Kecskés Péter (szerk.): Upper Tisza region (Regional Units of Open Air Museum. Szentendre, Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, 1980)

3. THE MUSEUM VILLAGE

The stable standing opposite (4—2) is a copy of a stable in Bot­palád. Its construction is of wood, filled with adobe, and its high roof is covered with trodden straw. Inside, in the manger length­wise of the building, cattle and horses stood side by side. There is a little lumber-room at the side of the stable, in which were kept the implements needed to yoke the animals. The house („ház") standing towards the middle of the plot was built in Milota, around 1830, by László Fori. The ground plan con­sists of a room called the „house" („ház"), an ante-chamber („pit­var"), and a back room or „kamra". The walls are built on a pebble­foundation, and though they were made of adobe, the walls at­tempt to imitate the earlier wooden construction by being laid somewhat stepwise. The roof is very high, and has no gable; on its steep rafters are split oaken laths covered with a thick layer of trodden hay, the thatch being secured with double rods („kabola"). The doors of the front and the back rooms, and that of the kitchen, all open into the open space under the eaves („ereszalja") in front of the „pitvar". There is an open fireplace in the front room, with ledge attached for cooking on; the smoke rises into the „pitvar", and from there goes into the open chimney (111. 44.). Several generations of the Féri family lived in the house, alter­ing it after 1894 in accordance with changing fashion, but also to accomodate the growing family. They turned the „kamra" which until then had been a pantry, into a room, and also enlarged it. However, when the building was transfered to the Open Air Mu­seum, it was reconstructed in its original form. According to local custom, the floor of the room is made of clay which has been stamped down („döröckölt"). The clay was to be found in a quarry at Milota. The walls built of adobe were first roughly covered with mud, with small bits of hay mixed into it, and were then smoothened out with mud mixed with clean chaff; finally, they were white-washed, wooden ashes being added to the white-wash. The interior of the „pitvar", however, remained yel­low, being simply plastered with yellowish mud. The interior is a reconstruction of the homes of middle peasants, in the second half of the 19th century. It is evident, from looking at the furniture, that three generations lived in the front room („ház") from autumn to spring. There was sleeping accomodation on two beds („nyoszolya"), and on the little bed beside the fire­place; bedding was also put on the long chest in front of the window, and, if needs be, some slept on the floor on which hay had been strewn. All sorts of work was done in this room, the whole winter long: spinning, weaving, housework, cooking. Men would cluster 60

Next

/
Thumbnails
Contents