Chłopskie pokładziny, czyli „idzie Marysia do łożnice”

Abstract

The article describes the folk wedding night in the 19th 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.