Cultural heritage

 

 

‘There are places that touch people’s souls and people who mark places.’

Wallachia has always played an important part in the history and the shaping of today’s Romania. The region that stretches along the lower course of the Danube attracts countless visitors impressing them by means of its spirituality, cultural richness and outstanding sights. The old land situated in the South of Romania was once part of the kingdom of the great Dacian king Burebista. In ancient times it was inhabited by the tribes of the Getae, who were specifically a branch of the Thracians. Herodotus, the ‘father of History’ himself mentioned that ‘the Getae are the bravest and the justest of the Thracians.’

Today it is an absolute truth the fact that the Romanian culture displays its perennial and deep relationship with the material and spiritual folk creations. The folk poetry is a literary source considered to be more precious than gold without which our great Eminescu and Brancusi might not have been so brilliant. Drawing inspiration from the Romanian folk genre, our greatest artists marked their works with the particular characteristics of our nationality.

The traditions and customs that define the Romanian people have a prominent place in the outstanding heritage of traditional folk culture, a culture that was regarded by Doctor  T. Stamati to ‘mirror the past of our nation’. On the whole, these traditions and customs represent real folk celebrations rich in songs, dances, poetry and acting. Numerous folklorists and ethnologists have thoroughly studied our customs and their contributions have been included in comprehensive scientific volumes.

Each region and ethno cultural area of our country has its own ways of expressing customs and traditions. This is due to a number of influences from the remotest parts of the country – this is the case of the border areas. Calarasi is one of the areas where the structure of the rural population is very heterogeneous. For example, Ciocanesti, a village that lies along the Danube between Calarasi and Oltenita, is a place about which oral tradition and reference sources mention three distinct parts: Ciocanesti-Pamanteni, the locals who have always lived here; Ciocanesti-Margineni, a settling that consists of the Romanians who have descended from the region called Marginea Sibiului and  Ciocanesti-Sarbi, an area in which the settlers have come from the Danube bank because they could no longer stand the Ottoman oppression. Therefore, in Ciocanesti one can find traditions that are also known in other parts of the country as well as particular ones that can only be found here. In spring, 14-year-old teenagers sing a song called ‘Lazarul’, a sort of carol and visit the houses in the neighbourhood and in return they get eggs which they later paint. On Easter day the parents and their unmarried children visit their godparents with a special kind of bread called ‘colaci’, a bottle of wine and a chicken in order to ask the godparents to wed their offspring.

Our trip as a team to the Ciocanesti Piscola Farm has brought into light the constant need of protecting this gift of the nature and the influence that it has on the local population.

Cristina Andreea as local person of this area and having an entire family living here, has found out a delicious dish inherited from our ancestors that the Danube has given: Baked rice with dried fish. It is simple recipe that her grandmother and mother cook everytime they have the ocassion.

The necessary ingredients are fish, of course, 250 grammes of rice, an onion, 50 mililitres of oil. The fish has to be washed,the  scales are removed and then it is dried. It must stay for at least one week to be well dried. The next step is  frying the fish and afterwards you put it in a tray above the rice. The onion is chopped and put above the rice. It should stay in the oven for aproximately an hour. The dish is ready to be served. Enjoy your meal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cult of water is deeply rooted in the Getae-Dacian spirituality and has been passed on to Christianism. Certain fountains, springs and water courses were worshipped and religious ceremonies and rituals were organized next to them. The clean water from these sources was always collected in different dishes before sunrise and was called ‘pure’ and used in all rituals, either for purification, healing diseases  or keeping away evil spirits.

Let us not forget that before engaging in battle the Dacians used to take part in solemn rituals that involved receiving the Holy Communion and drinking water from the Istru or Danube, the river which they perceived as a real God-ancestor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gaetic settlements that lie on the left bank of the Borcea Arm and along the entire Borcea village represents a element that is particular to the cultural heritage of the area. Also, it should be mentioned that there is a Gaetic settlement on the left bank of the Raul Arm, in the Swamp of Calarasi.

The elemnts of the Dacian culture that contribute to building the cultural identity of the area are also ilustrated in the legend of Traian’s Bridge over the waters of Borcea. The elements that are make up the legend are: The Emperor’s Valley/ Valea Imparatului (there are three valleys bearing this name at Jegalia, Pietroiu, and Borcea), Traian’s Bridge/Podul lui Traian, Melcisiul Road/ Drumul Melcisului ( it is marked on air maps) that connects the Borcea bank to the Danube bank, having a ‚Cetatuie’/’Small Stronghold’ at the middle. Moreover, a bas-relief embodying ‚Cavalerul Trac’/’The Thracian Knight’ was discovered on the Borcea bank, where the end of the bridge is supposed to be.