Rocking the devil – belief-based customs as an example of intangible cultural heritage

Abstract

Cultural heritage is a set of artefacts consisting of architecture, crafts, folk art and intangible elements orally handed down from generation to generation Globalization is, to a high degree, responsible for the vanishing of these phenomena It is, therefore, important to take actions in order to preserve it. One example of such an action is adopting the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Archives can often play a fundamental role here. The Polish Ethnographic Atlas Laboratory is one of the centres possessing a great collection of archives. The materials deposited there come from all over the country and are related to many aspects of rural culture. Despite the great effort put into the analysis of the material and the editing of the Atlas, a number of issues are yet to be elaborated. For example, the issue of bringing up a child. This paper is the first attempt at interpreting informants’ statements on this issue. Engaging in this subject matter was essential not only because these practices are still alive in the informants’ memories but also because until recently, the informants had practiced these customs themselves. Each birth was a significant moment in the life of a family. For this reason pregnancy and infancy were accompanied by particular rituals. The aim was to ensure welfare of the offspring in the future and to protect them from death, sickness and evil powers. The rituals did not only refer to the children, but also to things related to them. The cradle seemed to be of particular importance and many restrictions were placed by custom on the use of it.