Fügedi Márta: A gyermek a matyó családban (Borsodi Kismonográfiák 29. Miskolc, 1988)

show that eventful life though full of difficulties and restrictions during which children became grown-ups of the local society, became „matyó". The first chapter examines the economical and social conditions in Mezőkövesd from the second part of the 19th century to the liberation in 1945, until the transforming of traditional peasant culture. It stresses the quick growing of the population, the lost economical balance caused by lack of earth, their consequences, the partition of land, the pauperism of the population, the innumerable seasonal workers. The chapter with the title „The Value of Child in the Village Community and the Family" discovers the factors which explain the great number of children in „matyó" families. This view was modified by birth-control at landowning social layers purposing the remaining of land together. It also modified the originally negative judgement of childless, sterile women. On the other hand children born out of family and seduced girls were unanimously excluded out of the community. The further chapters deal with the life of children in age-groups, with their state in family and village community, with their activities characteristic of their age-group i.e. play, learning, work and entertainment. The chapter „The Baby and His Mother" presents the pregnant woman's life, the superstitions, beliefs and customs referring to her pregnancy and the circumstances of childbirth. One custom of lying-in is food-carrying to the „lying" and her family, which was the god-mother's and other direct relations' duty. The end of lying-in was denoted by the religious ceremony called „initiation" which freed the mother from the prohibitions compulsory till that time. The choice and the tasks of god-parents show a lot of local peculiarities. Their traditional and compulsory present was the „korozsma" dress, which was the tiny copy of the grown-ups' decorative folkcostum. Child-welfare was subordinated to work and the everyday life of the family and was coloured by a lot of superstitions. The chapter „Little Children" deals with children between the age of 1 and 6. It presents the eating and sleeping circumstances of little children, the characteristics of washing and dressing. Religious education plays an important part even at this age, the acquirement of essential moral standards and behaviour rules is of great significance. The educational principles though not worded can be recognized by the different moods and grades of disciplining, punischment and praise. Work and play appear in the little child's life intertwined and nearly at the same time. The first tasks of little children served rather the purpose of „keeping him away", „making him busy" but soon they were entrusted such part tasks which proved to be of great help. Children's plays mirrored the grown-ups' world, life and work. The simple, many times not clearly shaped toys could fulfill their function with the help of children's fantasy and the series of activities connected with them. We get an overall picture of the most characteristic plays with text and the different tools and objects used as toys. During play male and female activities begin to separate. 114