Horváth Attila – Solymos Ede szerk.: Cumania 2. Ethnographia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1974)

J. Vorák: Kolompár Kálmánné kiskunhalasi cigányasszony kézimunkái

way that the person throwing should not see where it falls: it will ward off any kind of trouble. — To see a little goose before St. George's day means very good luck.

15 Duck a) A belief from Bács county: It is good for a pregnant woman if she sews a duck's foot in the inside of her boot-top. — Hódmezővásárhely: Where there are horses and ducks, not all ducks should be sold or else there will be no luck with the horses. 7 — A brood duck's leg is cut, the appearing blood is mixed with wine and made drunk by the sick person. (Boncfölde)'

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. b) If duck's eggs are taken in an apron under the brooder the pullets will outnumber the mallards in the hatch (MK) — (Cf : information about the geese of LV). c) No gipsy beliefs exist. Our gipsies in Kiskunhalas do not connect any meaning to ducks. Stork a) The stork is a spring announcer."' — A belief in southern Hungary: Ifin spring the members of a household first notice the stork nesting near the house while it is flying, they will be in good health all over the year."" — The stork must not be hurt in any way because he brings glowing embers on the house of the one who has hurt him.

21 — Öcsöd: When seeing a stork fo the first time in spring, one should pull out a hair of one's head saying: a stork 1 sec, a hair 1 pull: luck 1 shall meet.'

22 Kalotaszeg: If a pregnant woman can see a stork flying on the right side, she will bear a boy, if on the left, it will be a girl.

23 b) If a girl catches sight of the first storks in pairs in spring, she is going to be married that year, if a stork is flying single, she remains unmarried in that year. (MK) — The stork brings the babies. Also spring is brought by it. The house on which it builds its nest is going to be lucky. If a girl first catches sight of storks flying in pairs in sprint*, «he will be married that year. (LV) c) Storks bring good weather, from where they come there the weather is good. •—It is a lucky sign if a girl first catches sight of storks in pairs in spring because then she will marry soon. (IB) — We used to jump about at the sight of the stork in spring: „Now it is that he brings us luck!" (JJ) — The stork is luck from Heaven: As fast as it flies as soon good luck will arrive. From where it comes, also good luck will arrive from tiere. (Jj) Swallow a) Zsigmond Szendrey and Ákos Szendrey: God's bird. In Bács county those who want to be lucky, take swallow's eggs from the nests and drink them. In Szeged its tongue, heart and liver are magic agents of love (17th century record).

24 —Bácska region: If the swallow's nest is knocked down from a house, then the cows will give bloody milk there."'' — Harkány : A swallow's nest brings the house good luck, and lightning will not strike where the stork has built its nest"" — Kalotaszeg: Ifit flics into the room of a sick person, it will bring his health back. Ifit flics into a nuptial house, the newly wed will have continuous happiness." — "If you want to take fancy to someone, put a swallow's tongue under your tongue. It has stood the test." — Kissziget: The person in love takes out the tongue of the swallow, puts it under his tongue and so he kisses the one he wants to chain to himself. — Nagylengyel : The girl cuts out the liver of the youngs of the house-martin alive and roasting it, bakes it in a pie. The pie she gives to the one whom she wants to marry her.

29 b) Before the year is over, a girl is to be taken as a wife in the direction to which the pair of swallows first seen by her in spring are flying. — When girls sec swallows in springtime, they call: ,,A swallow I see, freckles I throw off, I wash them of all!" — and do as if they washed, scrubbing their faces with their palms. A swallow's nest must not be knocked down from the eaves because swallows are „God's birds": they bring luck. (MK) — Swallows in pairs in spring mean the same as storks in pairs if seen by a girl. — If a girl mixes the tongue of a swallow with food or drink and makes the young man eat or drink it, she will charm him so much that he will not be able to bear the sight of other girls, (LV) c) It brings luck to the house upon which it builds its nest. Who knocks down its nest, knocks away his own luck. (JJ) — Swallows must not be hurt. In itself, a swallow does not mean good luck. (JK) — Swallows must not be caught, ncither must their nests be touched. One may take them up if they 15 Communication of László JAKAB, 66 years old gipsyblacksmith of Kiskunhalas. Data supplied similarly by him: Catching sight of any small animal born before St. George's day that year means very good luck. (Cf. Zsigmond SZENDREY: Customs and beliefs of the festival cycle of early spring — Ethn. 52:101 107. 7.) 16 Mrs. Henrik WLISLOCKI: The child in Hungarian popular belief—Ethn. 4:109. 17 Lajos KISS: op.cit.: 160—161. 18 Ferenc GÖNCZI: Curing diseases at the Göcsej people — Ethn. 16:357. 19 Zsigmond SZENDREY: op. cit.: 160. 20 Bálint BELLOSITS: Superstitions of southern Hungary — Ethn 10:309. 21 Elemér MOOR: Customs connected with the maintenance of the house — Ethn. 44:175. 22 Mrs. Matthias MÁTRAI née Rózsa VARGA: Superstitions of the Szarvas district — Ethn. 19:160. 23 Mrs. Henrik WLISLOCKI: Presaging animals in the popular beliefs of Kalotaszeg — Ethn. 4:109. 21 Zsigmond SZENDREY and Ákos SZENDREY: Selections from the Hungarian dictionary of superstitions in preparation — Ethn. LI. 1940. p.330 25 Bálint BELLOSITS: op. cit.: p. 309. 26 Davorka RELKOVIC: Myths and popular belief in Harkány — Ethn. 37:176. 27 Mrs. Henrik WLISLOCKI: op. cit.: p. 109. 28 Pál ERDÉLYI: Old superstitions and quackeries — Ethn. 11:81. 29 Ferenc GÖNCZI: „Doings" („teemények") of love in Göcsej — Ethn. 18:34—38. 196