S. Lackovits Emőke: Az egyházi esztendő jeles napjai, ünnepi szokásai a bakonyi és Balaton- felvidéki falvakban (Veszprém, 2000)

Festivals, holidays and customs of the ecclesiastical year

bushes at the edge of the village, then the pair at the front of the line make a bridge with them, and the others pass through this in a chain. This is repeated until they have reached the end of the village. Specific songs sung in a specific order are associated with the custom. In a similar way to the Easter green branch walk in Kékkút, the lilies in the hair closes with a series of games at the end of the viflage. Of the Whitsuntide fertility rites, the Whitsun Queen walk was practised until the 1960s, and this had five players. Four girls of 12-16 years old carried a patterned Kashmir shawl tied onto four poles like a canopy over the head of the „little queen" a little girl of around 6-7 years old, with a paper crown or possibly a garland, her face covered with a veil or a red patterned headscarf. The custom was generally known throughout Transdanubia, was linked to analogical fertility spells, and had parallels in Western Europe. Among the songs, church hymns with folklore elements also occur. The most important scene was when the older girls lifted up the „little queen", and shouted, „may your hemp grow this high!" For their good wishes, they received fruit, nuts and a little money. Our film was taken in Kemenesszentpéter. In the villages with German minority in this region, the memory of a custom has been preserved, which is the same as or related to the fertility and rain-making practices of the European peoples, and has incorporated a large number of prechristian elements. It lived in the richest form and for the longest time in Magyarpolány, under the name of „Pfingstniegel" (Whitsun clown, Whitsun hedgehog). The essence of it was, that the last of the 10-15 year old boys who looked after the animals to reach the pasture with their beasts on Pentecost morning were subject to a shameful punishment. Their companions covered them with green birch twigs, tied garlands of purple clover and daisies on their heads, waists and legs, also bound cow bells round their waists, put sticks in their hands, and whilst the children of the village mocked them, they were led round the settlement, proceeding forward in a dance. Having reached the end of the village, the Pfingstniegels were freed from their leafy dress in the barn by one of their companions, and everyone tried to get hold of a twig and take it to their field. The Magyarpolány custom seen in the pictures has a similar composition to its relatives. In it the magical acts to drive out evil connected with first time the animals are driven out in spring, remains of competitive games, and peculiarities of season-opening customs and have combined, and woven together with a pre-christian welcome to spring. The personification of spring, known throughout Europe since the 13th century, is to be found here. An indispensable accessory of this was the green fofiage, symboiising fertility. By magical acts, an attempt was made to ensure the health of the crops of the field and the animals, and to drive away evil powers by making a loud noise. XVI, Corpus Christi The final, truly outstanding holiday of the Easter festival cycle, and at the same time of the half year of feasts, is Corpus Christi, the feast of the Host, which is held