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The '''Gorals''' ([[Polish language|Polish]]: ''Górale''; [[Slovak language|Slovak]]: ''Gorali''; literally "highlanders") are an ethnographic group found along southern [[Poland]], northern [[Slovakia]], and in the region of [[Teschen Silesia]] in the [[Czech Republic]] |
The '''Gorals''' ([[Polish language|Polish]]: ''Górale''; [[Slovak language|Slovak]]: ''Gorali''; literally "highlanders") are an ethnographic group found along southern [[Poland]], northern [[Slovakia]], and in the region of [[Teschen Silesia]] in the [[Czech Republic]], illustrating the conundrum of national identity. |
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==Spread== |
==Spread== |
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In Poland they live in the region of [[Podhale]] of the [[Tatra Mountains]] and parts of the [[Beskids]] ([[Cieszyn Silesia]], [[Żywiec|Żywiec Beskids]]). In present-day Slovakia they live in 4 separate groups: in northern [[Spiš]] (34 villages subdivided in two groups), [[Orava]] and [[Kysuce]] (2 villages) and remnants in 7 other enclave villages in northern Slovakia. |
In Poland they live in the region of [[Podhale]] of the [[Tatra Mountains]] and parts of the [[Beskids]] ([[Cieszyn Silesia]], [[Żywiec|Żywiec Beskids]]). In present-day Slovakia they live in 4 separate groups: in northern [[Spiš]] (34 villages subdivided in two groups), [[Orava]] and [[Kysuce]] (2 villages) and remnants in 7 other enclave villages in northern Slovakia. |
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Inhabitants of Podhale were Saxon Germans (Zipser Sachsen), who had come from the [[Zips]] area. The woiwode of Ruthenia and Krakow [[Stanislaus Lubomirski]], who had received the title of imperial prince from [[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor]], kept several hundred German Dragoners and Hungarian Hussars as his personal bodyguard. The soldiers roamed the area and in time they, the Podhale inhabitants and Walachian sheepherders all mixed with Polish, Slowakian and Ruthenian farmers, who had escaped from the Mongols to the more isolated High Tatra Mountains. |
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The Gorals have mainly raised sheep and other mountain farm animals and used the wool, leather and fur to make materials. The area is well known for good hunting and the people are very hospitable. |
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Nowadays many olympians come from the town of Koscielisko, which has a [[Biathlon]] stadium. |
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==Origin and language== |
==Origin and language== |
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There are several hypotheses about their origin, but they are usually considered descendants of [[Vlach]]s, who settled this area of the Carpathian mountains between the 14th to 17th centuries. Analyses of skulls conducted by Polish anthropologists in the 1960s have indicated that they are mostly of [[Balkan]] origin. |
There are several hypotheses about their origin, but they are usually considered descendants of [[Vlach]]s, who settled this area of the Carpathian mountains between the 14th to 17th centuries. Analyses of skulls conducted by Polish anthropologists in the 1960s have indicated that they are mostly of [[Balkan]] origin. |
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Their (quite different) dialects are characterized as [[Proto-Slavic]] from the Eastern [[Lechitic]], Old [[Polish language|Polish]] area, superimposed by [[Slovak]]. In other words, the language is of Polish origin, but has been influenced by Slovak in recent centuries. The language contains Polish words, specific words, Slovak |
Their (quite different) dialects are characterized as [[Proto-Slavic]] from the Eastern [[Lechitic]], Old [[Polish language|Polish]] area, superimposed by [[Slovak]]. In other words, the language is of Polish origin, but has been influenced by Slovak in recent centuries. The language contains Polish words, specific words, Slovak words and words that are peculiar to the Carpathian language area ([[Carpathism]]s). |
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==National identity== |
==National identity== |
Revision as of 22:55, 16 February 2006
The Gorals (Polish: Górale; Slovak: Gorali; literally "highlanders") are an ethnographic group found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Teschen Silesia in the Czech Republic, illustrating the conundrum of national identity.
Spread
In Poland they live in the region of Podhale of the Tatra Mountains and parts of the Beskids (Cieszyn Silesia, Żywiec Beskids). In present-day Slovakia they live in 4 separate groups: in northern Spiš (34 villages subdivided in two groups), Orava and Kysuce (2 villages) and remnants in 7 other enclave villages in northern Slovakia.
Origin and language
There are several hypotheses about their origin, but they are usually considered descendants of Vlachs, who settled this area of the Carpathian mountains between the 14th to 17th centuries. Analyses of skulls conducted by Polish anthropologists in the 1960s have indicated that they are mostly of Balkan origin.
Their (quite different) dialects are characterized as Proto-Slavic from the Eastern Lechitic, Old Polish area, superimposed by Slovak. In other words, the language is of Polish origin, but has been influenced by Slovak in recent centuries. The language contains Polish words, specific words, Slovak words and words that are peculiar to the Carpathian language area (Carpathisms).
National identity
While their language indicates the Gorals' Polish ancestry (for a better idea of the issue see either Kevin Hannan's work Borders of Language and Identity in Teschen Silesia or works by the Slovak linguist Katarína Kriššákova) many of them have been inhabitants of the territory of Slovakia within the Kingdom of Hungary. For most Gorals, the decisive factor in their self-identification is not ethnic but territorial: those living in areas under a long tradition of belonging to the Polish state identify themselves as Polish, while those living in Slovakia have identified themselves as Slovaks at least since the 18th century, with notable exceptions to this rule on both sides of the border. This situation resulted in controversies such as that arose when the Polish government in 1918 made claims to the area on linguistic grounds that the areas inhabited by Gorals in Slovakia were Polish, while most of the Gorals in Slovakia consider themselves Slovak.
Gorals in a wider sense
In a wider sense Gorals refers to an ethnographic (or even ethnic) group comprising certain mountainards in northern Carpathians, more precisely:
- Hutsuls (in Romania and Ukraine)
- Lemkos (Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia)
- Gorals in Slovakia
- Gorals of Żywiec and Cieszyn Silesia in Poland
- Gorals in Podhale
- Moravian Vlachs (Moravian Wallachia)