intangible cultural heritage

21 results

	Stories and Myths about the Sitarjevec Mine near Litija area: Srce Slowenije category: oral traditions The history of the medieval Sitarjevec mine, where until 1965 lead, mercury, baryte and zinc were mined in the galleries of Sitarjevec (448 m) on the right bank of the Sava River, is very rich and fascinating. Although it has been almost fifty years since the mine became disused it is deeply rooted among the locals in the form of oral lore, which is best substantiated by various stories and myths that keep the mine, mythology-wise, in the memory of the people. Unfortunately, locals have recently identified the mine as “ecological bomb” since polluted water is frequently discharged from its disused galleries.

	Stories about Gients and Giants girls area: Srce Slowenije category: oral traditions The word “ajd” means a giant which usually plays a positive role in folk legends and is considered to be the oldest mythical inhabitant of the earth. The giants\\\\\\\' girl is his daughter and has the characteristics of a magical being. Imagination played a role in the beliefs about an old race of giants: it was the fruit of fear and religious beliefs in the supernatural.

	Pupet Show Entitled Mejaši area: Srce Slowenije category: performing arts Mejaši is an old puppet show which was usually played at weddings. It is quite unique and its equal is not to be found among European puppetry. This is why we speak of a typical Slovenian-Kajkavian puppet form. It was also often staged in the area of Šmartno near Litija, today it is only put on stage on special occasions.

	Tamburitza Orchestra Šmartno pri Litiji area: Srce Slowenije category: performing arts Šmartno near Litija boasts a rich cultural life which is witnessed by the Cultural and Arts Societies with a decades-long tradition, among them the Tamburitza Orchestra Šmartno near Litija. Their history goes back to 1892 and is considered the oldest tamburitza group in Slovenia.

	Špinerbal, the Ball of the Spinning Mill Workers of Litija area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices Špinerbal which after 1945 became the spinning mill workers\' ball was among the élite events in the town of Litija. Its beginnings go back to the first quarter of the 20th century and are linked to the factory, Spinning Mill Litija, which has been in operation without interruptions since 1886. Among the oldest inhabitants, the memories of the event are still very much alive: the event brought excitement to the town and made numerous craftsmen budge, from seamstresses to tailors, furriers, shoemakers and hairdressers.

	Manners and Customs on Wedding Days area: Srce Slowenije category: oral traditions The heritage of life manners and customs, including those relating to weddings, has been preserved in the country until this day. Erecting maypoles and šrange on wedding days differ somewhat from village to village; however, the essence and purpose remain the same.

	Freh on the Eve of a Names Day Celebration area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices In the past people paid much more attention to the celebration of their name's days that their birthdays. Celebrating birthdays began only after World War II. Celebrating the day of the patron saint we have been named after is much older; it originates in the period before Christ. The word god (name's day; translator's note) meant hour, holiday, year in the Old Church Slavonic. These are the roots of the meaning of name's day as an anniversary or occasion which is found in some Slavonic languages. In certain communities in the country the custom has been preserved until this day, namely the custom of the neighbours going to flatter/court someone (See above: hofieren, ofirati) in the evening before someone’s name’s day.

	Chiming area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices In the past people were much more connected with ringing in the succursal and parochial churches than they are today. In addition to clock striking and ringing at least three times a day, holiday chiming was also important. It was performed by sacristans or local chiming devotees. Even today in many places and villages in central Slovenia, chiming devotees come together on special occasions and spread happiness among the locals with their skills and melody creations.

	Preparation of Easter Wafers area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices On Holy Saturday the ladies of the house prepare food to be taken to church for Easter benediction in large woven wicker baskets and a narrow, two-handled bag, usually of straw. In the area of the municipality of Dol near Ljubljana, in the Valley of Tuhinj and the Črni graben Valley a special custom has been preserved, namely, to put special hosts or wafers among the food.

	Rolls with Warmed Cream at Pušelšanks area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices Periodical wine selling points called pušenšank, pušelšanks (from German: Buschenschank, a bar under a branch) used to be widely spread in the Mirna River valley and represented an important source of income for winegrowers who were mostly farmers. Pušelšanks survived until the 1960s when several of them were still active in the villages surrounding Šentrupert. Later the authorities banned the uncontrolled selling of wine. The main article in the bars under a branch was wine, however, home-made goodies were also offered, for instance rolls with warmed cream.

	Making Bread in a Brick Oven area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices Making bread in a brick oven used to be an inevitable task of a housewife at a farm since home-made bread was considered to be one of the main foodstuffs, frequently as an independent dish. The knowledge of making bread and baking it in a brick oven has been preserved to this day, which is the result of assiduous housewives and various amateur societies.

	Bizgec of Mengeš area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices The writer and ethnologist Janez Trdina spent his youth in Mengeš, consequently he knew well the life and customs of his countrymen. In the letters he wrote to the chaplain of Mengeš, Anton Kolar, over the period of 1888–1889, he described in great detail the life of the inhabitants of Mengeš in the 19th century. He also tackled their eating habits. In one of these letters he mentions a simple dish called bizgec.

	Trnič Cheese from Velika and Mala planina area: Srce Slowenije category: social practices The trnič cheeses are a type of seasoned cheeses from Velika and Mala planina. They are made from sour cheese and ornamented. They do not only have a nutritional symbol but a ritually symbolic meaning as well. Such cheeses are called “trnəč” by local inhabitants. Until today, the skill of making these cheeses has been preserved to a very limited extent.

	Charcoal Production area: Srce Slowenije category: practices concerning nature Even today Dole near Litija boasts the presence of an almost disappeared old craft, i.e. charcoal production. The tradition of burning charcoal was brought to these places by Italian charcoal burners over one hundred years ago. The preparation of a clamp and producing charcoal in the traditional method is a procedure that has been preserved by local charcoal burners over years; they are very close to the forests and life next to them. Twenty-five charcoal burners work in the area and they burn around 30 clamps, which amounts to 150 to 200 tons of quality charcoal.

	Herbalism area: Srce Slowenije category: practices concerning nature Herbalism is the practice, knowledge and skill of harvesting, cultivating and using various plants and their extracts for medicinal purposes. In the area of Ivančna Gorica, vast knowledge from the past has been developed and preserved to this day on the basis of the knowledge and operation of the Cistercian monastery located in the village of Stična.

	Stove-Making Trade area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship The stove-making trade is an old craft which deals with manufacturing glazed tiles, building and manufacturing stoves and ovens and lining of walls with ceramic tiles. In Lukovica and the surrounding places the stove-making trade has been alive for decades. Franc Avbelj has been engaged in stove-making since his childhood and has been a registered craftsman since 1984. Before that his father was in the stove-making trade as well.

	Plaiting area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship Plaiting belongs among the oldest crafts in Slovenia. Plaiting-related knowledge spread from generation to generation and since the 19th century this has been helped by plaiting courses and schools. Today plaiting is among the best preserved and wide-spread home crafts; nevertheless, it functions exclusively at the self-taught and local levels. During the Easter holidays, plaiting products, in particular wicker baskets are most desired. Tončka Jemec from Petelinje near Dolsko plaits baskets and narrow, two-handled bags, usually of straw, and is famous among those who still preserve the ancient plaiting tradition.

	Plaiting Straw Braids area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship Plaiting straw braids is the basis for the straw-related craft which has almost disappeared in the area of Domžale over the last ten years. Straw hats used to be highly appreciated by various social classes and particularly professions such as for example that of a salt-worker in our saltpans at the seaside. Plaiting straw braids started to develop as a characteristic home craft in the 18th century in the area of Ihan, and in the 19th century it spread to the surrounding places in the areas of Domžale, Lukovica, Mengeš, Kamnik, Dol near Ljubljana, Moravče and Trzin.

	Carving of Christmas Cribs area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship For a century carving of Christmas cribs has been one of the characteristics of Mengeš and its nearby surroundings. It was highly appreciated in the 19th century and soon developed into a profitable handicraft activity which was taken up by many a craftsman. At first, trila figurines were made according to the old models made from plaster and worked with this material for several years. Eventually the carvers tried to work with wood. The first exhibition of Christmas cribs after World War II contributed considerably to the identification of the cribs from Mengeš and of the carvers. It was held in 1972 in Mengeš and was put in place by the parish priest Štefan Babič.

	Shingle Making area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship Wooden shingles used for roof-cladding and straw roof-cladding were the most wide-spread method of roofing in Slovenia at least until the middle of the 20th century. Then its importance began to diminish because industrial roofing started to emerge. Most frequently houses in the higher hilly area were covered with cleft shingles or sawn boards; but there are examples of roofs covered in wood in certain places located much lower. Today wooden claddings are most often seen in Carinthia and Upper Carniola, on some church roofs all over Slovenia and on shepherd\'s cabins and tourist buildings on Velika planina.

	Carpentry area: Srce Slowenije category: traditional craftmanship Carpentry is considered to be one of the oldest crafts. It first appeared more than five thousand years ago. Owing to the necessity of building safe housing structures, already in the early metal periods people met with various methods of wood processing: thus various residential facilities and estate buildings, wooden footbridges, bridges and other useful structures emerged. Carpentry as an important craftsman activity left a strong mark in particular in the Mirna River valley. The valley is known for the construction of its hayracks. It is in the very Valley that magnificent carpentry masterpieces with the most picturesquely ornamented hayracks have sprung up.

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