Vanishing World, Vanishing Memory. Cultural Heritage of Shepherds in the Polish Carpathians (an Overview)

Abstract

Transhumance shepherding and pastoralism is part of the tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage in the modern world. It has been known and practised for centuries throughout Europe, being one of the most traditional professions in the area.

The aim of the paper is to present the results of research on selected phenomena of the cultural heritage of shepherds in the Polish part of the Carpathians. Presented in the paper are the findings on the structure of the yearly and diurnal cycles manifested in the practice of shepherding, as well as the most important elements of the shepherds’ worldview.

In this paper, I used the results of qualitative research conducted at selected pastures in Spisz, Orawa, Podhale, the region of Żywiec and Silesian Beskids in Poland between 2015 and 2022. The research techniques applied include standardised and free-form interviews with master shepherds and their crews working in the pastures, as well as overt and covert participant observations carried out during selected shepherds’ holidays and meetings in different spaces – in churches, during highlander and Wallachian festivals, thematic meetings and in the pastures. The above techniques were supplemented with an analysis of the visual sources encountered during the field research, as well as those provided by enthusiasts of the subject and found on the Internet.

The research showed that modern pastoralism oscillates between two contrasting tendencies – tradition, through which it has retained many elements from the past, and modernity, through which the shepherds introduce solutions drawn from contemporary culture to their pastures. The yearly cycle of the shepherds’ life comprises two parts (seasons), during which they stay in different spaces and carry out work according to the rhythm of nature, influenced by the shepherds’ vision of the world and accompanied by their rich rituals.