Fügedi Márta: A gyermek a matyó családban (Borsodi Kismonográfiák 29. Miskolc, 1988)
The chapter „School-Age" presents the next period of children's widening world. Entering school is a borderstone in children's life because they have more and more duties, their life loses from its freedom. From entering the school the time and activities of children are divided among the family, the school and the age-group and it may cause conflicts many times. School makes them realize the difference between boys and girls. At this age children play a greater role in the work of the family often at the expense of school. School children mean important labour force in fact they can earn money. At this stage the author discusses how children learn to work, speaks about the employment and exploitation of child labour. Boys take part mainly in men's work , girls besides helping women in agricultural work begin to learn sewing coloured needlework which is women's work of great importance in Mezőkövesd. In the plays of this age-group those were dominating in which children could prove their skilfulness, courage and capability of singing and dancing. After the years - sometimes more sometimes less - spent at school children's life changed basically in „matyó" society. Both in the family and in the village community those who left school were treated differently. The members of this age-group had duties rather than rights. The opportunities of the elder were still forbidden for them . In spite of the prohibitions young boys and girls became more and more independent of their parents. Boys accompanied their father in the sty, a lot of children became maids, nurses, small servants at another place. The poorer ones begin their season worker life even at this age. At home, on the family farm they are much more independent in their work. Adolescence is a transitional period in every respect in young boys' and girls' life. It is a sort of preparation towards the next agegroup when they become full right members of the community of young people . In spite of the prohibitions they imitate the older's customs. It is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood but neither children nor adults are inclined to admit adolescents. They between two age-groups while despising school children and admiring and envying young people were compelled to a restrained attitude . The importance of play was driven back in their life but at the same time they could hardly take part in the entertainment of the older. On the other hand great independence and efficiency similar to the adults' were required of them in their work. The period of entering from adolescence into the age of marrying had its traditional rites. Girls of marriageable age did not take part in formal initiating ceremonies in Mezőkövesd it was denoted rather by certain occasions. The most important criteria were wearing dresses characteristic of young girls, receiving young men and having permission to go to dance. Initiation of young men also meant the liberation from the prohibitions of adolescence. Then they were allowed to smoke, to drink in inns even to fight and to go to girls and to dance. For their work young men got as much wage as men but they were required as much efficiency, too. Girls of an age to marry were called here „marriageable girls", boys called „youngsters" up to 8* 115
