– The great countdown begins, because already on Saturday, – said Tadeusz Piętka, mayor of the Ujsoły Commune in a film announcing this year’s event. –
The Ujsol event takes place by the Bystra stream – concerts are held on the amphitheater stage, while the huda is being built on the other side of the river, on a large stone building.
The custom of burning huds concerned not only Ujsół, but also the surrounding towns, including Złatna, Soblówka, Glinka, Rajcza and Rycerka.
– The event attracts not only the residents themselves, but also people who used to live here, but have dispersed across Poland and are returning to their hometowns for this special day. Hudy has always connected generations, it is an opportunity to sit down together, talk or reminisce. – this is how Julia Grygny from the Ujsoły Commune Office told Interia about the event.
This is how local poet Wawrzyniec Hubka described the spectacle.
The burning of bonfires in the pastures and mountains was connected with the pastoral culture. When the harvest time was coming to an end, the highlanders celebrated this fact around August 10. People gathered and had fun around the lit bonfires. Another theory is that this was a continuation of the Midsummer’s Eve rituals – burning hud in this case had a magical meaning. It was supposed to cleanse and scare away evil powers.
There are many legends associated with this custom.
– He shared this vision with his parish priest from Rajcza (Ujsoły became an independent parish in 1913 – author’s note). Together they decided to light bonfires in the nearby pastures, which were supposed to eliminate the threat – regionalist Adam Miesiączek told Interia.
This is not the only version of this legend. – With this observation, the highlander went to the parish priest from Milówka, who decided to build a church in this place. The consent for the investment was issued by King John Casimir, who was staying in Żywiec in July 1669. The church was built in 1674 and the apparitions stopped appearing. The burning of large bonfires was to commemorate the martyrdom of St. Lawrence – said Miesiączek.
In a square plan, 4 poles were driven in at a distance of about 1 meter, and the whole thing was reinforced with cross beams, which stabilized the structure. They also provided protection for the people who built it. The structure became narrower with successive layers of wood and branches. In the past, smaller huds were also burned on the nearby hills, and an effigy of St. Lawrence was mounted on their top, which was to be a Christian accent in the centuries-old tradition.
According to an unwritten custom, in the past, the youth of a given community had to collect the material for the huda (the so-called włocynia process). In turn, the privilege of lighting the huda was granted to a person of merit and universal respect.
– It gathered children, young people, and the elderly. It was perceived positively and followed with great interest both in higher areas and in the valleys. Folklore concerts and events referring to the traditions of the region were held here. In the hamlets and fields it was more intimate. However, the highlanders were happy to welcome guests from outside who wanted to take a closer look at the event (…). The huda was not allowed to be extinguished. It had to burn itself out – Adam Miesiączek told Interia.
The program includes performances by folklore groups. Those interested will also be able to take part in workshops on building a huda, which will start at 10:00.
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Source: Interia.pl, Ujsoly Commune, facebook.com/ujsoly.gmina