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The Division of Sheep

13 November 2014 No Comment

IMG_1166_resizeAt Romanians, the sheepfold work is conducted in a series of occurrences, a mixture of mythology, mysticism, of elements of the Christian religion, of rituals, of practices and beliefs related to old traditions, primary.

The division of sheep is an ancestral pastoral event, the second largest celebration of grazing.

After, in early May, the sheep are climbed to the mountain (sheep`s climbing), at St. Demetrius are unfolding the sheepfolds, balance and festive occasion for owners of the sheep and shepherds, that ends the pacts concluded.

After the sheep owners with their wives and aids, the head of the sheepfold and the shepherd had shared the toil results from the sheepfold, each as he deserves, the sheepfold is dividing, it means is unfolding.

On the division day, all are feasting with balmoş (cream  from curd mixed with maize flour and salt) with jintita (curd not-sieved, mixed with whey, remained on the bottom of the bowl  after its removal by boiling), the stew of sheep selected for feasting, but also with brandy and wine.

It is said that if at the division remains something of balmoş, then the division was satiated. Otherwise, the division is hungry and that is a bad sign.

After eating balmoş, the salt, remained on sheepfold, is crushed and shared between all owners of sheep, who, taking each their own sheep, they take them down to home, in the rodeo. Then, without anyones knowledge, the shepherd hides the piece of wood that kept the counting of work in the sheepfold, near a spring in the ground.

After the division of the sheepfold, the sheep reached to redoe are brought home where hay is sufficient, gathered of the time by the householder.

The division of the sheep is a tradition preserved from father to son on Bistrita Valley, a performance, intense and religiously lived by each participant.

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