CALENDAR KNOWLEDGE AND AGRARIAN CALENDAR IN SERBIAN RITUAL FOLKSONGS

Abstract

The improvement in the way of traditional measuring of time was imposed for transition to agriculture as a main form of economic development. Therefore, the lunar calendar was replaced by solar, in which periods of year (summer and winter half-year) were determined on the basis of four key positions of the Sun – Winter Solstice, two equinoxes and the Summer Solstice. These moments of the annual cycle were Christianized and associated with the certain Christian saints, whose celebration order means also a queue of field work. These songs follow all segments of public life, from winter rites („coledar“ procession), ih which the magical actions related to the growth of the seeds were dominant (together with the dance, coledars are singing: jump, jump, coledo, for the wheat to grow this big), through songs of spring circle, imposing agricultural blessings and perform magical acts to „close the winter“ and to "open the summer" along with the spring fieldworks. The life cycle of a seed starts with the sowing and the plowing and finishes with the collective harvest („moba“). These songs keep vestiges of the ancient belief that man can benefit only by the work that is done right, with respect of time for work, i.e. respecting the taboo regulations related to certain days, when the work is avoided.