Barsi Ernő: Sály : egy bükkalji falu a hagyományos gazdálkodás idején (A miskolci Herman Ottó Múzeum néprajzi kiadványai 17. Miskolc, 1965)

The field around Sály was extremly suitable for fruit production. The population at Sály has been teking advantage of these fundamentals for centuries. Mostly plum was borne. In the autumn waggons came up from the Great Plain and a bushelful wheat was solt in exchange for a bushelful plum. From spring to late autumn it was always some fruit ripening. Consumed with bread it was an important part of nourishment. Pear was taken for delicious. There were eleven species of pear in district of Sály. Women carried fruit on their shoulder to sell them on the market of Miskolc, Mezőkövesd and Mezőkeresztes. Fruit was preserved also with desiccation. Plum was tewed into jam in big coppers. Bread and b^led pastry played most important part in nourishment of people at Sály. Meat was consumed usually only at pig-killing. Fowls were kept though but preferably for sale. Fowls were killed mostly at harvesting and holidays. Among cooked meals the soups played the primary part. Vegetable dishes were nearly lacking in nourishment of people at Sály. Instead fruit sauces were cooked and served to meat. The cooked fruit was stiffened with flour and milk. Among pies the curd-cake belonged to feast meals. Its raised dough was moulded with whey and sour milk, the filling was made of mashed boiled potatoes and curd flavoured with some salt and sugar. Also dill was put in it in summer. Nuberous spices were used for cooking. Pickled cabbage was very much prefered in winter. Wedding was the greatest feast in life, this time almost wastefully rich lunches and dinners were served, e.g. for a wedding in 1977 a pig of three quintals, 80 fowls were killed, spices - Jamaica pepper, pepper, salt, red pepper, ground pepper, marjoram, clove -, 25 heads of cabbage for 500 stuffed cabbage (cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice served with sauerkraut), 30 pounds handrolled shell-shaped pastry for clear soup boiled in four big kettles were used up. Besides substantial quantity of flour, eggs, sugar, fat, butter and chocolate were required. 10 litres of home destilled brandy, 200 litres of vine, 800 bottles of beer and 1000 bottles of soft drinks were consumed. Financial circumstances, religious separation, as well as out-of-the-way location had great influence on costums, habits and belief of population at Sály. At the outset the majority of population was Calvinist, but since middle of the last century the Calvinist were in the same proportion with Catholics. The habits were attached more to common job opportunities and memorable events of human life. The fact, that formerly a great majority of the population was very poor, called forth the richness of their world of belief. It was thought that sowing of corn was the business of men, while that of hemp and small seeds concerns to women. Speaking was not allowed while sowing hemp, or else it was pecked out by sparrows. Healing and bewitching-preventing effect was assigned to manure. Cow-manure was put on fracture, inflamed hand, bleeding wound. Witch commiting bewitching was entrapped by cowmanure put into milk-pan and set up on the chimney. Harvest was started always with offering a prayer, then chorals and national anthem were sung. The first harvesters were made run, then and their hands bound with straw-rope. Afterwards they were sentenced to pay ransom and after having paid it the rope was cut and they might join harvesting. Going out to visit harvesting the owner's hands were bound with a bunch of wheat-grass. For reward gift was given to the harvesters. Having done harvesting a wheat-garland adorned with flowers was presented to the owner. This act was rewarded, too. The spinnery played distinguished part in communal life of the village. It constituted amusement, substituted for theatre and gave the young generation the opportunity for meeting. If a girl let the spool fall, a young man picked it up hastly and the girl had to redeem it with kisses, the number of them was determined by a judge selected from among the elderly women. People had a good time in the spinnery, they were singing, telling tales, playing parlour games there. In the meantime they got forward with the work. Festal customs began with the New-Year's toast in verse. On second day at Easter it was a habit to sprinkle the girls, of course not with parfume but well-water. At the beginning of 19th century according to Protocollum of Calvinist Church it was a habit to go from door to door reciting verses in order to recruit for school-children as well as to pass round the hat on March 12th, on the day of Gregory. Summertime was devoted almost solely to work. Even the Church called this period for feastless. As winter set in - on the day of Andrew, November 30th -, the series of habits commenced. It was the day shen husband was predicted to girls. On Lucy's day - December 13th - the housewife poked the hens eith a poker, then she let them out of the hen-house saying: „keep togehter, lay much 205