"Sant Joan, the big day month."
History:
Unlike the night of the winter solstice, Christmas, attempts to Christianize this event have not been at all successful. Even today, after centuries of prohibition and the evolution of fashion, the "Nit més curta" (the shortest night)-and the longest day, houses a vast variety of traditions, and although predominantly including those relating to fire, water, plants and the other world also have a role.
As mentioned earlier, this festival has been celebrated since pre-Christian times, although it is not clear whether Indo-European or could become before the existence of these peoples. Astrologically, it is a celebration observable. The Revetlla the eve of San Juan, takes place the shortest night, to be succeeded by the longest day, bringing light and fire, representative of the solar apogee, the highest point of solar activity and the incidence of its rays on the earth, light and fire are central to this celebration.
Although no one knows for sure the time he began to take place this weekend is known that in the Middle Ages and existed as such, and Christianized, but analogies with other peoples, we can say without a doubt, that the Revetlla, and the next day, continuously, held in this territory before the arrival of Christianity in Europe. Proof of this is the fact that the year 1917 when canon law was enacted, the Revetlla and San Juan ceased to be considered holy days of obligation.
Fire:
The fire and everything to do with light and fire is what best defines the Night of the Witches. The fire, heat symbol and the Sun, the entire party structure: the dance around them, jump, his ashes are stored ... Fire is a purifying element in the enhancement of the energy of the community, enhancing wealth, and cure disease. In this sense, the bonfire has to be spectacular Revetlla, a work that competes with sunlight, so that there is a continuum between the day of the eve and day of the solstice, as if the sun does not put . Skip the fire was a fairly common practice in Catalonia from the waiters to make sure people find romance, and couples that jump holding hands validate their union. Fire is the element of fertility, prosperity in life. There are also widespread custom to drive cattle and members of the community over the coals around the fire or by passing them between two fires, extendidísima activity in other Indo-European cultures, as Celtic Beltane fires and Germanic Walpurgisnacht celebrations Both the 1 May.
When rites around the fire began to disturb the church, for example, was banned by the writings of the Council of Constantinople (680) make all kinds of fires in those festivities. We can deduce then, that was a very common practice and that created problems of religious practice to be a remnant of pre-Christian practices. Interestingly, there are texts of the early twelfth century on the variety of fires that were lit by those dates, varieties, among which is a particularly interesting:
"the boys in some sites collect debris and light up bones and all (...) also lit torches that roam the fields, and thirdly, make a wheel, the garment and throw shooting
(...)"
The delegation of the Underworld:
The Revetlla is considered a night of high activity in the magical folklore of Catalonia. Apart from the beliefs about those witches who gather together and dolmens and bridges celebrate your sabbath. The gambutzins, menairons, fairies, and encantades Goges are actors, along with the possibility of finding ghostly processions such as the Comte Arnau. It is a high level night fairy, then, and the chances of contact with these characters, as well as the opportunity to carry out tasks divination and make potions, ointments, and others is highly recommended, since the whole realm of nature-contact with the Other World, is bustling with energy.
In Catalonia it is known that the church was to consider demons or hell beings all those characters in popular folklore, and beings from another world, and no wonder, then, understand that the days 23 and 24 June, carried out the "Devils Trobades of Catalonia", because although demonized, the community has never been willing to lose the beings who once inhabited its mythology.
Water:
This media acquires, from the point of midnight, the ability to heal and provide good fortune, whether in the sea, fountains, rivers or lakes. As mentioned above, is said to Goges, encantades i d'aigua gifts displayed on their sites known. Even the morning dew of Sant Joan has magical properties, healing and revitalizing. Pilgrimages and dips in these locations will attest to, and once there, wash, drink or rub damaged body parts, these rites would not be something new, in fact there are written records dating from the early fifteenth century, and in some letters from L'Humà Martí. Another custom
now increasingly practiced on the sources and water resources, was to decorate with flowers, bring food, flowers and wreaths, as if making an offering to the fertile powers of water.
Fertility:
been deducted, from the matches that the other party has Revetlla pre-Christian Europe, this feast was a time chosen to form stable relationships, carry out commitments and what not to say, start creating offspring. Beyond the ill-considered "orgy" that all imagine in a festival of fire, food and water, was probably a couple symbolic dances, celebrations with instruments of various kinds-whether faies or failure, and other small ritual. The only thing that has been reminiscing about those old ways are the practices that sought to guess who would be or what the future would be devoted couple, with wax and water, or as the practice of throwing drops of lead in water to see what forms were, things that help predict how the girls were getting married man.
Cattle:
Citing Soler i Amigó, the day after the Revetlla, so, San Juan, was a key day in relation to livestock farming Catalan peoples "in some districts was on to climb the mountain sheep, and shepherds began to pray the Our Father Wolf to the point of sunrise, for nine days. (...) That day the caretakers of the farms or "Masovers" paid tribute to their landlords, leases and put in order to close deals with the day laborers. "
magical plants of Revetlla:
Verbena Officinalis
As mentioned above, plants multiply and increase their powers during the night and early morning Revetlla of San Juan. In fact, it is believed that only the fact of walking through the woods at night and cure of all ills.
The collection of these herbs de Sant Joan is not free, but, rituals and superstitions, like always collect them before dawn, or pick with your eyes closed or covering his eyes with a handkerchief.
-verbena: attracting luck.
-basil, was used to delight and love.
-clover-mistletoe
-rude: stuck in the door, protects against evil spirits and protect against witches.
-mauve-
-fennel fern plant likely stellar Revetlla. Its golden color is considered powerful and able to attract good fortune.
Still, we must highlight a practice connected with the oak that dates from ancient times, and that includes Joan Soler i Amigo's Encyclopedia of Popular Catalana Fantasia: the night's Revetlla spent sick children with malformations or birth defects above the oak or between its branches and leaves, probably as a reminiscence of an ancient ritual of "guarició." Little is known
full rites on plants, but when you look at the Catalan popular witchcraft, things change. It was said, for example, that witches gathered in Pedraforca Revetlla and After collecting those plants, sang or recited the following:
Alfàbrega i valerian, mint
tota i rude creature saved
(basil, and valerian, mint and rue
save every creature)
Ruda i valerian mint i alfàbrega,
cure tot i tot ho ho saved.
(Ruda and valerian
mint and basil,
all heal and save everything.)
i alfàbrega Mint, Valerian
rude i tota person saved nothing.
(mint and basil, and valerian rough
save every person born.)
Ruda i Valerian
alfàbrega i Sàlvia món tot saved.
(Ruda and valerian, Basil and sage
everyone saved.)
local celebrations and rituals:
-Races Pallars forests: the inhabitants of some villages of Pallars walk in the woods or down the mountains carrying burning logs called "failures ". The fallaires are much as they can, and a pair of newlyweds are responsible for stopping the first. After the celebration is a big bonfire with all the "failures."
Falles d'Isil
Cremada d'eth Haro
"In some towns that have plenty of fountains and springs, there are customs that involve drinking water of nine, six or three sources. Collect morning dew and save solstice is also very widespread even in rural villages.
Coca de Sant Joan:
The coca Sant Joan is the star of the party food. Both stocks and sweet, we know that the original form of the bread or cake was round, and is often described with a hole in its center, making it very clear references to solar cults and igneous, and in the same case as sardanas or the Haro de la Vall d'Aran.
Sources:
Mitcat: http://www.mitcat.net/festes/sjoan/index_sj.htm
Flickr album on the cream of Haro: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_ris_ / 897995366 /
Wikipedia - Nit de Sant Joan: http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nit_de_Sant_Joan
educational page on Sant Joan: http://cat.lleida.com/especials/santjoan/refranys.html Another very
Page Festes.org TEACHING: http://www.festes.org/monografics/santjoan/
Encliclopèdia the popular fantasy Catalan Joan Soler Amigó
recomendadas Readings:
The night of San Juan, Josep Romeu i Figueras (Ed. Altafulla)
The Night of San Juan, Joan Martí Grau (Ed. Terra Nostra)
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