Chłopskie pokładziny, czyli „idzie Marysia do łożnice”

Abstrakt

The article describes the folk wedding night in the 19^th century. It presents the most typical model of this rite with selected local variants. It locates the moment of a wedding night in a wedding ceremony, brings near its genesis, shows the characteristic features, illustrates wide meaning: a special sense for the bride, groom, and also for the neighborhood folk community. In the center of our deliberations are a variety of superstitious beliefs and plenty of folk love songs too. Moreover, this presentation concentrates on a problem of virginity and its role in the marriage.