Intertwined activities: Interdependence of traditional agriculture, forest use and pastoralism

2.4.1. Agriculture and pastoralism

Agriculture and animal husbandry are intertwined activities, which is why a special common way of using land still survives until today in Ieud. The agro-pastoral character of traditional society from Maramures is apparent from the XIV century documents (Mihaly 2009), and continues until today. In the document from 1435, the territory of Ieud starts from “ad terraem arrabilibus”

and uses as markers also the nine sheepfolds scattered around the 130 km territory at that time (Mihaly 2009).

The current village territory is divided in three levels that are almost equal: the first level (Mejdele de jos) corresponds to the terrains near the village consisting of arable fields and meadows. The second level (Mejdele de mijloc) is further away, consisting of hilly areas with small patches of secondary forests and meadows (in the past arable fields were here as well). And the third level (Mejdele de sus) corresponds to the altitudes of 1000 m and above, nowadays the terrains here are used mostly as pasture and forest, very few locals are still mowing and making hay there.

This division is due to the absence of common pasture of the village, as result most of the terrains are commonly grazed by all animal breeders, but this is done in such a way that it respects the phenological phases of the cultivated crops and semi-natural grasslands, so that harvesting the crops and hay-making won’t be endangered. This type of pastoral system is dependent on the

Photo 2.3 Ruptu sterpelor (The breaking of the barren): the fir tree is adorned with ornamental plants and flowers (peony) and round bread, it is fixed before the exit where the shepherds

are milking the sheep.

Cosmin Ivascu

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phenological phase of the plants, it was labeled as a double cycling pendulation system by some (Idu 1999) or pastoralism in the meadow zone with sheepfold in the mountains by others (Vuia 1964).

It consists of four different phases:

▶ First phase, spring (primavaratul) – the grazing of the sheep was assured on the alternate grazing of the three levels of the village territory on specific dates. All locals respected the dates; plants that required earlier cultivation were barred by the owners so that they would not be damaged by the grazing animals.

▶ Second phase, summer (văratul) – was done in the alpine pastures in summer, the shepherds would leave the village territory with the animals (cows, sheep, goats; the horses and oxen would be brought at a later time in the mountains) for the alpine pastures to graze the animals (around 50 km distance). During this time when the animals were on the summer alpine pastures, the locals would start making hay and harvest some of the earlier cultivated plants.

▶ Third phase, autumn (tomnatul) – the returning of the shepherds to the village territory in the autumn and the grazing of the terrains from the upper level (from higher altitudes) to below. By this time haystacks have been made and most of the crops have been harvested, so the terrains could be commonly grazed again.

▶ Last phase, winter (iernatul) – is the indoor feeding of the animals, mostly with hay, it was done in the household or on scattered temporary housings (colibe) and barns all over the village territory. The sheep are kept under the open sky, but they are enclosed (Photo 2.4).

As noted earlier, after collectivization, the communists still maintained the traditional pastoral system of the people, including the specific local dates for pasturing the village territory.

Nowadays, because of the decreasing animal stocks, very few shepherds still leave for the alpine pastures; they spend the summer in the village territory, in the upper level (Mejdele de sus). The alpine pastures are not within the village territory, but they are situated in the high mountains from 1800–2000 m altitude.

Photo 2.4 A ram during wintertime, kept in an enclosure with the rest of the sheep.

Cosmin Ivascu

The cultivation of plants was carried out in accordance with the environment and the harsh winters here. Ploughing was done when snow melted, a local expression mustul omătului (snow’s juice, snow’s must) refers to the time when the soil is full of water and ready to be ploughed and the first plant to cultivate is barley. From this time on, the cultivation of gardens with vegetables followed, and the rest as the weather and the signs of the weather would show. An interesting interdiction regarding the cultivation of plants is that referring to Să^ptămâna Floriilor (Flowers’

week, the week before holyday of Palm Sunday which in Romanian is called ‘Flowers Sunday’), during this time it was prohibited to cultivate anything else other than flowers, because nothing would spring up, the cereals or vegetables cultivated would bear only flowers and no fruits.

Another interesting belief and practice is that off-cultivating the vegetables in the garden on a full moon (during daytime) was supposed to help plants develop better, especially the tuberous ones.

Around half of the village territory is made up of agro–terraces (Photo 2.5), up to 800 m and higher altitudes you can find terraced hills. Some terraces are divided by baulks of almost 2 m height, but the medium height of a baulk is 0.5–1 m. These agro-terraces are the result of cultivation on higher altitudes undertaken in the past, and of the importance of agriculture in the history of local community from Ieud. Although only the agro-terraces near the village are cultivated today, or used as ley, the majority of them are currently used as hay meadows, and there are special rules for the management of the baulk that separates two agro-terraces and by the two neighbors (Ivașcu & Rakosy 2015).

The baulk divides in two halves between the two neighbors. Shrubs and bushes, or even trees were left to grow on the baulks, for better marking this border but also for utilitarian purposes (for example, firewood or for tools). An interesting interdiction is regarding the planting of trees or fruit trees on these structures, so that it wouldn’t shade the neighbor’s terrain. Also if there were some fruit trees, and the fruit fell on the side of the baulk which belonged to the neighbor, automatically these fruits became his property as well, and not of the person who owned the tree.

Despite the fact that various shrubs and trees were left on the baulks as an additional marker (for example: Prunus spinosa, Alnus glutinosa, Salix caprea, Quercus robur, Populus alba, Fraxinus excelsior etc.), most commonly these structures were mowed, the resulting hay was carried home in a blanket (ciumău is the local term for designating such a transport and also its quantity, which is limited by the person’s strength and his tool – the blanket) (Ivașcu & Rakosy 2015).

Cosmin Ivascu

Photo 2.5 Terraced hill in Ieud: a cultural landscape of hay meadows and small patches of forest.

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