This post was co-authored by Lukáš Svoboda and Kate Challis
Štědrej večer nastal, koledy přichystal, koledy přichystal.
Panímámo vstantě, koledy nám dejte, koledy nám dejte.
Some Christmas Vocabulary |
|
Štedrý den/večer : Christmas Eve day/evening
|
|
koleda : Christmas carol or gifts (usually food) for carolers
|
|
kantor : village teacher
|
|
výsluška : gift of food that is given to carolers
|
Children were not the only people who traveled from house to house singing carols; the obecní pasák, or municipal shepherd, went with them cracking his whip together with the ponocný, or night-watcher blowing his horn. Together, the crowd went singing from house to house, and at each stop they received food such as bread, cakes, legumes, apples, nuts or flour (yes, plain, raw flour). All this was given on Štedrý den and it was very welcome in many households of the poorer families without extensive landholdings.
|
Czýℓ: kral Platý dle Reparticze
do duchodu wrchnostenskeho auroku
k. s Jiržý a k. s. Hawlu ročznie fr 23x “ 2 d
za zbirane zdřziwý…………………..40x”
Přzedstawenemu duchownimu pasti”
řzý jmenem desatku, Letnika z
kazde krawý každo Rocžnije po…3xr
Contorowý posnopnýho zita…………..1 snop
……………………………..owsa………..1 snop
…………….colledj…………………………..1 xr
|
Royal Imperial Taxes according to the partition[,] to the manorial revenue[of] his lordship [twice] annually
on St. George[‘s feast day] and St. Havel[‘s feast day]…fr 23x 2 d
for wood collection…40x
[To] the superior spiritual shepherd[, the priest is given] the appointed tithing of each cow annually at Pentecost for…3 xr.
The village teacher’s harvest allowance…1 “snop”
[The village teacher’s] oats…1 “snop”
[The village teacher’s] koleda…1 xr
|
Yes, he (the farmer) really is paying 1 kreuzer to the village teacher for his koleda obligation. Is it a “Christmas carol tax”? Well…that is a bit of a stretch, since technically obligations/burdens are not the same as taxes. Still, somehow today it is a funny thought, especially through the foggy lens of translation!
|
c. desátku panu faráři žita, ječmene, a ovsa každého 2 4/8 m. Letníku z jedné každé krávy ½ žejdlíku másla a školnímu učitely nového léta 3 kr. a 2 vejce každoročně odvádět.
|
To the parish teacher [shall be given] rye, barley, oats each [in the amount] of … 4 snop [a unit of volume]
New Year or koleda …. 3 xr
|
|
Dle vyvazovací tabely jest vymazána koleda učitele za náhradu pro okr. školní pokladnici v Plzni 50 kr. r. č. 5 %
|
According to “release” table the koleda for the teacher is deleted with compensation for district school treasure in the sum of 50 kr. r. č. with 5 % interests
|
All the koleda and other so-called natural obligations were abolished after 1848 when the farmers finally became owners of their land. New owners were now obliged to pay a certain sum of money (with interest until full payment was made) to the Okresní školní pokladnici, the district school treasury. This was official the end of koleda as a traditional source of income for teachers.
One of the village teachers was also Jakub Jan Ryba, the composer of one the most popular and beautiful Christmas compositions: Česká mše vánoční, or the Czech Christmas Mass. It was written in 1796 and is sung today in churches, public performances, and is annually broadcasted on television and radio.