na-kazuby.pl
Monday, May 5, 2014
Cultural Survival
The Kashubians have fought against a lot of adversity in their 1,500 years of Existence. Before the Polish gained Kaszuby in 1945 War World War Two the were ruled by many different nations and groups, never really got the opportunity to govern themselves and make decisions for themselves. Poland did not want the Kashubs around and in 1929 The Kashubian Regional Union fought for their group of people and were able to remain in the land that they called home. Kashubians may have lost many of their dances but their culture still lives on today, mainly in their art and the dances that they have adapted to in the places they have migrated to.
Dances of the Kashubians
The Kashubian dances were mainly line dances that would be close to those of German origin. The Kashubain's original dances were lost many years ago when they migrated to North America. Upon arriving the Kashubs picked up the Canadian Dances such as square dancing and the Waltz. Dancing is a huge part of the cultural identity of the group and is something they love more than anything else in the world.
Kashubian Migrations
Over the course of the Kashubian's existance there a\has been a moderate amount of movement around the world. The Kashubs left the Eastern Slavic Region (modern day Russia) around 1,500 years ago and settled in what is now North Central Poland on the Baltic Sea. The turn from the 19th to the 20th Century brought hardships to the Kashub people. Some decided to leave to North America. Currently there are large Kashubian groups in Northern America and Southern Canada.
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Courtesy of Krzysztoflew at Wikimedia.org
Kashubians and Their Neighbors
Kashubians have had many failed relationships with their neighbors in the 1,500 years they have called North Central Poland their home. This is mainly because the Kashubians have technically never had neighbors of their own. The Kashubians have never had the chance to call Kaszuby a nation of their own because they have always been under the rule of a greater power. Polish Citizens are not very fond of the Kashubian calling this area their home and don't really want them around. The Kashubian Regional Union, who i will talk about more in a later post were able to keep the Kashub Culture alive from the Polish oppression in the early 20th Century.
Compliments of http://www.savetier.eu/danzig-gdansk
Compliments of http://www.savetier.eu/danzig-gdansk
Birds of The Kashubain Culture
Kashubians have many birds that they see regularly in their everyday lives. Currently there are a litltle over 200 species that reside in the are that is Kaszuby. Something that i noticed in this long list of species is that there are a lot of marine type birds that call this area their home. These species that I am talking about are loons, storks and swans just to name a few. Much of Kashubian art is of the species around them and adds to its beauty.
A photo of swans from Poland.gov.pl
Kashubian Cosmos
The Kashubians from my research mainly look at the world in the same way most modern civilized cultures would. All that I could take from this culture about they way they view the world is their deep appreciation of art and what certain colors mean to them. Green stands for the forests, Red represents blood and fire, Yellow symbolizes the sun, Black is for the earth and there are three shades of Blue representing the sky lakes and seas.
World of The Kashubians (How they Make a Living & Cultural Landscape)
The Kashubian Language is one that 51,000 people worldwide have claimed as their dominant language. Kashubians currently earn their livings in a few ways. Being an artistic group of people embroidery, folk art, ceramics and woodworking bring in a lot of money. Fishing is also a market the Kashubians dabble in and can bring in some good money. Although embroidery may not be the main breadwinner in the Kashubian Culture it is something they greatly pride themselves in. Kashub Embroidery is gorgeous even though you can only find it in the colors green, red, yellow, black and blue
Photo Courtesy of Kashubian Art Gallery At icraftgifts.com
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