the Romanian State to the North of the Danube. It was from that area that the Slav tribes pushed through to the %DONDQVLQWKHthFHQWXU\YLD(DVWHUQ6HUELDWRSHUPDQHQWO\VHWWOHWKHUH,QWKH DUHDRI5RPDQL]HG7KUDFLDQVZKLFK+HURGRWXVFDOOHG³WKHJUHDWHVWQDWLRQLQWKH ZRUOGDIWHUWKH+LQGXV´D6ODY6WDWHRI%XOJDULDZDVFUHDWHGDQGWKH6ODY6WDWH RI6HUELDWRWKH:HVW7KHERUGHUEHWZHHQWKHWZR6WDWHVVKLIWHGIURPWKH:HVW WRWKH(DVWWREH¿QDOO\VHWLQWKHthFHQWXU\DORQJWKH7LPRN5LYHULQ(DVWHUQ 6HUELD$IWHUWKHIDOORIWKH5RPDQ(PSLUHWKLVSDUWRIWKH%DONDQVZDVXQGHUWKH LQÀXHQFHRIWKH%\]DQWLXPIRUVRPHWLPHDQGLQWKHthFHQWXU\LWZDVFRQTXHUHG E\WKH7XUNVZKLFKVWD\HGWKHUHXQWLOWKHthFHQWXU\,QWKHZDNHRIWKHEUHDNXS RIWKH7XUNLVK(PSLUHQDWLRQDO6WDWHVDVZHNQRZWKHPWRGD\VWDUWHGWRHPHUJH in the Balkans. (YHQWKRXJKIURPSUHKLVWRULFWLPHVWKLVSDUWRI(XURSHKDVH[SHULHQFHGFRQVWDQW changes in ethnic composition whose causes, duration or contours are sometimes GLI¿FXOWWRGHOLQHDWHLWLVFHUWDLQWKDWWKHFXUUHQWHWKQLFSLFWXUHRI(DVWHUQ6HUELD has been the consequence of ethnic, historic, political and economic factors in the HQGRIWKHthDQGHDUO\thFHQWXU\7KHFUXFLDOPRPHQWZDVWKH*UHDW6HUELDQ 0LJUDWLRQOHGE\$UVHQLMHýDUQRMHYLüLQWULJJHUHGE\XQVSHDNDEOHDWURFLWLHV FRPPLWWHGE\WKH7XUNVZKLFKDOPRVWHPSWLHGHUVWZKLOH6HUELD7KHDQFHVWRUVRI WKHSUHVHQWGD\9ODFKVZHUHGLVIUDQFKLVHGSDXSHUVVODYHVYLUWXDOO\RSSUHVVHGE\ ER\DUVLQWKH5RPDQLDQSULQFHGRPV1RUWKWRWKH'DQXEH9ODFKLDDQG0ROGRYD RUXQGHUWKHUXOHRI$XVWULDDQG+XQJDU\LQWKHDUHDRI%DQDWDQG(UGHOM7KHLU SRVLWLRQZDVKDUGO\DQ\EHWWHULQ%HVVDUDELDRU'REUXMD7KLVFODVVRI(XURSHDQ 6 SDXSHUVWKDWVXIIHUHGEH\RQGZRUGVVXSSRUWHGDOORWKHUVRFLDOFODVVHV1RZRQGHU WKHQWKDWKLVWRULFGDWDVSHDNRIWKRXVDQGVRISDXSHUVÀHHLQJWKHVHDUHDVDFURVV WKH'DQXEHWRWKH6RXWKWRWKHDUHDEHWZHHQWKH0RUDYDDQGWKH7LPRNULYHUV HVSHFLDOO\ GXULQJ WKH )DQDULRW UHJLPH ZKLFK ZDV LQ SRZHU LQ WZR 5RPDQLDQ SULQFHGRPVIRUPRUHWKDQDFHQWXU\ 6HUELDLWVHOIZDVVRGHYDVWDWHG GHPRJUDSKLFDOO\ WKDW EHIRUH WKH 3RåDUHYDF 3HDFH7UHDW\ ZDV VLJQHG LW KDGRQO\LQKDELWDQWVLQFOXGLQJ%HOJUDGH LWVODUJHVWYLOODJH%RJDWLüKDG UHVLGHQWV 6XEVHTXHQW FHQVXVHV LQGLFDWH WKDW WKH 1HJRWLQ NUDMLQD KDG VHWWOHPHQWVZLWKIDPLOLHV3RUHþQDKLMDKDGVHWWOHPHQWVZLWKUHVLGHQWV ZKLOH+RPROMHGLVWULFWKDGVHWWOHPHQWVZLWKUHVLGHQWVDQGVRRQ$OWKRXJK WKHVH GDWD DUH ODUJHO\ LQDFFXUDWH DQG GHOLEHUDWHO\ GRFWRUHG ZLWK LQDGHTXDWH FHQVXVPHWKRGVZLWKSRSXODWLRQWKDWHYDGHGWREHUHJLVWHUHGWKH\VWLOOSUHVHQWD UDWKHUJORRP\SLFWXUHRIDVZHHSLQJGHYDVWDWLRQSUHYDLOLQJLQ6HUELDDWWKHWLPH 2FFDVLRQDOWUDYHOHUVGHVFULEHG6HUELDDV³DOPRVWHQWLUHO\FRYHUHGE\IRUHVWV´ 7KHVHWWOHPHQWRIWKH9ODFKVIURPWKH1RUWKZDVLQWHQWLRQDOO\HQFRXUDJHGE\WKH $XVWULDQDXWKRULWLHVLQ7LPLVRDUDDWRQHSRLQWVLQFHWKH\ZHUHJLYHQDSRUWLRQRI &DUSDWKLDQ6HUELDDIWHUWKH3RåDUHYDF3HDFH7UHDW\$FFRUGLQJWRKLVWRULFDOVRXUFHV WKH$XVWULDQDXWKRULWLHVVRXJKWWR³WXUQQHZO\DFTXLUHGVWDWHV6HUELDLQSDUWLFXODU QRWMXVWLQWRDQDGGLWLRQDOUHVRXUFHWRERRVWPLOLWDU\DQG¿QDQFLDOFDSDFLW\RIWKH +DEVEXUJ0RQDUFK\EXWWRFUHDWHWKH6WDWHVZKRVHSRSXODWLRQVDWLV¿HGZLWKQHZ RUGHUDQGUXOHUZRXOGDWWUDFWRWKHU&KULVWLDQVLQ7XUNH\´(VVHQWLDOO\WKHSODQ ZDVWRMXVWLI\WKHFRQTXHVWRIWKH%DONDQVWDWHVE\DQDOOHJHGQHHGWR³LQWURGXFH European culture to the Balkan barbarians”. It is no wonder then that the head of the 7LPLVRDUDDGPLQLVWUDWLRQ&RXQW&ODXGLXVGH0HUF\SHUVRQDOO\WRXUHGWKH%DQDW 9ODFKVZKLFKWKH$GPLQLVWUDWLRQUHVHWWOHGWR6HUELDLQDQGRYHUVDZ WKHLUVHWWOHPHQWEHWZHHQWKH7LPRNDQG.XþDMQDULYHUVDQGHQFRXUDJHGWKHPWR DOVRHQWLFHWKHLUUHODWLYHVWRFRPHRYHUIURP%DQDW(QFRXUDJHGE\WKHVHSROLFLHV WKH6HUEVIURPWKH6RXWKLQ7XUNLVKRFFXSLHGWHUULWRULHVVWDUWHGWRVHWWOHWKHUHLQ ZDYHV7KHPRVWLPSRUWDQWRQHZDVLQOHGE\6HUESDWULDUFK$UVHQLMH,9 7KHVDPH$XVWULDQDXWKRULWLHVSHUVRQL¿HGE\)LHOG0DUVKDO)ULHGULFK+HLQGULFK accepted new Serbian immigrants and allowed them to settle in the area of Crna 5HNDXQGHULWVDXWKRULW\([FHSWIRUMXVWL¿HGLQWHUQDOUHVHWWOHPHQWVLQWHUFKDQJH DQGPL[LQJEHWZHHQSRSXODWLRQVWKHUHZHUHQRVLJQL¿FDQWHWKQLFWXUEXOHQFHVWKHUH save occasional uprisings, rebellions and liberation wars which the Vlachs and WKH6HUEVIRXJKWVLGHE\VLGH:LWKWKHULVHRI5RPDQLDQQDWLRQDOVHQWLPHQWLQWKH WHUULWRU\RIWKHSUHVHQWGD\5RPDQLDLQWKHthDQGWKHthFHQWXU\RXU9ODFKV ZHUHQRORQJHUWKHUH,WZDVFUXFLDOO\LPSRUWDQWWKDWWKHVHGLVIUDQFKLVHGER\DU VXEMHFWVIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHJRWWKHLUODQGLQWKH&DUSDWKLDQSDUWRI6HUELDWKH\ZHUH DEOHWRWDNHDVPXFKODQGDVWKH\ZDQWHG7KH\WXUQHGWKLVZDVWHODQGFRYHUHGE\ ZHHGVDQGEXVKHVLQWRDUDEOHODQGRIWKHLURZQDQGUHPDLQHGWKHUHXQWLOWRGD\ 7KHUHZDVQRQHHGWRJREDFNWRKHDUWOHVVER\DUVDQGUXWKOHVVFRNR\VLQGHHGRU thought. Rich and colorful Vlach oral traditions make no mention of nostalgia for WKHROGKRPHODQGH[FHSWLQUDUHO\ULFSRHPVFXUVLQJWKH'DQXEHULYHUIRUKDYLQJ 7 separated a brother and sister or sweethearts. Neither the Romanian princedoms, preoccupied with their own domestic problems paid much attention to the escaped SDXSHUV H[FHSW ZKHQ VR PDQ\ OHIW WKDW WKH\ UHPDLQHG DOPRVW HPSW\ OLNH IRU H[DPSOH LQ ZKHQ DFFRUGLQJ WR 5RPDQLDQ KLVWRULFDO VRXUFHV LQ WKH ZDNH RIWKHRXWUDJHRXV¿VFDOH[SORLWDWLRQRIWKH)DQDULRWUHJLPH³PRUHWKDQ SDXSHUVHPLJUDWHGWRWKHVRXWKRIWKH'DQXEH0DQ\RIWKHPKLGWKURXJKRXWWKH WHUULWRU\DQGWKXVMHRSDUGL]HGWKHLQFRPHWRWKH7UHDVXU\DQGWKH3RUWD´3DXSHUV ZHUHSHUFHLYHGDVDQHFRQRPLFFRPPRGLW\ZKLFKDOOIHXGDO6WDWHVZDQWHGWRSXW