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LULLABIES Lullabies are songs for children, whose
main function is to calm down the child and to cause it to sleep. In the
course of centuries, lullabies have been created by mothers, grandmothers,
nannies. These songs usually have a very simple verse and tune structure.
The verse in lullabies is entirely related to sleep: it sounds either like
an encouragment to fall asleep, or like a slight threatening with a boogeyman
for those who do not sleep; the child is called the most beautiful names
of flowers and birds, he or she is wound round with a silk band, or rocked
in a golden cradle. In Lithuanian lullabies, like in the folklore of other
nations, animals, too, can rock the children or bring the sleep to them.
An obvious example of this kind can be the lullaby Zuikis vaikà
lingavo ("A hare was rocking a child"), which has plenty of versions
and is very popular all over the country, particularly in Þemaitija
and Northern Aukðtaitija. The verse of some compositions still contains
elements obviously reminiscent of ancient religions, with their heroes
- a mouse, a hare, a cat, a boogeyman - occupying an intermediary position
between this and the other world. In all regions of Lithuania, with Dzûkija
in particular, one can find lullabies, where an exceptional role is given
to wishes - the child shall grow tall, kind, nimble, which sounds like
a "programme" of good faith, something very close to incantation. A number
of peculiar samples have been recorded in Suvalkija, Dzûkija, and
Aukðtaitija: A-a maþø/duos dievulis graþø/ðitø
uþaugysiu/kitø numarysiu (A-a little one/God will give
a beautiful one/I'll raise this one/I'll lose another one), where the motif
of wishing death is clearly expressed. Corresponding motifs can be found
in Slavic, Latvian, Estonian, Ukrainian, etc. lullabies, which leads to
the following assumption - the verse of such kind must have had close connections
with protective magic centuries ago. Comparisons with Byelorussian folklore
suggest that such a paradoxical wish might have embodied deceptive intentions
against evil forces harmful to the child.
For more information see: J. Balys. Vaikystë ir vedybos: Lietuviø liaudies tradicijos. (Childhood and Marriage: Lithuanian traditions) (Brooklyn, 1978) In Lithuania, small children used to be
rocked in cradles. Hence, the cradle plays a very important role in lullabies,
simultaneously helping to unite the three components essential for this
genre: 1)a rocking motion; 2) a musical effect produced on the child's
mind, 3) textual improvisation. The tune of lullabies tends to imitate
the rocking of a cradle, the verse includes variable refrains: 'a-a
a-a', 'liûliai liûliai', 'uèia lylia',
'èiuèia-liûlia',
etc., which is obviously dictated by a rocking motion too.
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