The Dances of Podhale (Poland) Author(s): Joseph Needham Source: Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Dec., 1937), pp. 117119 Published by: English Folk Dance + Song Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4521112 . Accessed: 06/04/2011 16:40 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=efdss. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
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The
Dances
of
Podhale
(Poland)
BY JOSEPH NEEDHAM IN the long line of the Carpathian chain, which stretches from east to west through central Europe, the mountains of the High Tatra are the only strictly alpine region: south of them lies Czecho-Slovakia and north of them Poland. The foothills and valleys of their northern slopes form the Podhale district of Poland, and the inhabitants, mountaineers in many ways resembling the Scottish Highlanders, are known as Go6rale. The characteristic dress of the men, tight white embroidered woollen trousers, a leather waistcoat, also embroidered and trimmed with fur, with an embroideredwhite cape on top, and a flattish black hat in which a large feather is stuck, is a usual sight in a holiday town such as Zakopane, for it is worn on working days as well as on festivals. I have recently had the opportunity of coming into close contact with a group of the mountaineers and of studying their dances. Since the information I have obtained is first-hand and since these dances are a very living art indeed, performed by the country people for their own pleasure, it is probable that an account of them may be of interest to English dancers. In the first place, it is clear that in the Podhale region there exists now no strictly ceremonialor ritual dance, performedon one special occasion only in the year. All the dances arerecreationalin character, yet nevertheless it is interesting that one important group of them is danced by men only. The groups may be classified as follows
i.
2.
For men and women together: (a) numerous individual couples: Weselny (b) jigs for one man and one woman: Krzesany Sabalowy Drobny For men alone: Zbojnicki-5, 6, or 7 men.
The Weselny is essentially the Goral form of the Polka, and takes place during the wedding ceremonies, which till recent times and sometimes now, last a week. It is associated with the Oczepiny ceremony, in which the bridal crown is replaced by II7
the married woman's bonnet, and in which the old women buy back the bride from the best man and his friends by a gift of bread and wodka. The jig dances are danced as follows: the man goes up to the musicians and sings the tune which he wishes them to play-there are words to most of them then waits a few moments, while another man (or a woman) leads out the girl partner and dances polka steps with her or pirouettes before raising his hat and handing her to her partner. The name Krzesany is derived from the verb krzesac,meaning to strike sparks as from flint and steel, and the steps involve much striking of the heels together, as well as light taps with the toes, and from time to time an emphasising of the rhythm by three heavy stamps. The Sabalowy, called after a mountaineer who formerly played well on the ancient oblong violin, is similar to the Krzesany, but less fast. The word Drobny is not so much used to describe a special dance, as to characterise some of the tunes which are suited for the performance of small sliding steps. In general, one must realise that there is no set form for these jigs. The Goral is largely concerned with the merits of individual dancers, and the dancer may therefore introduce whatever special motions he pleases, in a free way, so long as they suit the rhythm, such as hand-clapping-a sign for the partner to turn round-or slapp;ng the leg or foot in a way reminiscent of the Tyrolese dancers. Since the villages in Podhale are not very distinct, there are not many local peculiarities such as separated, for instance, the Bampton and Bledington Morris. The word Zbojnicki is derived from the term Robbers, such as those who followed the legendary hero Janosik. Janosik appears in innumerable ballads, in an analogous way, perhaps, to our Robin Hood. The following description of it is as I saw it in August, I936. Six men, dressed in white shirts, the white embroidered trousers, and the black hats with the long feather each, march in a circle, brandishing their peculiar axe-walkingsticks (ciupaga) to the tune of a stirring warlike chant. This they have previously sung to the musicians, just as for the jigs. They then perform a step not unlike the Bampton back-steps, moving round in the reverse direction and clashing their axes upon an axe held up in the centre of the circle by a girldressed, like all her companions, in white blouse, red bodice and red skirt-the whole reminding an English dancer of the basket figure in an English sword-dance.* The axes are now thrown into the centre around the girl's feet, and the music being faster, the men do a variety of kibby-step, similar to that of Russian or Cossack dancers, but differing from it in that the free foot is not thrown right forward, but hooked across the other rather closely, as in Longborough great capers. The girl now leaves the set, and the men continue to perform this step, not passing round anticlockwise as before, but holding hands into the centre. This concludes the dance. The dance * The presence of the girl is not an essential feature of the dance. The axes are not ice-axes for they have no pick, but are used for cutting the dwarf-pine which grows on the upper mountainslopes. ii8
is still developing, for I was told that this final figure was a fairly modem innovation. An English dancer would thus be reminded in turn of Eynsham, Bampton, and Longborough: but sometimes an arming figure was introduced-like that of an Adderbury stick-dance-the axes being held in the free hand. The general effect is really very fine indeed. The music used for all these dances is contained in the following collection: Muzyka Podhala by S. Mierczynski, illustrated by Z. Stryjel'ska: Ksiaznica-Atlas, Warszawa, I930. To-day the typical music is provided by two or three violins and a 'cello or double-bass, but to these was formerly added the Podhala bagpipe, or kobza. I had an opportunity of examining and hearing two of these instruments, played by one of the last surviving masters, Stanislaw Mroz, now aged over 8o. They are smaller than the Scottish bagpipes and larger than the Northumbrian smallpipes. The number of holes is six, and the pipe itself is in the form of the head of a chamois-an animal still fairly common in the upper valleys such as Dolina Hlinska-there is a drone, and of course, a mouthpiece. The bag is of goat-skin. The tunes are all of a recognisable similar feeling, often modal, of very small compass. and ending abruptly. They produce the effect of a subtly modulated monotony, and though at first strange to an English ear, soon become delightful. Through the kindness of my friends Waclaw Nowifiski and the poet Mieczystaw Rytard, I was privileged to be present at a dance given at the house of the highlander Antek Hotarski in the village of Koscielisko. Arriving in the twilight in carriages, we were met by the fiddlers, who pressed out on to the verandah to play us a welcome. On entering the room and seeing the six men dressed in white, one felt that one was again in the presence of the Morris in another of its many manifestations. My second impression was of the great beauty of these country people: the men were all remarkable to look at, and a fine set of women dancers was led by two sisters of most striking appearance. The wodka was soon circulating, and a succession of jigs was performed. I noticed in the Krzesany the fairly frequent use of hockle-back steps, but with the free leg very much bent and raised. Later on, some " melodje angielskie" were called for, and the company insisted on performing a polka to the tune of " The Girl I Left Behind Me." The highlanders have a custom of hoisting people into the air if the occasion demands it, and as it was Dr. Nowin'ski'sbirthday, he and his wife were treated in this way several times. As the evening warmed up the time came for the Zbojnicki, and in this case it was preceded by a sort of jig to the same tune done by a man and a girl both holding axes and using the special kibby-step. After this there was a return to the jigs, interspersed with polkas for the whole company and another dance, the Oberek, from central Poland, until the time came for the visitors to depart. In conclusion I wish again to express my thanks to Mr. Rytard, Dr. Nowi'nski, Miss Markson, Mr. Hotarski and Prof. Parnas for their kindness in helping me in many ways to understand the folk-dances of Podhale. IIg
