Death certificate of Kazimierz Wielanowski
National Museum in Lublin
There are at least two important moments in everyone's life: birth and death. Apart from these, there are many other moments that we celebrate solemnly, such as christenings, engagements or weddings. In different religions, but also in different countries or regions, these may be celebrated differently. The natural rhythm of our life is bidding farewell to one period and welcoming a new one, and moving from one stage to the next. This is accompanied by very interesting rituals, which you are about to learn!
A step into adulthood
Imagine a thirteen-year-old boy. He has just woken up with the first rays of the sun and will probably not sleep a wink. This is a great day in his life. Today he will become a religiously mature Jew. From now on, he will be responsible for his actions – previously his parents did that for him.
The transition of every Jewish boy from childhood to adulthood is connected with a joyful ceremony called bar mitzvah. Our hero has been preparing for this day for several months. Today he will read a passage from the Torah in front of all who have gathered in the synagogue and will comment on it. As long as he does not mess this up. Then it will be easy, and during the party he will receive gifts.
One of them will be tefillin. It consists of two openable boxes containing scrolls of parchment with handwritten Torah fragments. Two thongs are attached to the boxes. During the morning prayer, one will be attached to the hand and the other to the forehead.
These are big changes in a boy's life, so how could he not be concerned?
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photo from the collection of the National Digital Archives in Poland
Even before the wedding
How not to shed a tear when your daughter gets married? But before the bride and groom set foot in the church, it is time for the engagement, formerly known in Poland as the betrothal.
Let us move to a village near Kraków. The bride and groom are already sitting at the table opposite each other. Earlier he asked the girl to marry him. The consent of the bride (as well as the approval of her parents) was confirmed by drinking vodka. Now witnesses to the event have gathered around the table to testify that the word has been given. The bride-to-be is wearing a ceremonial dress and a headpiece decorated with ribbons. The hands of the bride and groom rest on the table, tied with a red kerchief. This is a gift for the girl from her husband-to-be.
Now we can slowly move on to the next arrangements, including the date of the wedding, the guest list and the listing of each bride's assets. Once everything has been discussed, the dancing and partying begins. The man with a musical instrument is just waiting for a sign.
Married or single?
In the past, in the countryside, you could tell a married woman from a single woman at first glance. And it wasn't just the ring on her finger. Girls who did not have a husband yet walked around with their hair uncovered. Married women had to cover their hair, which was done mainly with a headscarf.
The turning point in a girl's life was her wedding, when her marital status changed. The bride's head was then richly decorated with a garland. The one you are looking at comes from the Lublin area and resembles a diadem. When it was put on, the forehead looked as if it were entwined with green and red ribbons decorated with pearls. But the most impressive part of the headdress was certainly the numerous flowers that surrounded the whole head.
During the wedding there will be an unveiling and capping ceremony. During this, the bride's garland will be removed and replaced with a headpiece similar to a headscarf. This will be a clear sign that the bride is already married.
Cups up!
The company has gathered around the table in large numbers to enjoy themselves until the morning to the sounds of music. The reason to celebrate is the wedding of the couple who can be seen in the middle. The bride is wearing a light-coloured dress with a veil on her head. The groom is standing behind his wife, twirling a moustache. It is the appearance of the characters – their hairstyles and clothes – that tells us we are watching a wedding of the nobility. The men are dressed in kontushes. It is a kind of coat, which was tied at the waist with a special belt. High leather boots are obligatory on the men's feet. A sabre is attached close to the belt.
Toasts are a centuries-old tradition of which the nobility was particularly fond. In wedding toasts, the personal merits of the newlyweds or their ancestors were mentioned. The innocence of the bride and the strong character of the groom were pointed out. The toast was, therefore, a good moment to emphasise once again the prestige of the whole family.
A funeral with pomp
On the day of a nobleman's funeral, the bells start ringing already at noon. After dark, mourners move towards the church. A distinct aroma of incense can be felt inside the church, with its smoke visible in the glow of the burning candles. The coffin rests on a castrum doloris, or “castle of sorrows”, as it is translated from Latin, placed beside the altar. The church is filled to capacity with relatives and friends, as well as church and secular dignitaries. Everyone praises the deceased in endless speeches...
The funeral of a nobleman was one of the most expensive and most lavish ceremonies in the former Commonwealth. The last farewell itself, understood as putting the coffin in the grave, usually lasted a few days, but the accompanying ceremonies dragged on for up to one year!
All of this was done to bid farewell with dignity to the dead person and to enable him/her to move on to the next stage: the eternal life.
Let us come to a conclusion
When the priest delivered a sermon during the funeral, everyone listened carefully to the dead person’s virtues. Earthly merits will surely be rewarded with the glory of heaven.
But what will remain here, among the living, so that it could continue to perpetuate the positive image of the dead person?
This will include a flag made after the funeral. According to old Polish custom, it should feature the image of the patron saint. In this case, he is kneeling with his hands raised in a gesture of prayer, while his face is turned up towards Christ emerging from behind the clouds.
Below the patron saint there is the dead person’s coat of arms. Underneath we can see a note which recalls the last sentence of the passionate sermon delivered at the funeral. The sermon was usually short, concise and well thought out, so that it would inspire reflection for eternity.
A portrait of a deceased person
These words were used in the former Commonwealth to describe an unusual representation of the deceased. Interestingly, it was not seen anywhere else in the world!
The gentleman, whose full name is unknown, is looking straight at us, as if he wanted to emphasise his presence with his gaze. This was precisely the purpose of the portrait, whose characteristic shape results from the fact that it was attached to the shorter side of the coffin. This was one of several ways to ensure the presence of the dead person at his own funeral as if he were alive. Another interesting procedure was the presence of the deceased’s look-alike during the ceremony, who spoke on behalf of him.
So what do we know about this anonymous man? His shaved hair and thick moustache indicate that he was a nobleman. This is also confirmed by a coat of arms visible in the portrait. We should also remember that only the wealthiest ones could afford portraits and such spectacular multi-element funeral ceremonies.
A portrait from the afterlife
Count Roman Potocki died at his home, the Łańcut castle, in 1915.
The image of the deceased was made by Teodor Axentowicz at the request of the family.
Potocki lies on cushions, his hands placed on his chest and entwined with a rosary. The solemn and festive character of the occasion is enhanced by the flowers laid by his side.
Until 100 years ago, death found people mainly at home and surrounded by their family. All the activities related to the preparation of the body for burial (such as washing and dressing) were performed by the closest relatives. Then vigil was kept at the coffin.
In order to preserve and, in a way, prolong the last moments spent with the deceased, drawings, photographs or death masks were made. The latter were created as a plaster or wax cast of the dead person’s face.
Ritual – all visible behaviours and activities associated with a particular celebration; these are usually perpetuated by tradition and have their own meaning. Rituals are very often associated with a particular religion.
Custom – a way of behaving in a given situation that is accepted by a particular group; failure to follow it would be viewed unfavourably by that group. Customs are an element of tradition handed down from generation to generation and, therefore, change very slowly. For example, in many religions, customs indicate what clothes we should wear in a temple – whether we have to cover our heads or take off our shoes. Those who violate such a custom may be requested to leave the place.
Parchment – a thin material on which we write; made from animal skin.
Synagogue – a place of meeting and prayer for the followers of Judaism, i.e. Jews.
Nobility – in the former Commonwealth, it was a social group which enjoyed many privileges. A nobleman, i.e. a representative of the nobility, owned land and his children could inherit it from him.
Torah – the sacred book of Judaism, the religion practised by Jews. Also called the Pentateuch, because it consists of the first five books of the Bible, called the Books of Moses (in the Christian tradition these are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
Practice – a way of behaving in a given situation that has been adopted by a particular group; however, failure to observe it does not result in any serious consequences. Practices are an element of tradition passed on from generation to generation. For example, nowadays it is still considered customary to let a woman pass through a doorway, although no one requires men to do so any more. Practices also change slowly over time, as the above example shows.
Jews – followers of the religion known as Judaism; for centuries they settled in many places around the world, including Poland. In 1948, the state of Israel was established, where many Jews live.
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