Nagy Gyula: Parasztélet a vásárhelyi pusztán (A Békés Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 4. Békéscsaba, 1975)

Idegennyelvű kivonatok, képaláírások, képek

"puszta". Some of these "drymills" worked still at the turn of the century but steammills put them out of work. It was the farmer's duty to make the wheat ground who did it with pleasure because at the mill there were always some people to have a little chat with, or as well as that, to drink together with from bottles they had taken with themselves. The mill it was something like an information centre. Similarly to these, a bit alibi-like work was the visitation at the handicraftsmen of the "puszta". There worked at the farms smiths, cartrights, bootmakers and barbers. They took there the things to mend or ordered the new produces forenoon but they didn't do it in a hurry, always had found partners for a talk to have a few words with. Of course it happened this way only in wintertime. In worktime if making ground or handicraftmen's work was needed they just arranged it in a haste. Reading-circle was a peculiar organization between the population of the "puszta". There were 14 reading-circles in action from 1884 up to our days on the "puszta". These circles were the real centers of common life but mostly just for men. Somewhere at a central place they rented a building or just one part of a building where they could come together. Welthier reading-circles made built premises for themselves. These were officially permitted organizations which had fundamental rules. In fact these were houses of culture organized spontanuously by the population. Some of them had quite a good library where from it was possible to borrow books. They gathered there for the purpose of talking, card-plaing or other pastimes by evenings. They held there farming courses and professional reports but dances were held too. Social suppers were very popular. They also had amateur performances once or twice a year. There were always living a few rhymesters among the peasants of the "puszta" so there they could introduce their newest poems. The local intelligency — for example: teachers and clergymen — mostly took part in the work of the readingcircle but rarely was directing in their hands. The most frequented days of the readingcircles were Thursday and Sunday. From 30 to 50 visitors gathered on these days but in some better reading-circles more than this number. It increased the fréquentation if the circle had liquor licence. But mostly this licence was limited only for one day of the week. Every circle took more kinds of newspapers. In some of these reading-circles it was possible to play billiards or at skittles or chess. Somewhere it became a tradition the reaper ball at the day of Saint Peter and Paul, or the vintage ball in some other circles. Dance and fun were the essences of these balls and rarely they passed without fight, or what's more, without knifing. Tambourine and zither were very popular instruments. Learning and rehearsals for amateur performances gave constant occasions for meeting. The older generation has many pleasant memories from these meetings. Some of the reading-circles had agricultural function in a smaller degree. They bought jointly artificial fertilizer on factory price, instituted milk gathering station or divided the factory by-products which was the allowance after contracted cultivation of plants etc. After the forming of farmers' co-operative or after collectivizing most of the reading-circles wasted away although the co-operatives entered on them but usually used the buildings for a farm-function. Although some of them still have remained and works as a house of culture where screening got a great importance in their programme. Celebration of name-days were occasions for social meetings though it happened only in a smaller company. Particularly the better-to-do farmers, mainly the ones of Hódmezővásárhely origin celebrated name-days with eating and drinking. In the reading circles there was still drinking but in the inns there occured bigger revels. In January registration of horses, the weekly market and the fair gave a good opportunity for coming together in the inn but these used to be only shorter conversations and drinkings. There were only a few regularly pub-crawling people who left big parts of their properties there. Only men took part in such things. Going to the church had not such a big social importance as in 639