Kunt Ernő szerk.: Kép-hagyomány – Nép-hagyomány (Miskolc, 1990)

I. RÉSZTANULMÁNYOK - Novák László: Figurális kommunikáció a népéletben

in 1652 Protestant Church codificated the followings: „drunkness, wine, playing the zymbalon or other musical instruments are protibited under curse" (original contemporary text, only in content).

7 Main aim of it was liquidation of „harlotry" which was in close connection with driking wine, drunkness and dance. It was possible during carnevals or other feasts at houses only but not in public places, in order to prevent quarellings, harlotry, fornication. Authorities in country towns punished loose revels rigorously especially in inns where there were passionate girls (formerly seasonal workers) and soldiers off northern Hungary. In the „Three Towns" pinneries were not allowed to work in winter in this way youngs' comming together was prevented - thinking that spinneries are the „hotbeds" of immorality.

8 Threats were carried out: e.g. in the 17th c. lewd women were sold to the Turks. In some cases the punishment was death or thrashing as it is certified by data and sources of the age. In 1692 Mártonné Boda and Ferenc Czizmadia were sentenced to death because of fornication. In 1781 in Kecskemét Jutka Kállai (Bándiné Cseh) was captured „who was already punished many times before because of her lewd way of life, a nightman, named Csulyok, noticed her fornicating with a soldier on leave, András Lendvai, under a shed in the market." Her punishment was tieing (to an outer post with toes just off the ground) and 30 cuts with whip were stroken on her and 20 ones on the soldier. In 1783 Mihály Berta was sentenced to pay 50 forints because he „deprived Anna Bognár of her virginity".

9 Number of orders and prohibitions certify that putting a stop to the tense sexual desire was not easy. A lot of people made the sin, risking their own life, following their own inclinations, instincts. Severe laws, prohibitions had their results: dance and music culture, and folk-poetry of well-to-do peasants in country towns are poor. So the style of sexual desire as the stimulating power of folk-art-formation suffered damage in bigger country towns, though love and prohibited love-making was common. That is why symbolsystem is very important in giving expression of eroticism in country towns. There are no folk songs remained - but symbols for love are known. Many examples can be mentioned from Nagykőrös from the 18th c. In 1768 Istvánná Róka Kis reported her husband to the Magistracy: „She declared: that day on her husband's suggestion they asked a woman, a lewd one, to clean their garden. . . her husband went away, she followed him, looking for the woman and her husband but she could not find them. She went into the stable where they were fornicating saying „my heart", „my soul" to each other" (original text in content only.

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) „Heart" and „soul" are symbols in the text. The symbol-repertory can be enlarged by examples from Nagykőrös history (1753). A certain Mr. Földvári expressed his feelings towards Mrs Hegyi: „My White dove (darling), (-fejér = fehér = white) red rose, beloved or precious ruby, speedy (ráró) - jet-black-horse, bloomed lily, rich or adorned (or simply beautiful) pink, sweet-smelling marjoram." These animal-, and plant-symbols, without any exceptions, refer to beauty to the more powerful expression of love, to eroticism. Flowers are definitely the symbols of love, „precious ruby" refers to the value of a woman, „lily" and „white dove" are more for the woman's readiness for love than for innocence. So as „speedy horse".

11 Expressing eroticism is missing in folk-poetry but we can find it in folk-ornamentation saying „that what is not told" cannot be punished! Ornamentation on different objects used only by women could express men's sexual desire. In Szilágyság richly decorated distaff, beater, mangle were presented as engagement present, so in this case one of the most important points is that the presented objects were articles for personal