Śpiewaczka ludowa z Książenic – Helena Paszendowa i jej zespół folklorystyczny
Folk Singer from Książenice – Helena Paszendowa and Her Folklore Group

Summary/Abstract: The intangible cultural heritage of the Rybnik region is characterized by local variants of folk songs, which circulate thanks to the activity of their depositaries. In this article, the author presents the figure of Helena Paszendowa (1929–2012) and the group of female singers from Książenice (Czerwionka-Leszczyny commune) gathered around her.While recording the repertoire of Książeniczanki, the author recorded over a hundred authentic texts and melodies characterized by local provenance and variants, transferred by people from the oldest generation. Since their re-emission took place mainly using memory perception, the acquired material included unique texts and melodies, typical for the research area.When undertaking an analysis of the artistic value of the collected songs, the author notes that the narrative of many of the recorded themes focuses on people, their daily activities (home and professional) and their relations with the surrounding environment. Typical poetic figures for this genre of folklore are references to the world of animals, plants and natural phenomena (atmospheric and astronomical). This is precisely why these songs are an attractive means of artistic expression for their contemporary depositaries.The author concludes that the contemporary transmission of folklore in the studied area can be owed to the activity and commitment of such depositaries of cultural heritage as Paszendowa and the circle of housewives gathered around her, and later their successors.

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