Smuikas, smuikininkas ir smuikavimas liaudies papročiuose

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to reveal the place of the fiddle, the fiddler and fiddling in Lithuanian ethnic culture as well as the changes in customs connected with fiddling in the course of time. 1. The prototypes of the bowed fiddles and later on the violin of classical type reached Lithuania with a wave of all-European music culture, and, due to their extraordinary musical possibilities, in a short time joined the Lithuanian ethnoculture and afterwards took a more important place than the old ethnic musical instruments. 2. Fiddling became important in Lithuanian ethnoculture since the second part of the 17th century and probably even earlier. Till the middle of the 20th century the fiddle was still one of the most popular musical instruments in most Lithuanian family, calendar and work customs, despite the fact that in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century it was gradually pushed out by brass band instruments and accordions. In the second half of the 20th century the folk fiddling was rapidly vanishing. 3. Gradually the part of the fiddle became more important with old musical syncretism vanishing, instrumental music being separated from vocal music and replacing the vocal accompaniment of dances, rounds and games. 4. Fiddling in Lithuanian folk customs included the functions which, according to the results of our investigations, were appropriated from the playing the also sound instruments and singing: accompanying the vocal and choreographic folklore, signal, aesthetic, emotional or strengthening the emotions, physical and psychical charge, intercommunicative functions. Symbolic functions, such as communication between this world and the beyond, precaution against the evil, stimulation of the vital forces, were attributed to fiddling as well. The last function is partially connected with the results of the dance music. In the second half of the 20th century the old repertoire of folk fiddler as well as functions and meanings of the fiddling became more narrow and changed. Since that time waltzes, polkas and individually created songs were mostly played. Today the fiddle music is becoming restricted only to an aesthetical function. 5. Fiddling was closely related to the Lithuanian folk customs grounded by mythical world outlook. The fiddle, the fiddler and fiddling played the role of mediator between this world and the beyond. In the second half of the 20th century, with a change of cultural situacion and in outlooks in society, the hired fiddler, most often not a folk musician but a professional or semiprofessional one, became the most important person, responsible for joyful temper of the feast and the music. But his role lost the symbolic and mythical aspects, which were so important earlier. 6. Ethnic fiddling traditions of Lithuanian and other European nations are closely connected. The ties between Lithuanian folk fiddle and the European folk and academic playing are attested by the common genres of music, mostly that of dances, melodic types and fiddling traditions. Nevertheless one can observe some features of Lithuanian fiddling related to the influence of Lithuanian ethnoculture and music. These features are most distinct in the Lithuanian regional traditions of fiddling.