The Borderlands Wedding in Opole Silesia

Abstract

In the town of Grodziec, situated near Opole, almost entirely settled by the population coming from the Eastern Borderlands, works the very vigorous “Nasz Grodziec” Association, the purpose of which is saving the Eastern Borderlands’ tradition from oblivion. Their members, including the folk music ensembles “Grodziec” and “Jutrzenka”, prepared a stage production titled Wesele kresowe (The borderlands wedding). The story presented in the show is fictional, but it illustrates the customs and ceremonies which used to be the inseparable elements of the weddings in Biłka Szlachecka, situated near Lwów, where the current habitants of Grodziec come from. The main purpose of the article is the approximation of the traditional wedding repertoire sung in the past in the Eastern Borderlands and still maintained in Opole Silesia thanks to the members of the folk groups.