Re: [tied] Re: Historical implications of Romanian ecclesiastical t

On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 10:00:17 -0700 (PDT), george knysh <gknysh@...>
wrote:

>--- Abdullah Konushevci <a_konushevci@...>
>wrote:
>
>> I think that the word "kraciun" must has pre-Slavic
>> origin, because
>> it is also present in Albanian as <kërcuni>
>> `tree-stump; stub. •
>> log. fig. meaning `lonely; bereft' and <kërcune>
>> `lonely woman',
>> preserved in one or other way, much oldest form
>> "kraciun". In fact,
>> it is prefixed form, formed by Alb. prefix kër-/gër-
>> and Alb. word
>> <cung> `tree-stump, stub', which I have discussed in
>> this list a
>> weak before from a nasalized prefixed zero-grade
>> from *t- + sunk- of
>> PIE root *sek- `to cut'.
>>
>> Konushevci
>
>*****GK: Interesting. How would you relate this to the
>concept of Christmas? Something to do with festive
>trees?*****

In Catalonia, there is the tradition of the tió, a piece of firewood or a
hollow tree trunk, which is beaten on Xmas eve with a stick to "produce"
sweets and presents.

In the scatological Catalan tradition (where else are "caganers" a
traditional part of Xmas cribs?), the beating is accompanied by singing
along the lines of (if I remember correctly):

caga tió, tió de Nadal
no caguis arengades
que són massa salades
caga torrons
que són més bons!
caga tió, tió de Nadal,
caga torrons
i pixa vi blanc!

"shit tió, Christmas tió,
don't shit herrings
'cause they are far too salty
shit torrons
which taste much better!
shit tió, Christmas tió,
shit torrons,
and piss white wine!"


=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...