Colecția de folclor în manuscris a Augustei Gavriș din Chelința
The Manuscript Folk-Collection of Augusta Gavriș

Summary/Abstract: Our essay is based on the morphological analysis of the folkloristicmanuscript /folk-manuscript collected with know-how and devotion by AugustaGavris in her native village, ChelinŃa, 1935, at the time when she was a studentwith the Faculty of Letters in Cluj. Armed with considerable expertise, thecollector demonstrates good fieldwork orientation/orientation to the field sitereflected in the multitude of folk-creation categories that she represents in hercollection from the abode/dwelling/hearth of old Romanian civilisation, situated onthe Somes river valley.Following a succinct description of the manuscript, we have covered inour study, in detail, all the compartments of the folk-creation as representedtherein, in order to reveal the collector’s intention to imprint the work withcomplexity and amplitude, by way of gathering a rich and varied material. Wehave underlined the manner in which Augusta Gavris investigates the traditionalcustoms and their ritualistic-ceremonial stances. We have also reflected on the wayshe knew how to give the proper standing to some aspects that have been lessresearched in the folk-creation, like folk-medicine and magic.Throughout our study, by analyzing the great fieldwork of the author ofthe manuscript, we have also noted a few limitations, revealed in severaldeficiencies, like the too short description of the customs, not giving the necessarystanding to some fundamental folk-categories - folk-lyric, accompanied by severalmisperceptions in classifying the anonymous creations.We have included in our research, together with some information aboutthe author’s biography, considerations referring to the influence of her familytraditions and their interest in folklore. The study finalizes with the underlining ofthe manuscript’s importance residing in the complexity of the collection, theattention given to the customs, the authenticity and the novelty of the materialcollected in the folkloristic abode that has received little attention before.

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