Keli pastebėjimai apie žaidimą "Ražemuko gaudymas"

LTStraipsnyje norima atsakyti į klausimą, ar vienąkart paminėtas lietuvininkų žaidimas "Ražemuko gaudymas" yra skolinys iš kitos tautos. Žaidimą XIX a. pabaigoje užrašė Kristupas Jurkšaitis ir publikavo leidinyje "Litauische Märchen und Erzählungen" (1898). Nieko apie žaidimą nežinančiam žmogui duodavo maišą, pastatydavo prie laiptų, vedančių į palėpę ir iš viršaus šliūkštelėdavo vandens. Žaidimo aprašymą perspausdino Jonas Basanavičius tautosakos rinkinyje "Lietuviškos pasakos įvairios" (1903). Ankstyviausias Ražemuko medžioklės (Rosemockjagen) aprašymas paskelbtas XIX a. viduryje "Neue Preuβische Provinzial-Blätter" (1848). Žaidimą aprašė ir E. Lemkė knygoje "Volksthümliches in Ostpreuβen" (1884), paminėdama mitinę būtybę Roschbock. Žodį Rosemock Prūsų kalbos žodyne pateikė Rytprūsių folkloristas ir žodynininkas H. Frischbieras. Žaidimą veikale "Volksglaube und Brauchtum Ostpreussens" analizavo Rytprūsių tyrinėtojas W. Gaerte. Lietuviškąjį aprašymą ir vokiškuosius vienija tas pats mitinės būtybės įvardinimas bei žaidimo forma (triukšmavimas ir žmogaus apliejimas), bet skiriasi laikas. Vokiškuose variantuose minimos Naujųjų metų išvakarės, o lietuviškame - pavasaris arba nukirtus rugius. Būtent tuo metu lietuvininkai atlikinėjo maginius veiksmus, turėjusius užtikrinti gerą derlių, tarp tų veiksmų buvo ir laistymasis vandeniu. Tad lietuvininkai greičiausiai perėmė iš germanų žaidimą ir sutapatino su jiems artimomis apeigomis. Kai kurie duomenys (mitinės būtybės vardo etimologija, žaidimo paplitimas lenkų (mozūrų) gyventose vietovėse) rodo ir galimą jo slavišką kilmę ar įtaką. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Mažoji Lietuva; Lietuvininkai; Žaidimas; Mitinės būtybės; Vanduo; Apliejimas; Lietus; Rugiapjūtė; Lithuania Minor; Game; Mythical being; Water; Douche; Rain; Rye harvest.

ENThe subject of the article is the only known description of a game called “Hunting Ražemukas”. The purpose is to find out whether this game is an authentic prank devised by the Lithuanian inhabitants of the Lithuania Minor, or whether it is a loan from other national traditions. This game was recorded in the end of the 19th century, most probably in the locality of Galbrasčiai, by Kristupas Jurkšaitis, a cultural figure of the Lithuania Minor, and published in Litauische Märchen und Erzählungen (1898). The game is described as follows: some person completely unaware of the game was handed a sack, told to stand by the staircase leading to the loft and to wait for ražemukas, which was going to be chased to the opening and had to be caught into the sack. The other people would make an enormous noise upstairs, allegedly chasing ražemukas, and then pour a bucketful of water down onto the person waiting bellow. Jonas Basanavičius reprinted the description of this game in 1903 in his folklore collection Lietuviškos pasakos yvairios (‘Various Lithuanian Folktales’). No more information regarding this game could be found in Lithuanian press, which is also an indication of the game possibly being a borrowing. Considering the rapid processes of assimilation taking place in the end of the 19th century in Lithuania Minor, and resulting in Lithuanians being exposed to strong German cultural influences, the analogues of this game were primarily sought in the German press. The earliest recording of the game was a description of the so-called Rosemockjagen from the middle of the 19th century, found in the Neue Preuβische Provinzial-Blätter (1848). The periodical also contained a remark of the game being known in Semba and Lithuania provinces. E. Lemke described the game in her book Volksthümliches in Ostpreuβen (1884).This author repeated similar information, only mentioning a different name for the mythical being, i.e. Roschbock. The researcher interpreted this denomination as ‘a roebuck’. Meanwhile folklorist and author of lexicons from Eastern Prussia, Hermann Frischbier mentioned a name Rosemock in his “Vocabulary of the Prussian Language”, presenting three meanings of this word: 1) an invented ghost, a spook; 2) a restless person; 3) a devourer, monster. An East Prussian researcher Wilhelm Gaerte analyzed this game, devoting a whole chapter from his book Volksglaube und Brauchtum Ostpreussens to its interpretation. He also presented several more examples, trying to trace back the etymology for the name of this game. W. Gaerte interpreted the word Rosemock as ‘a rampageous buck’. The Lithuanian variant shares with its German counterparts the same name for the mythical being and the form of the game (making noise and douching someone with water), but the time of the game does not coincide. In the German descriptions, the time for its performance is indicated as the New Year’s Eve, while in the Lithuanian one mentioning is made of the game being played in spring, when the weather gets warmer, or after harvesting the rye. It is noteworthy, though, that at the same time Lithuanians used to perform magical actions aimed at ensuring good harvest. Dousing each other with water imitating the rain was among such actions. This could be regarded as an indication of the Lithuanians probably borrowing this game from the Germans and identifying it with other rites familiar to them. Nevertheless, it is still too early to regard this game as a purely German one, because some data, like etymology of the name for the mythical being and popularity of the game in the territories inhabited by Polish (Mazowian) people indicate its possibly Slavic origins. [From the publication]