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VERBAL FOLKLORE> Small forms of verbal folklore
VERBAL FOLKLORE
SMALL FORMS OF VERBAL FOLKLORE
Gražina Kadžytė
Between the two monolithic layers of sung and told
folklore, there is a rich layer of various small-form verbal folk arts. It consists of a
multitude of diverse forms, such as proverbs, sayings, riddles, conundrums, sound
imitations, puzzles, curses, patters, nicknames, salutations, greetings, congratulations,
compliments, expressions of gratitude and other humorous forms of folk etiquette, and
various jokes. Most of them still constitute an integral part of speech, as people wish to
make their speech suggestive and expressive, to address not only the hearers mind but
also his imagination and feelings. Rather often those pieces of small-form verbal folklore
are summaries of bigger folklore forms, such as tales, fables, and legends. To people
developed within the same cultural surroundings (that is to people who know the same
folklore plots) certain phrases may become a kind of a password, or a key to the space of
mutual understanding. A proverb echoing the moral of a fable, a riddle extracted from the
text of a tale, parodies of prayers, sermons, songs or etiquette forms are definite
references to more profound primary texts. In this way small forms of folklore circulating
in everyday speech keep up the encoded memory of ancient traditions. This also secures the
vital capacity of above-mentioned manifestations of folklore forms, as well as the need to
use them constantly in everyday conversations. This especially applies to proverbs and
sayings.
Proverbs and sayings
In many languages the difference between a proverb and a saying is not
distinguished. In such a case one term is used to denote the above-mentioned forms of
folklore (Lat. proverbia; Eng. proverbs). Proverbs mean invariable sayings
of a general character, passed down from the past to the present. Lithuanian and other
researchers who recognise that such forms of folklore may be expressed in two ways (Rus. poslovicy
and pogovorki; Lat. sakamvardi and parūnas; Ger. Sprichworter
and sprichwortliche Redensarten) deem that sayings are relatively less independent
as the speaker usually gears them to definite circumstances without any attempt to
generalise. For instance, the phrase Vagie, kepurė dega (Thief, your cap is
burning) indicates a direct quick reaction when somebody who has done something bad gives
himself away, or by means of some subtle deception is forced to recognise his fault. The
proverb commenting an analogous situation would sound as follows: Ant vagies kepurė
dega ( A thiefs cap burns). Such references lead us to an anecdote. Its plot is as
follows: Once there was a village thief. The villagers were not able to bring him to
light. A clever man suggested that elders should invite people to a village assembly to
discuss current affairs. In the heat of the discussion, the above-mentioned clever man
exclaimed suddenly: Vagie, kepurė dega! (Thief, your cap is burning!). One of the
assembled (surely, he was the thief) touched his head on impulse.
Many proverbs date back to very old times. Sometimes proverbs reflect
simple life experience heaved onto the philosophical plane. For example, Lazda turi du
galus (A stick has two ends), Kaip pasiklosi, taip išsimiegosi (As you
make your bed, so you will sleep), Iš didelio debesio mažas lietus (Little
rain from a big cloud).
An especially big number of proverbs originated through the
generalisation of experience of agricultural activities: Senas jautis vagos negadina
(An old ox does not spoil the furrow), Pjovėjas be rasos nepjauna: arba
rasa ant dalgio, arba ant kaktos (A mower does not mow without any dew: it is either
on his scythe or on his forehead). Nesėjęs nepjausi (If you do not sow,
you will not reap), Geram arkliui nereikia botago (A good horse does not
need a whip), Juodos rankos - balta duona, baltos rankos - juoda duona
(Black hands - white bread, white hands - black bread).
Peasants dependence on the calendar of nature or on whether gave
rise to a multitude of meteorological observations that subsequently turned into proverbs:
Visi šventi su ledu - šventas Jurgis su lapu (All Saints with ice - St.
George with a leaf), Kalėdos baltos - Velykos žalios, Kalėdos juodos -
Velykos baltos (White Christmas - green Easter, black Christmas - white Easter) (that
is, if there is a lot of snow on Christmas, spring will come early, and vice versa).
In Lithuania, many calendar generalisations are related with the
Catholic calendar and the names of saints. For example, Nuo šv. Jurgio (23 04) Dievas
daržinę atidaro (On St. Georges Day (April 23) God opens the door of the barn)
(that is, at the end of April grass starts to grow, so there is no need to save fodder), Lig
šv. Jono (24 06) visi lietaus neišprašo, po šv. Jono viena boba šūkteli, ir
še! (Until St. Johns Day (June 24) it is impossible to get rain even if all people
assembled demand it, after St Johns Day one woman demands rain - and here it is!) (that
is, in Lithuania the beginning of June is usually not rainy, but when hayharvesting begins
rains start), Šv. Jonas - pieno ponas (St. John is the lord of milk) (that is,
about that time grass is mown to feed cattle), Šv. Ona (26 07) - gera žmona:
su duona, ragaišiu, su medaus uzbonu (St. Ann (July 26) is a good housewife: she can
produce bread, pastry and a jarful of honey (that is, at that time rye and wheat are
harvested, fresh honey is available), Po šv. Mataušo (21 09) ir vanduo užaušo
(After St. Matthews Day (September 21) water is cool (that is the water in lakes and
rivers is too cold to bathe in it).
Under the influence of Catholicism quite a number of quotations from
Holy Script and Decalogue was adopted to be later established as Lithuanian proverbs: Be
Dievo valios ir plaukas nuo galvos nenukris (Not a hair will fall down from the head,
unless God wills), Kas su Dievu pradeda, tam ir Dievas padeda (He who starts
with God will be helped by God), Kaip tu Dievui šventą dieną, taip tau Dievas
smerčio dieną (As you feel about God on a holiday, so God will feel about you
on the day of your death) (that is, if you remember to pray, then He will also remember
you).
However besides the above-mentioned proverbs there are other proverbs
evidencing scepticism that managed to survive the change of religious systems: Žuvis
neišganys, kiaulė nepragaišins (A fish will not save, a pig will not ruin) (in this
way people doubted the value of fasting), Iš tų pačių šventieji, iš tų pačių
ir prakeiktieji (Both the saints and the accursed have the same origin).
In some proverbs certain strata of the ancient Baltic beliefs can be
traced: Nevyk Dievo į medį, paskui ir su pyragu neišprašysi (Do not drive God
up a tree, later you will not be able to coax him to get down, even if you offer him a
piece of pastry for it). (Here an allusion is made to sacred groves where feasts were held
to honour gods), Vieniems Dievas duoda nueidamas, kitiems - pareidamas (God gives
gifts to some when He leaves, God gives gifts to some when He returns). (An allusion is
made to God disguised as an old man visiting people and teaching them how to live), Neik
su velniu obuoliauti - paliksi ir be obuolių, ir be maišelio (Do not go for
apples with Devil because you will lose both your apples and your bag), Ko velnias
neįveikia, ten bobą pasiunčia (If there is something that Devil cannot overcome, he
sends a woman to do it instead of him) (An allusion is made to tales about various humans
co-operating with devils). Ancient legends supplied proverbs with the names of certain
local deities and images: Ir aitvaras ne visados pinigus neša (Even aitvaras
does not always bring money), Aitvaras neneštų, kad pautienės
(kiaušinienės) nemėgtų (Aitvaras would not bring anything if scrambled eggs
were not to his taste), Aitvaru skrido, kai mergas išvydo (When he saw girls, he
put on speed like an aitvaras) (Aitvaras means a fast-moving fiery being. If
tamed by a human, aitvaras supplies him or her with all sorts of property. Aitvaras
likes scrambled eggs very much), Nuo Giltinės po puodu nepasivoši (nepasislėpsi)
(You cannot hide yourself from Giltinė under a pot), Giltinė į dantis
nežiūri (nesirenka) (Giltinė does not look anybody in the mouth) (Giltinė
is the Goddess of Death). Gražus kaip Laumės vaikas (As cute as Laumės
child), Gudri kaip Laumės auginta (As clever as if raised by Laumė) (Laumė
is a female deity able to steel human children or leave her own degenerates instead of the
stolen ones), Kas save giria, tą Perkūnas spiria (He who praises himself will be
kicked by Perkūnas). (Perkūnas is the God of Thunder. He punishes humans
and gods for misbehaviour. According to A.J.Greimas, Perkūnas is a celestial
policeman). Kvailiui nė Saulės duktė neįtiks (A fool will not be satisfied even
with the Suns daughter) (Daughters of the Sun are celestial beings, that is girls of
perfect beauty and ingenuity).
Some proverbs are very strictly localised in terms of place and time.
They still are valuable in Lithuania as evidences of certain geographical facts or
historical events:
Palanga - svieto pabaiga (Palanga is the end of the world)
(Palanga is a small seaside town in Lithuania. In ancient times when there were no big
ships Palanga marked the farthest western point that could be reached by Lithuanians).
Čekiškės balose nepragaišęs, kitur neprapulsi (If you have not
perished in the marshes of Čekiškės, you will succeed anywhere). (A very dangerous
place here is a symbol of the greatest obstacle overcome).
Varnių purvo nebraidžiojęs, kunigu nebūsi (You will not
become a priest if you have not waded through the mud of Varniai). (A Catholic Priests
Seminary functioned in Varniai until the beginning of the 19th c.).
Krapštosi kaip švedas ties Ryga (He or she is dawdling like a
Swede at Riga Town). (This proverb reminds us about the long siege of Riga during the war
with Sweden).
However the greater part of proverbs known to us discuss the general
problems of ethic and practice. Such proverbs have always been and still are topical. For
this reason many analogous or similar variants of proverbs are known to all European and
other nations:
Dovanotam arkliui į dantis nežiūri (Engl. Look not a gift horse
in the mouth Oxf 301).
Analogous sayings can be found in Latvian, Byelorussian, Russian,
Polish, German and French collections of proverbs:
Ne viskas auksas, kas auksu žiba (Engl. All is not gold that
glitters Oxf 316, or All is not gold that shines Whit 240).
The same equivalents can be found in Spanish, French, German, Latin,
Latvian, Polish, and Russian.
Besides, separate nations can provide original variants of the
above-mentioned common proverbs. Let us juxtapose the Lithuanian proverb Geriau
žvirblis rankoje negu briedis miške (Better a sparrow in the hand than an elk in the
forest).
In the English variant, we have the following opposition:
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Oxf 59
or Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow Oxf 50
The German proverb:
Besser ein Spatz in der Hand, als ein Kranich, der fliegt uber Land Wand I 330
or Tausend Kraniche in der Luft sind nicht so viel werth als ein
Sperling in der Hand Ward II 1575.
The Spanish proverb:
Mas vale pajaro en mano que buitre valando Arth 402.
The French proverb:
Le moineaux dans la main vaut mieux que loie qui vole Dur I 100.
The Polish proverb:
Lepszy wrobel w garsce niž kanorek na dachu Ad-Krz III 775.
The Latin proverb:
Est avis in dextra melior quam quattuor extra Walth I 918.
Id recommend the following book to those interested in such
analogies:
Kazys Grigas. Patarlių paralelės. Lietuvių patarlės su latvių,
baltarusių, rusų, lenkų, vokiečių, anglų, lotynų, prancūzų, ispanų
atitikmenimis. - Vilnius, Vaga, 1987.
The book offers 611 proverb types with additional variants, indices in
all languages and a list of sources and auxiliary literature. Introduction (10 pages) is
given in Lithuanian, Russian and German.
The following articles by Prof. Habil. Dr. K. Grigas have appeared in
English:
The Motif of the Mote in Someones Eye and the Comparative Study of a
proverb//ARV: Nordic Yearbook of Folklore. Upsala, 1995, vol. 51, p. 155-159.
Problems of the Type in the Comparative Study of Proverbs. - Journal of
the Baltic Institute of Folklore. - 1996, vol. 1, No 1, p. 106-127.
Currently in the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore a
group under the guidance of Prof. K. Grigas is preparing a full collection of Lithuanian
proverbs and sayings.
In this overview it is simply impossible to give a more or less
exhaustive analysis of cases in which the philosophy of life is revealed through proverbs.
The knowledge of life provides practical directions on what to do and how to behave in
certain circumstances. The educational significance of proverbs is an important
characteristic of many of them. Only in certain cases the didactic thought is presented
directly: Viskas gerai, kas gerai baigiasi (All is well that ends well),
while in other cases it is implied indirectly: Neperšokęs per upelį (griovį),
nesakyk op! (Do not say hop! until you have jumped across the brook
(ditch).
Practically, there is not a single area of human life - be it physical
or spiritual characteristics of a human, his/her negative or positive qualities, family or
community relations, norms of interaction, understanding of life, laws, assessment of
activities or work - that has not been reflected in a number of proverbs of various form:
the ones stressing direct or indirect meaning, the ones constructed of rhymed words, or
the ones representing a simple sentence. The building material is supplied from every area
that has ever interested a human or stirred his imagination and feelings.
Surely, in the course of time circumstances changed. This produced
changes in human well-being. Under changed situation, people often assessed the same
phenomena differently. This lack of agreement is reflected in proverbs.
Contradictory assessment of courage and bravery is evidenced by the
following pair of proverbs:
Be drąsos liksi be duonos (You will have no bread if you have no courage) - Geriau
zuikiu negu vilku (It is better to be like a hare than like a wolf).
Industry and laziness:
Taupyk duoną rytojui, o ne darbą (Save your bread for tomorrow, not you work); Darbas
ne meška - į mišką nepabėgs (Work is not a bear - it will not run away to the
forest).
Some proverbs condemn theft very strictly:
Vagis - vilko brolis (Thief is a wolfs brother), Vagis sausos šakos tevertas
(A thief is worth only a dry branch).
Some encourage to take a risk:
Nepagautas - ne vagis (Not a thief until caught red-handed), Blogai padėtas
daiktas ir gerą žmogų sugundo (A thing placed insecurely tempts even a good man).
The following opinion is impartial. It summarises the above dialogue:
Pavogsi - nepirksi, pakars - nemirsi (If you steel something, you will not have to
buy it; if they hang you, you will not have to die of your own accord).
Algirdas Julius Greimas, a Lithuanian semiologist, stated that the
argumentation used in ancient community customary law procedures was possibly reflected in
proverbs. He or she who provides more impressive arguments is the winner. It is true that
any number of pros can be outnumbered by contras.
Proverbs occupy a significant place in the creation of Lithuanian
writers. They make their language very suggestive. A proverb in hexameter commenting
futile efforts in the Year by Kristijonas Donelaitis is one of the first such
examples:
Dumplės yra naudings daikts į kaminą pūsti,
Bet prieš vėją pūst dar jos niekada nederėjo.
(Bellows is a useful instrument for blowing into the fireplace, but for blowing against
the wind they have never proved satisfactory).
In modern Lithuanian literature as well as in everyday speech,
proverbs constitute a significant image-building and emotional element.
Riddles
Riddles represent short works of literature indirectly describing
objects. In each case a person posing a riddle creates a corresponding image the secret
meaning of which is to be guessed by another person. Riddles, like many other folklore
genres, originated long ago. Possibly, ancient tribesmen scattered over vast territories
by some calamity, could identify each other by giving a right answer to a riddle
suggesting the image of their totem. This could secure a persons recognition if any
other material signs of his or her identity were absent. Heroes of many tales have to
undergo similar tests: those who wished to win a beauty, to get some valuable thing or
post, besides other tasks, had to solve riddles more than once.
A right answer to the riddle means a disclosure of secret meaning of
some object or phenomenon. It demonstrates the power of thinking of a tested person.
Let us consider a tale about the Black Aunt: A girl went to see the
Black Aunt and saw on her way a wheat field (May hair, - Aunt explained to the girl
later), two clear lakes (eyes), a hill (a nose), a strawberry field (lips), a vast meadow
full of flowers (an apron). The girl met on her way four riders: a black one, a white one
and two red ones. They were Night, Day, Morning and Evening. They also belonged to Aunt.
Surely, Aunt was the Earth.
Lithuanians enjoyed riddles about nature and its phenomena: the sun,
the moon, clouds, wind, dew, rainbow, sky, etc. The more chances a human has to observe an
object, the more riddles he or she can create about it; and the more various and
resourceful is the way of posing riddles. Here is a riddle about the sun at dawn:
Aukso lenta praskilo -
Visas svietas sukilo.
(A board of gold has burst - and the whole world is up)
or at sunset:
Gale lauko ugnelė kūrenas (A fire is burning by the end of the field).
The sun is likened to an apple:
Aukso obuolėlis pro langą šviečia (A golden apple is shining through the
window),
to a human being:
Viešnia laukiama, kasdien ateinanti (A regular guest who comes every day).
Močia pasislėpė - tėvas pasirodė (As soon as the mother hides herself - the
father appears) (the sun and the moon).
In the latter case both celestial bodies are presented not only on
the real but also on the mythological plane. The riddles implication leads us to the
ancient collection of songs where we can find hints about the wedding of the Sun and the
Moon, and their celestial family; or reminds us of orphans songs in which the Mother
Sun fills a dowry chest, the Father Moon gives the orphan his/her share of family
property.
The Moon keeping the Suns company is described in one way; however
if the Moon appears alone, he is described in another way.
Seredoj subatoj
Gimė Dievo kumeliukas
Sidabrinėm pasagom
(On Wednesday on Saturday Gods colt was born with silver horseshoes).
The inhabitants of Lithuanian villages located in the territory of
Byelorussia preserved the latter riddle longer. This circumstance made us draw a parallel
between the colt christening rite mentioned by Bishop Antanas Baranauskas (born in the
Anykščiai Region). The said rite was ascribed by him to the Candlemass Day. In reality,
it represented an adoration of a crescent Moon in its first quarter, which roughly
coincided with the New Year celebration according to the Eastern Calendar resting heavily
of the phases of the moon.
The image of steed is also used to represent Perkūnas (the
Thunderer):
Toli žirgas žvengia,
Arti kamanos skamba.
(A steed is neighing far away,
His bridle is ringing nearby).
Or:
Turkų žemėj žirgas žvengia, lenkų žemėj kamanos skamba
(A steed is neighing in Turkey, his bridle is ringing in Poland).
In the following instance, Perkūnas is personified like
other chief characters of the Celestial sphere:
Tėvas sužvairavo, sukosėjo,
Motina raudoti pradėjo,
Žmonės iš to didį džiaugsmą turėjo
(The father squinted and coughed, the mother started to weep, the people enjoyed it
greatly) (a storm in spring and a shower).
In certain riddles, the images are put into such
ingeniously-constructed words that they can be hardly found in the Dictionary of modern
Lithuanian:
Ant dangaus šypla,
Miške vypla,
Ežere troškutis
(A smily in the sky, a gapy in the forest, a gaspy in the lake) (sun,
crow, fish)
Here the person who has to solve the riddle is to rely on his/her
knowledge of the laws of word building and of the structure of things. We often say that
the sun smiles, so the sun is called smily; in our tales and fables crows are often
stupid, they just sit gaping, so the crow is called gapy; when there is not enough
air we gasp. Fishes in water have to do without air, so the fish is called gaspy.
Surely the latter text is by no means the most complicated one within
the wide array of Lithuanian riddles. Here is another riddle used by A. J. Greimas more
than once as an object of his semiotic investigation:
Kryku bildu debesy,
Kikimieža vandeny,
O sebutis pelene
(thunderstorm, cancer, spark)
Today this riddle can be solved only a person who knows the definite
answer, as not only the facts mentioned in the text are distant but also the way of naming
things (except, maybe, the first one) is even more secretive.
It is easier to solve riddles related with the counting of time. To
represent a year, Lithuanians often use the image of a tree:
Ąžuolas su 12 šakų, ant kiekvienos iš jų - po 4 lizdus,
kiekviename lizdelyje - po 6 vaikelius, o septinta motina (An oak with 12 branches, 4
nests on each branch, 6 young birds in each nest, and their mother - the seventh bird).
The image of birds is also popular:
Dvylika erelių,
Penkiasdešimt du karveliai,
Pusketvirto šimto žvirblių
(Twelve eagles, fifty-two doves, three hundred and fifty sparrows).
More or less precise calculations lead to a right answer.
A brook is represented in riddles in an interesting way. In some
riddles it is called Insomnia (as it runs day and night, never falling asleep). As the
sounds of streaming water resemble human speech, in some riddles the image of a brook is
revealed through resourceful dialogues. For example, the brook speaks with the grass
growing on its banks: the grass asks: Where are you running to? The brook retorts:
None of your business! The dialogue is a standard one, however the wide range of
variants is created by means of a number of names given to the brook and the neighbouring
meadow. For example, the brooks name may be Krivė, Kumpuringė, or Kreivarangis
(because it meanders), or it may be called Vingurgurklė (because it not only flows
with many turns but also gurgles), or it may be given the name of Patekolė (because
it runs rapidly). The meadow, if its grass has been cut, may be called Skustė,
Kirpšė, Plikė, or Susė.
Similar texts can be found both in the collections of sayings and
riddles. For example, the riddle:
Alus be putos,
Duona be plutos,
Graži pana be vainiko
(Beer without froth, bread without crust, a beautiful girl without a wreath) (sea, earth,
sun) means that things are as they should be.
The saying, however, implies a derogatory shade:
Alus be putos, duona be plutos, pana be vainiko - visi niekam tikę
(Beer without froth, bread without crust, a girl without a wreath - all are good for
nothing).
Thus, the separation of social and natural, that is mythologised
reality could have induced the above-mentioned transference.
Besides, the greater part of riddles represent real facts from the life
of peasants and their everyday environment. Even the images of many natural phenomena,
plants or animals are created on the grounds of their similarity to things and works well
known to peasants.
Day and night are likened to a white and a black cow:
Juoda karvė subliovė -
Visos tvoros sugriuvo.
Balta karvė subliovė -
Visos tvoros suskėlė
(A black cow mooed - all fences fell down. A white cow mooed - all fences got up).
The way of depicting plants and animals witnesses the priority given to
usual or well-known objects in the practice of creating riddles. The following plants are
usually mentioned in riddles: rye, pea, flax, onion, cabbage, hop, hemp, and fruit-trees.
Surely, potatoes, should be also mentioned among them, though they appeared in Lithuania
relatively late, that is only in the 19th c. However forest plants, with the exception of
a nut-tree and some other trees, are almost absent in riddles. Similarly, domestic fowls
and animals have also contributed more to riddles than forest birds and animals. There are
many riddles about a human, especially about human face, ears, eyes, teeth and tongue. The
following riddles about eyes and sight show how ingeniously separate parts of human body
can be implied:
Dviem pupom visą lauką apsėja (Two beans are enough to seed up
the whole field).
Dvi sesutės per kalnelį nesueina (Two sisters cannot come
together because of a hill).
Dešimt tūkstančių apkabina ir nesuspaudžia (Able to embrace
ten thousands without hugging them).
Riddles about ancient works and work instruments and other household
appliances constitute a large distinctive group of texts. However they become obsolete
because things mentioned in them are no longer in use. For example, a riddle about milling
by hand-operated grindstones says:
Bėga meška marmėdama,
Baltą pusnį pustydama
(A bear runs murmuring
and making white snow drift)
The text does create the image of both the murmur of grindstones
and of the dust of flour, however it does not imply any information to a person who is not
familiar either with the process of milling or with the grindstones.
However other facts from everyday life occupy the place of obsolete
things. Fore example, a railway train:
Arklys kaip klojimas,
Uodega kaip žilvitis,
Kai žvengia: y-gi-gi-gi!
(The horse like a barn, its tail like a willow, it neighs like this: y-gi-gi-gi!)
or an aircraft:
Baltas vabalėlis dangų raižo
(A white bug is cutting its way through the sky)
or a motorcar:
Geležinė blusa and guminių pasagų šokinėja
(An iron flea is jumping on rubber shoes).
Certain Lithuanian riddles have introductory formulae:
Užminsiu mįsle,
Per pilvą gyslę,
O ant galo kankoliukas karo
(I shall pose a riddle for you: a vein across a belly with a clapper hanging at the end)
(cradle).
Mįslė mįslelė -
Per vidurį pilvo gyslelė
(Here is a riddle for you: a vein within a belly) (candle)
In Lithuanian readings by August Schleicher every riddle is ended
with a separate question Whats that? Riddles recorded in our days around
Dieveniškės, Southeast Lithuania, have the same question repeated at the beginning, for
example: Solve my riddle, Whats that, whats that?
Some riddles have the form of a simple question:
Senas ąsotis, o kasmet naujas dugnas (The jar is old but its bottom is new every
year (ice on a lake).
Other riddles are presented in the form of rhymed two- or even
four-line stanzas. A lot of attention is paid to euphonic means, such as alliteration and
assonance. Such riddles can be hardly translated into other languages. A 90-year of old
Jurgis Dovydaitis, the oldest collector of Lithuanian verbal folklore, recorded the
so-called sung riddles. They usually represent rhymed texts full of interjections
performed in the style of recitative or scanning, for example:
Pykšt pokšt ant lentos
Kybur vybur ant tvoros.
In our days riddles, contrary to sayings naturally intertwining with
everyday speech, have become special entertainment means designed to enrich parties and
other events.
Minklės
Compared to classic riddles, this special form of verbal folklore is
less poetic and less figurative. However the tradition of posing minklės in
Lithuania dates back to relatively old times.
Minklės are just questions without any elaboration. The impression
produced by minklės rests on wittiness and delusion:
Kas žemyn galva keliu eina?
(What walks along the road upside down?)
(nails in the soles of ones shoes)
Po kokiu medžiu kiškis lyjant slepiasi?
(Under what tree does the rabbit hide itself when it rains?)
(under a wet tree)
Kas netelpa į puodą?
(For what is there not enough room in the pot?)
(for steam)
Ethnographic recordings witness that minklės were used wherever
it was necessary to find out the abilities of a rival in terms of his/her resourcefulness,
knowledge or the speed of his reaction. They were (and still are) used when the bridegroom
and his team arrived at the brides gate or at her door, or when the young couple
returned home after the ceremony in the church when it was necessary to deliver the
table occupied by fake wedding participants.
Dialogues made of minklės have been recorded. For example:
- By what way did you come?
- By the way lit by stars, covered with linen cloth and strewn with the sprays of rue.
- Did you gather the rue sprays?
- Yes, we did, only we could not find one spray. Maybe we shall find it here?
- If you will, so where will you put it?
- We have a white wormwood with us here; we shall plant the rue by its side.
- Yes, but our salt has got rotten. What are we to do?
- Cut ice into pieces, dry them by the fire and strew them about.
- What dog makes the rabbit run faster?
- A white one. The rabbit thinks that a dog without a coat, that is the one running in its
shirt only moves faster.
- What is called by one name both in the field and in the water?
- A stone.
- What are all people of the world doing currently?
- Getting older.
- To what question will an honest person ever give the answer yes?
- Are you sleeping?
It seems that almost everything that can acquire the form of a question can be made
into minklės.
Puzzles or riddle-like tasks
This type of verbal folklore could be regarded as riddles. However, in
order to give a right answer one has to make certain calculations.
The texts of puzzles or riddle-like tasks are longer. Actually, they
represent a short narrative with a simple plot. For example:
When I came on a visit to my friends, I found two fathers, two sons,
a grandfather, and a grandson at home. Unfortunately, I brought with me only three apples
to give them. What was I to do?
(Everything was OK. Only three persons, that is the grandfather, the
father, and the grandson were at home).
A girl was walking from a town to a village. On her way she met a
woman with a dog, a man on horseback, and three children carrying a kitten. How many
living beings were going to the village?
(Only the girl. Those whom she met on her way headed towards the town).
Some puzzles published in books and magazines and translated into other
languages are widely known. For example, the famous story about a traveller, a goat, a
wolf and a cabbage:
A traveller had with him a goat, a wolf and a cabbage. Having come to the river he
found a boat there. However the boat could carry only 2 passengers at a time. How is the
traveller to cross the river without any loss: so than the wolf does not eat the goat, and
the goat does not eat the cabbage?
(First of all the traveller carried the goat across the river, then he
carried the cabbage, on his way back he took with him the goat, then he carried the wolf
across the river, then he returned and finally carried the goat across the river).
Next to traditional puzzles, newer sometimes even more deceptive ones
appear. For example:
Three passengers were riding a bus. The bus stopped, one passenger got out, two new
passengers got into the bus. The bus stopped again, one got out, three got into. Again the
bus ...
The story goes on and on. Finally, the question: How many times did
the bus stop? is asked to confuse the hearers who usually count the passengers.
Sometimes, the hearer is confused by supposedly very simple questions:
Which month has 28 days?
The usual answer is February, though actually every month has 28 days and more.
There were 5 candles burning. One of them went out. How many candles
were left?
(Only the one that went out because the rest four had burned down).
There are puzzles that have to be represented as drawings or charts on
a sheet of paper.
Some puzzles require intricate calculation. It often involves domestic
animals. For example:
I bought 100 domestic animals for 100 litas. My purchase includes oxen, cows, and
calves. The prices are as follows: 10 litas per ox, 5 litas per cow, 0.5 litas per calf.
How many oxen, cows and calves did I buy? (1 ox, 9 cows and 90 calves).
Calculations may also involve various household situations. In autumn or spring people
observed migrant birds and counted them. Many famous Lithuanian mathematicians such as
bishop Antanas Baranauskas have finished such a school of folk mathematics.
Imitation of sounds
Surrounded by natural sounds, a human decided to translate them into
his own language. In this way imitations, one of most playful genres of folklore,
appeared. The sounds of live and non-live nature are reproduced in human speech with the
retention of audible consonance. Elementary, sometimes one-word texts are given some
semantic motif. For example, a pewit greets a passer-bye in this way:
Gyvi! Gyvi! Gyvi! (Hello! Hello! Hello!)
A rooster asks:
Kakarieko! Kas bus rytoj? Kas bus rytoj? (Cock--a-doodle-doo! Whats going to be
tomorrow? Whats going to be tomorrow?)
Swallows get restless when they notice a prowling cat:
Vyt, vyt, vyt! Šalin, šalin, šalin! Vagis, vagis! (Off, off, off! Away, away,
away! Thief, thief!)
A skylark sings with joy all day long:
Čyru vyru pavasaris! Čyru vyru pavasaris! (Chirp spring! Chirp spring!)
The intonation of words and the elements of rhythm and rhyme are
harmonised with the natural twitter of the bird.
Sound imitations and animal tales in which domestic or forest animals
and birds are represented as separate characters have a common tendency to give animals or
natural phenomena characteristics of beings able to think or even speak. Rhymed insertions
and interjections not only give sense to certain sounds produced by animals but also make
them imtonationally similar to those produced by a human.
In a widely-known tale about animals who settle in a hut in the middle
of a forest, then fight back intruders, the characters speak or encourage one another by
means of human speech. The character of a rooster sitting high and encouraging others to
fight is exceptionally vivid:
Priduok man - perplėšiu! (Give him to me - Ill tear him in two!)
Priduok man - perplėšiu! (Give him to me - Ill tear him in two!)
Or:
Paduokit - pakarsiu! (Give him to me - Ill hang him!)
Paduokit - pakarsiu! (Give him to me - Ill hang him!)
In another tale, a cat, the foxs bridegroom, murmurs when eating an
ox brought as a gift by a wolf and a bear:
Per mažas. Per mažas. (Too small. Too small).
In ethiological legends explaining various episodes of world
creation procedure, the reasons that caused certain types of animals utter sensible words
are dealt with rather exhaustively. For example, the oriole was punished by God for
refusing to lend its hand in digging lakes and river beds. It is allowed to drink only
rain water. So, the oriole shouts wherever it is thirsty:
Lyk! Lyk! Lyk! (Rain! Rain! Rain!)
A hoopoe borrowed from a corn-crake three grains but failed to give
back the debt in full. So they have not stopped arguing till this day:
The corn-crake shouts:
Trys, trys, trys! (Three, three, three!)
The hoopoe insists:
Du, du , du! (Two, two, two!)
Through the imitation of sounds animals participate in the process of
education.
For example, wherever a swallow sees a dirty child it starts shouting
the following:
Prausk! Prausk! Prausk! (Wash! Wash! Wash!)
A cat also mocks at a dirty child:
Murzius! Murzius! (Dirty little thing! Dirty little thing!)
A dog drives away an uninvited guest from the gate by barking the
following:
Lauk, lauk, lauk! (Off, off, off!)
An old rooster wakes a child by singing:
Kelkis, vaikeli! (Get up, baby!)
While a young rooster feels for the child:
Dar pamiegok! (Sleep awhile!)
Even church bells ring to explain the truths of faith:
Dūšia - dangun! Kūnas - žemėn! (Soul - to the heaven! Body - into the earth!)
Surely, such sound characteristics of the environment were used by
the people extensively and creatively. On the other hand, because of their specific
characteristics they can hardly be translated to other languages: it is almost impossible
to find equivalents of sound and intonation. So, every nation - or even dialect - has its
own variants.
The list of Lithuanian sound imitations is very rich. It shows that a
human surrounded by nature was able not only to lend an attentive ear to natural sounds,
to recognise and understand the way animals lived or to grasp the essence of such
phenomena. The creative nature of a human helped him to create dialogues or even small
pieces of verse.
For example, a rooster enumerates the works done by family members:
Kakaryko! (Cock-a-doodle-doo!)
Tėtė Rygoj! (Dad is in Riga Town!)
Mama karčiamoj! (Mom is in the inn!)
Vaikai papečky! (Children are under the stove!)
A frightened roster curses:
Kad tau perkūnas! Kad tau perkūnas! (Damn you! Damn you!)
A couple of doves vow fidelity to one another:
Kur tu - ten aš! (Where you are - there I am!)
Kur tu - ten aš! (Where you are - there I am!)
Not only animals, birds and beasts can speak. Household appliances and
instruments speak, too. Even food in a pot speaks. For example, porridge or potatoes
cooked on fire say:
Kas valgys? Kas valgys? (Who will eat? Who will eat?)
Wheels of a cart carrying a heavy load turn more slowly:
Pirks ponas deguto! Pateps! Pirks ponas deguto! Pateps! (The lord will buy some
tar! He will tar us! The lord will buy some tar! He will tar us!)
Unloaded cart speak differently:
Anei pirko, anei ką! Anei tepė, anei ką! (He didnt buy! He didnt tar!)
Dance music refrains, that is spontaneous developments of
thought attached to the rhythm performed by a musician represent another kind of verbal
folklore. If such developments are successful, they are adopted by others and used
universally. On the other hand, the above-mentioned refrains may constitute the object of
investigation of musicologists.
Here is an example of polka refrains willingly used by
musicians:
Šokit, mergos, kad ir basos - (Dance, girls, even if you are barefoot -)
Čia ne purvas, čia ne rasos! (There is no mud, there is no dew on the ground!)
Oi, mergytės, ko nešokat? (Oh, girls, why dont you dance?)
Ar nedrįstat, ar nemokat? (Maybe you are shy, maybe you cannot dance?)
Jei nedrįstat - padrąsinsim! (If you are shy - we shall encourage you!)
Jei nemokat - išmokinsim! (If you cannot dance - we shall teach you!)
A great number of extracts form popular romances are keenly adjusted to
waltz melodies.
The following refrain has been adjusted to the melody of
Krakowiak:
Rusai, niemčiai ir paliokai - (Russians, Germans and Poles -)
Visi šoka krakoviaką, (All dance krakowiak,)
Ei, mergyte, netingėk - (Hey, girl, do not be lazy -)
Krakoviaką šokt padėk. (Help me dance krakowiak).
Here is the initial part of Krakowiak refrain:
Turiu šunį rainuotą, (I have a striped dog,)
Vesiu turgun parduoti, (I shall get it to the martket to sell,)
Pirksiu skarą raudoną, (I shall buy a red shawl,)
Aptaisysiu Marjoną. (I shall give it to Marjona).
Whistling or making sounds with ones tongue, lips, etc. as well as other
sound-imitation practices were widely known. Some gifted whistlers or sound imitators
managed to delude animals into following them, etc.
Etiquette formulae
The Lithuanian language has preserved a big number of instances of
verbal communication. They reveal peculiar Lithuanian characteristics of politeness,
aesthetic, imagination and wit. Traditional formulae used to express politeness are
various and numerous. Some of them are very stable and known throughout the country. Some
are characteristic only of separate regions. However in the usage of all of them there are
individual details resorted to in definite cases. Part of such formulae, especially those
enjoyed by children, are created according to a certain framework and rhythm:
Labas rytas! - Suraitytas! Iš kiaušinio padarytas...
Laba diena! - Su vištiena! Lipk per sieną!
Labanaktis! - Tarabanykis!
However sometimes shades of meaning are also revealed:
Laba diena! - Laba, laba. Kad tik pats būtum labas! (Labas also means good
in Lithuanian).
Besides standard greeting formulae there are numerous ways of
stressing almost every situation.
A person on seeing somebody eating would say:
Skanaus! Skalsu! Gero apetito!
A reply:
Ačiū! Prašom prie mūsų!
A humorous reply:
Ganaus. Dangun balsu. Valgau savo, ne kito.
A passer-by on seeing people working would greet them in this way:
Padėk, Dieve! (May God help you!)
A reply:
Dėkui. Prašom į talką. (Thanks. We are inviting you to the bee).
A passer-by on seeing children driving the cattle to grass would
greet them this way:
Parginkit! (Drive the cattle home!)
The children would reply:
Dar nepriganėm! (Its too early!)
If somebody passed the children without a word, he or she would be
mocked at in this way:
Ei, dėde (teta)! Ar nematei kiaulės su zvaneliu?! (Hello, Uncle (Aunt)! Havent
you seen a swine with a bell?!)
(In this case a proverb Ir kiaulė eidama pro šalį kriukteli
(Even a swine gives a grunt when it passes by) is meant. So, a human simply has to utter
at least one word in a similar situation).
The requirement to notice, hear and show respect to somebody who is
near was obligatory. We have texts witnessing peoples belief that non-compliance with
the requirement could bring about a misfortune.
For example, a musician going to a wedding meets a devil. The devil is
given a right to take the brides life if not a single guest replies: Your health!
when she sneezes.
On seeing women washing clothes, a passer-bye is obliged to say:
Padėk, Dieve! Mačiau gulbes skraidant! (God help you! Ive seen swans flying
about), that is the laundry is going to be very white).
On seeing women baking bread:
Skalsa, branda ir man banda! (Economy, maturity and a loaf of bread for me!)
On seeing women making butter:
- Kiškis molį veža!
- Ar toli?
- Jau prie vartų!
(The rabbit is transporting clay! Is he far off? No, hes right at the gates!), that is
the butter will be ready soon).
On seeing grass-mowers:
Rasa ant dalgio! (Dew on your scythe!), that is it is easier to mow dewy grass.
Poetical ways of expressing are used on various occasions.
For example, wedding participants wish the young couple to coo like
a couple of doves or to have three rows of small children around the stove. etc.
Adults would stroke a small child on the head and express the following
good wishes:
Užauk didelis, pasenėk bagotas (Grow big and tall, be wealthy when you get old).
If a person is old, everybody wish him or her to live one hundred years
more.
If assembled at the table, people would never drink alcohol without
saying a toast. On such occasions guests would compete in the area of eloquence:
Linksminu širdį! - Džiaugias manoji (širdis) (May your heart be merry! - My
heart is full of joy).
Sveiks, Joniuk! - Dėkui, uzboniuk! - Cinkt uzbonėlį! - Sudiev, razumėli!
(Your health, Joniuk! - Thanks, jar! - Tinkle the jar! - Good-bye, my reason!).
Cingu lingu! - Strazdu brazdu!
After the party guests would thank the hostess:
Dėkui, sveika gatavojus,
Mūsų pilvus ratavojus.
(Thank you for the preparation of food and for the salvation of our
bellies).
The hostess would reply:
Nešiok sveikas, kol iškris! (Carry it with you until it drops out).
Quite often the guest would deliver an oration:
Kiek išgėrėm čia stiklelių,
Kiek suvalgėm čia kąsnelių,
Dieve duok tiek gerų metelių -
Pilnus tvartus gyvulėlių,
Pilnas stonias ristų žirgelių
Jūsų gyvenime
(God, give them as many good years with sheds full of animals and stables full of steeds
as many glasses we have drunk here, as many morsels we have eaten there).
If a person would say only thanks, others would reproach him
or her jokingly:
Su ačiū neatbūsi (Thanks is not enough) or Pabučiuok pečių (Kiss the
stove), etc.
As can be seen, formulae of politeness, both serious and jocular,
were used in various situations. Often they were created on the spot. In order to say a
witty thing, one must have a rich stock of words and understand the situation well. The
silly ones who cannot do it are mocked at in a popular tale about a fool who knows several
formulae by heart but cannot use them properly.
Oaths and curses
From the point of view of ethic, expletives as negative wishes are
appraised negatively. From the point of view of behaviour standards, they are improper.
However, oaths and curses still exist. They are resorted wherever a person needs a
discharge of negative feelings. Prof. K. Grigas thinks that even the most cultured and
honest persons will use oaths and curses in certain moments.
Lithuanian expletives - both single words and phrases - are interesting
due to another circumstance: they contain mythological and other facts determined by
corresponding outlook and original understanding of fate.
Oaths and curses can be distinguished from other phraseologisms by
characteristic derogatory content usually appealing to demonic forces. The most intensive
expletives start with the words kad tave ... kad tau ... kad tu (Oh, that you
would be ...).
Kad tave Perkūnas be žaibo trenktų! (Oh, that you would be
struck by Perkūnas without a lightning!)
Kad tave siera žemė prarytų! (Oh, that you would be devoured by
bitter earth!)
Kad tave šimts velnių griebtų! (Oh, that you would be seized by
one hundred devils!)
Kad tave giltinė! (Oh, that you would be taken by giltinė
(death)!)
Kad tave šimtas ligų susuktų! (Oh, that you would be attacked by
one hundred diseases!)
Kad tau subinė užsimūrytų! (Oh, that your asshole would be
walled up!)
Kad tau žarnos mazgais susimegztų! (Oh, that your guts would be
knotted!)
Kad tau liežuvis kuolu atsistotų! (Oh, that your tongue would be
upright like a staff!)
Kad tu skradžiai žemę prasmegtum! (Oh, that you would go
through the earth!)
Kad tu raudona ugnim sudegtum! (Oh, that you would be burnt by
red fire!)
Kad tu marškiniuose neišsitektum! (Oh, that you would get
stuck in your shirt!)
A bit easier form of curse sounds like this: Eik tu ... (Go to
...). The addressee may not accept it. In this case he or she enters the situation as a
separate character having an option to take another route, not necessarily the one
indicated by the cursing person.
Eik tu į peklą molio minti! (Go to hell to make clay!)
Eik šunų lodyti! (Go to tease the dogs!)
Eik tu po perkūnų! (Go to be struck by Perkūnas!)
The derogatory meaning of curses usually rests upon the images of
desacralised mythological beings, personifications of evil or images of laughing-stock.
This meaning is pressed into the so-called appellatives:
Po šimts gegučių! (One hundred cuckoos!)
Tu laume prakeikta! (You cursed laumė!)
Velnio močia! (Devils mom !)
Sena ragana! (Old witch!)
Rupkė milinė! (Toad under grinding stones!)
Tu gyvate raudonoji! (You red snake!)
More tender forms of curses also exist. They are based on the following
mechanism: an angry person checks his or her anger and tries to substitute his or her wish
with a less negative one in case he or she does not want to harm a related person. People
believed that a wish pronounced on certain occasions could not be reverted. So, the
phrases oriented to a negative wish could be modified, that is changed to a more neutral
ones:
Kad tave Perkūnas! - Kad tave per krūmus! (Oh, that you would be struck by Perkūnas!
- That you would be dragged through the bushes!)
Rupūžė! - Rupūs miltai! (Toad! - Coarse flour!)
In each case the curse, of its own accord, witnesses mental
characteristics of the cursing person. Oaths and curses, pooled together, can make certain
aspects of cultural situation more vivid.
Jokes (funny stories, parodies)
There is a multitude of forms of traditional jokes. It is hardly
possible to say that they exist autonomously. They rather adjoin naturally the so-called
serious genres. New parodies of popular songs are still created. To a certain degree, the
so-called lie stories or endless tales can be considered to be parodies of serious tales.
As has been mentioned before, the ideas implied by certain proverbs,
riddles, puzzles or etiquette formulae can be turned into jokes.
Even religious texts are parodied. For example, the crossing:
Vardan duku, reketuku, čia griekai, čia niekai.
Prayers:
Tėve mūsų...
Aš ne jūsų!
O kieno?
Simano!
(Our father... I am not your father! Whose then? Simons!)
Panele švenčiausia,
Man pirmučiausia,
Šventa Benedikta,
Man gražų, nepiktą
(Holy Virgin, for me in the first place, St. Benedicta, give me a handsome and
good-humoured one). (In this way spinsters wishing to be married as soon as possible were
ridiculed).
Pasimelsim už dūšeles,
Kurios laipioja po pušeles.
(Let us pray for the souls who climb up and down pines).
Catechism texts:
Kiek dievų?
Devyni.
Kur gyvena?
Eglyne.
Ką daro?
Kepures siuva.
Kam?
Kunigam.
(How many gods are there? Nine. Where do they live? In a spruce
wood. What do they do? They make hats. For whom? For priests.).
Pious sighs:
O Dieve brangus,
Kaip aukštai dangus.
Kaip reikės įlipti,
Kad nebus kur įsikibti.
(O my dear God, the skies are so high. How shall I climb into the sky
if there is no means of support).
O Jėzau, Marija -
Šuva dešrą prarijo.
(O Jesus and Mary - the dog has eaten up the sausage).
Sermons are parodied too. The parodies start with the Evangelistic
words, later various merry or even absurd things are told. Such texts are not rhymed, they
lack rhythm, however, it is customary to make them more lively by adding harmonious
combinations of words.
To a certain degree, the parodies of Latin prayers could be counted
among sound imitations. Here Latin words are substituted with meaningful Lithuanian words:
Dominus vobiscum!
Et tuum spiritu tuo!
Here is the so-called Lithuanian translation:
Duonos po biškį!
Ir duok spirito tuoj!
(Just a little of bread! And give us a drink of alcohol, immediately!)
Words taken from foreign languages used by neighbours, or by people who
do not know foreign languages well are also parodied.
Here is an example of a mixed Russian-Lithuanian text:
Kuda bežiš čerez dobilieną? Ar darogu aplink neznaješ?
A mixed Polish-Lithuanian text:
Proše pan do viduru. Pririšk konia prie baslio.
A mixed Polish-Russian-Lithuanian-Latvian text:
Prispardil, prispardil nemeckimi čebatami. Tau daugiau nikagda negrėbės muštis.
The above-mentioned texts witness ancient historical neighbourhood
of languages. The greater part of such texts has been recorded in bordering territories.
Youth, especially higher school students, parody foreign languages (usually those studied
by them). So far such texts have not take root in everyday usage. However, they witness
the continuity of national creative force.
Tonguetwisters
Tonguetwisters mean relatively short sayings, usually expressed in one
sentence, in which several difficult sounds or sound combinations repeat. Kind of
competitions are organised to reveal the individuals able to repeat the difficult sentence
many times without any fault. Tonguetwisters as a means of education are used to master
articulation:
Geri vyrai geroj girioj gerą girą gerai gėrė, gerdami gyrė: Gera
gerti gerą girą geroj girioj geroj girioj geriems vyrams.
Šešios dešimtys šešios žąsys su šešiais žąsyčiais, etc.
Some tonguetwisters are used for amusement purposes, for example to
produce the effect of ambiguity. For example, if the word lėkiau, lėkiau, lėkiau...
(I flew) is repeated quickly, the syllables merge to produce the word kiaulė, kiaulė,
kiaulė... (pig) , etc.
The genre of tonguetwisters is known to many nations. It is quite popular in England,
and the United States. However, because of different specific characteristics of separate
languages, the international spreading of the same texts is impossible.
Market calls (information, advertisement)
An original folklore genre was created in fair and market places. It
highly depended on individual characteristics of advertised objects and advertisers. So,
this genre did not produce many variants. The number of recorded calls is not big.
In the following texts praising and encouraging to buy prevails:
Prašom prašom gardžių baronkėlių! Su pieneliu maišytų, aguonėlėm barstytų,
cukreliu saldytų! Kas šiandien nusipirksit - kitą turgų prašysit - nebegausit!
(Come up to buy delicious ring-shaped rolls! They are made with milk and sugar, they are
covered with poppy seeds! Those who buy them today, will surely demand them on the next
market day - however in vain!)
Kam žuvelių? Kam šimtą, kam pusę? Iš marelių pagautos, neseniai
vendzytos. Kam duot, kam suvyniot?
(Who needs fish? One hundred, a half of a hundred? Caught in the lagoon, recently smoked.
Who is willing to buy, who is willing to have them packed?)
Humorous effect is achieved by means of supposed discount:
Muilo, muilo!
Trys už litą,
Viens už dyką -
Už vieną litą -
Keturi!
(Soap, soap! Three cakes of soap for one litas, - one cake free of charge - Four for a
litas!)
Similar improvisation is used when announcing necessary information. To
attract peoples attention, the following spectacular introduction is used:
Susirinkit, susirinkit! Pranešiu gerą naujieną! Džiaugsis, kas girdės, gailėsis,
kas negirdės. Ar jau visi? Dar ne visi! Aš nepavydėsiu - visiems pasakysiu. O dar viena
tetulė atbėga, atskuba. Palaukim ir tos, kad ji negirdės - verks, per blauzdos ašaros
riedės...
(Come here, come here everybody! I shall give you a piece of good news! Everyone who
listens to me will be happy, everyone who fails to hear the news will be upset. Is
everybody here with us? No, not yet! I shall not be jealous - I shall give information to
everyone. Oh, I see one more woman running to us. Let us wait for her; if she misses my
words she will cry bitterly, her tears running down her shanks...)
Perhaps it is possible to use some of the aspects (or even texts) of this genre in
modern advertisements. However, the basic role in them is played by intonational stress
and the advertisers oratory gift. Possibly, radio, television or mass event hosts could
make use of them.
Bits of traditional wit
They have not been discussed in great detail. Such pieces of verbal
folklore include nicknames, the so-called reverse language in which original syllables are
mixed or some senseless syllable is inserted, or sounds are pronounced in reversed order,
cheating, and slang. They are usually used by children and adolescents.
Adults also have certain fixed verbal reactions to various situations:
Kosėk nekosėk, sūrio negausi (Do not cough because you will not get any more
cheese). (This remark is given when somebody starts to cough).
Savo prarijai ir mano nori? (You have devoured yours, and now you
want to devour mine?). (When somebody yawns).
Dievulis barasi (The God is quarrelling). (When thunder is heard
during storm).
Subata pro pėdnyčią matos (Saturday can be seen through Friday).
(When an undergarment shows).
If a person does not want to give a direct and serious answer, he may
say:
Kur eini? - Kur katinai raini/Kur kojos neša, kur kojos veda (Where are you going
to? - To visit striped cats/Where my legs are carrying/taking me).
Ką veiki (dirbi)? - Pradėtą baigiu/Padirbtus dailinu (What
are you doing (making)? - I am finishing something that has been started/ I am elaborating
something that has been finished).
If family members demand meat for dinner, the housewife may joke:
Eikit pas vilką bernaut! (Go to work to a wolf as his labourers!). (Wolves live on
meat only).
Certain parenthetic words (e.g. you know, true, I say, etc.) that
spoil the speakers style are ridiculed.
Such and similar jokes, remarks, or rhymed phrases constitute an original branch of
Lithuanian phraseology. They indicate that Lithuanians have always been witty both in
everyday situations and on festive occasions. They also show how they managed to make use
of the sonority and expressiveness of their native tongue, how they revealed the
flexibility and receptivity of thought.
Translated by FRAZĖ
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