INTRODUCTION - Part 10

called out that he had been shot. After investigating, Vasil found a piece of shrapnel stuck in Nikola’s back. A bullet must have split and ricocheted after hitting the stones in the wall. In the village meanwhile, the Oshchima priest was summoned and ordered by the Germans to gather everyone at the road near the Zhelevo River Bridge. After everyone was gathered, they were told that if any of the German soldiers were harmed, they would all be shot. A few minutes later the two German soldiers arrived safely and informed the officer in charge that it was the Partisans not the villagers that attacked them. To thank the Germans for not bringing harm to them, Oshchimians gave them lambs, chickens, and eggs. This was not the only incident that placed Oshchima in peril. There was another incident that almost incinerated the entire region. It was in 1944 and the war was almost over. The Germans were leaving the area when one of their trucks was attacked. It was a single truck with a dozen or so German soldiers and an officer, a captain. The truck was travelling alone near Psoderi when it came upon a Partisan patrol. The Partisans fired, disabled the German vehicle, and killed its occupants, except for the captain. In panic the captain hid among the bleeding bodies of his comrades. After inspecting and verifying that everyone was dead, the Partisans began to loot the dead bodies. When they came upon the captain they saw that he was wearing a gold ring. After failing to remove it by pulling it off, they cut off his finger. When German command learned of the attack, they were ready to issue orders to burn down every village in the region. Fortunately, the German officer intervened and stopped the order from being issued. During the inquiry he told his superiors that he overheard the conversations of the assailants and came to the conclusion that they were Greek bandits from the south and were not at all associated with the local villages. In the fall of 1944 when the Germans began to retreat from the Balkans, Oshchimians, fearing reprisals, evacuated the village and left for the mountains. Some set up residence in far places like Stoudena Voda, Filipodolou, and Boukata. The more brave settled around Stara Oshchima and Marna Livada. They built temporary huts of wood and straw for themselves and pens of thorn bushes for their livestock. Seeing that the Germans were not a threat, they returned about a month later. Most villages located near main roads and paths of retreat took more precautions and returned much later. The people of Trnaa, however, decided not to return during the retreat and instead took up residence in Statitsa, remaining there until all the Germans were gone. According to eyewitnesses, when the Germans came back and found Trnaa empty they were so enraged that in anger they stoned two old people to death. In Oshchima the door of each house was stamped with an identification number and the same soldiers came back to these houses time and time again. In 1945 the Greek civil war broke out and the Communist regime enticed the Macedonian people to join their revolution by promising them freedom and equal rights. Unfortunately, the Greek Communists lost the war and the situation for the ordinary Macedonian became more repressive than before. The Greek army and police were dispatched to beat the Macedonian people back to pre-war status. Many of the fighters were killed while engaging the Greek forces. Those left alive, along with civilian refugees, fled the country to escape death.

It was evening late in the fall of 1946 when a group of Partisans came to Oshchima to the Raikovska barn (kaliva) looking for food. A Partisan guard was placed at Toumba and two local boys, Nikola Stefovski and Simo Raikovski, were asked to watch for Greek patrols. As luck would have it, someone saw the Partisans and tipped off the Greek police (pospasma) stationed at Zhelevo. The boys observed a vehicle approach with the lights off but it was too late to do anything as the patrol was closing in fast. The Partisan guard ordered the vehicle to “stop” and fired a warning shot before he fled. The patrol continued to advance but arrived too late. After hearing the gunshot, the Partisans quickly disappeared under the cover of darkness. Failing to capture the Partisans, the Greeks became furious and went on a rampage burning the barns, which were full of crops and winter-feed. Oshchimians, fearing for their lives and having no idea how far those crazed men would go, stayed indoors and let the barns burn. The situation went from bad to

worse at noon the next day when an explosion was heard. Not knowing what it was, many fled in panic fearing it was an attack from the Greek army. Fortunately, it wasn’t an attack. Buried in one of the barns was leftover ammunition and bombs from World War I which had exploded due to the extreme heat. The barns burned for days and left the people of Oshchima and their livestock hungry that winter. The incident became known as “the burning of the barns”. When the Greek Civil War was coming to a close, the Greek Army advanced north and concentrated their attacks on the Partisan held villages in Western Macedonia. Fearing aerial attacks and reprisals from the Greek army, Partisans and civilians alike fled Oshchima for Albania. When it was all over, Greece did not want them back and as a result many became permanent refugees. From having 600 residents pre-World War II, Oshchima shrank to 92 people when the Greek Civil War ended. As of March 1970, there were only 8 of the original Oshchimians living in Oshchima. The political climate became so oppressive after the Greek Civil War that most Oshchimians chose to leave their beloved homes rather than put up with the Greeks. Hatred for the Macedonians continues to this day. Consecutive Greek Governments continue to deny the existence of Macedonians and forbid them to visit their ancestral homes even "to light a candle at the graves of their deceased relatives". Even though Oshchimians were forcibly uprooted from their birthplace, they will never forget the wondrous sights of Gomnoush, Tumba, and Oreshky. Those Oshchimians who were born, raised, and lived in Oshchima will always have wonderful memories to remind them of their love for Oshchima, family, and community.

Life in the Village Oshchima

Oshchima is a typical Macedonian farming village, which is self-sufficient and through time-tested experience has developed a rich tradition. Life in the village is a general overview that looks at the daily activities of Oshchimians for one yearly cycle. The story takes place in 1939 before World War II and before the catastrophic Greek Civil War. This chapter takes a journey through a slice of time when Oshchima had a high population and, for the time being, the region was at peace. Spring is when the year is re-born and daily events in Oshchima center around family, community, and the homestead. Work follows a yearly cycle of activities based on time tested traditions handed down from one generation to another and on the wisdom of common sense. Oshchimians work long and hard for their livelihood, which occupies most of their time. The air in Oshchima is clean and fresh, the water cool and clear, the food healthy and nutritious and for the most part, Oshchimians are a happy people. As soon as the last spring snow melts, men and women begin the task of clearing out the winter debris from the irrigation ditches (doazhi) and channels (zasetsi) to prepare them for watering the fields and meadows. To irrigate properly, each meadow is prepared by digging a level channel at its highest point and cutting an array of inlets, one at every yard or so to let the water seep out and drain evenly. Irrigation ditches, the mediums that transport water from the river to the fields, gardens, and meadows are community owned. Groups of families take turns to clear them once a year. Men with shovels and picks gather together at dawn each morning and work until dusk for many days to clear each ditch from end to end removing gravel, mud, and silt which accumulated over the winter. Damage caused by floods and landslides is repaired using large hollow tree trunks as pipes to bridge gaps in the damaged terrain. While some Oshchimians are occupied clearing ditches, others are busy digging, fertilizing, and pruning the orchards and vineyards. If the soil is not too wet, the fields and gardens are fertilized with compost from last year’s animal manure and table scraps. Manure, cleared from the stables, and table scraps are allowed to compost together for about a year in large compost heaps (bounishcha) before being taken to the fields. Compost is transported by pack animals, usually a donkey, mule or horse. Two false-bottomed bushels are mounted on the animal’s back. The bushels are made from tender and pliable

willow shoots warmed on an open flame and twisted into shape. Using a pitchfork, an equal amount of compost is added to each bushel to keep the load balanced. Each bushel can carry about one eighth of a cubic meter of compost. When the destination is reached, by the pull of a latch, the false bottoms fling open, simultaneously unloading their contents. Spring (prolet) is the time to take a moment and enjoy the outdoors. The sky is crystal clear, the sun is beaming, warming the dark soil in the fields causing a mist to rise, giving the illusion of burning fires. The air is filled with clinking metallic sounds, a sign that the farmers are readying their ploughs (ploug) for the spring tilling. To prepare them for planting, fields are ploughed twice; first with the “ploug” to turn (iscrevi) the soil and then when it’s time to plant, the fields are again ploughed with the “ralo” to part the soil. Two oxen (dzegvar) are joined together using a wooden harness (iarem) to pull the plough. Ploughing begins as soon as the fields are dry from the spring melt. In March the earth is teeming with tender green growth, the air is filled with the sounds of birds singing happy melodies, not to be outdone by the sounds of jubilant bees and flies. Women scour the fields looking for tender green stinging nettles (kopria), dock (shchave), and sorrel (kiselets) to supplement the family diet. Stinging nettle is excellent for making “zelnik so koprii”. Dock and sorrel are excellent for making stews with fresh lamb and a little rice. Let’s not forget that March is also the month of the Martinka. A martinka is a ring or bracelet made of white and red yarn all twisted together into a string. It’s worn on the first nine days of March to welcome the arrival of spring. They say that should a swallow pick up and fly away with a discarded martinka, its former bearer will receive gifts that will bring them joy. It will be Easter (Velivden) soon and preparations for the forty-day fast must be made. The cooks will have to plan fat free meals and avoid cooking with lard, butter, and oil. Eggs and cheese must also be avoided. It will be a lean time with meals of bread, beans, potatoes, boiled dried peppers, pickled peppers, pickled tomatoes, and other foods that children tend not to like. For those working out in the fields, meals will consist of a mixture of salt and ground red pepper (sol i piper) and some bread to go with their boiled beans. The more fortunate ones may get one or two boiled potatoes and a pickled pepper (tourshia piperka). Easter is a very important holiday for Eastern Christians (Pravoslavi) and is lavishly celebrated with roast lamb, Easter eggs, zelnik, sweets, breads, and much more. Those who fast will go to church for morning mass to receive Holy Communion (pricheska). Afterwards they will go home to a long anticipated rich meal. Easter would be similar to other holidays if not for the colourful Easter eggs. Colouring eggs (vapsani iaitsa) is an old Macedonian custom, practiced for generations. In the old days the most common colouring dye was onionskin, which gave the eggs a beautiful earthy brown, yellowish colour. Later, as dyes became common the Easter egg took on a myriad of colours from dark red to green, blue, and yellow. The most desired colours are red and yellow; often used for the symbols of Macedonia. Following tradition, the first Easter egg is dyed on the Wednesday before Easter and is buried in the vineyard to bring luck and bountiful grapes. The rest of the eggs are subsequently dyed and hidden from view until Easter day. After lunch on Easter day the lady of the house will unveil her beautiful basket of eggs and ask each member of her family, usually from youngest to oldest, to pick one. When everyone has an egg the tapping begins. One person will hold their egg pointed end up while the other person taps it with the pointed end of their egg, until one cracks. Members of the family take turns tapping eggs until all but one egg is cracked.

They then turn their eggs so that the blunt end is exposed and do the same until all but one egg is cracked. The two remaining unbroken eggs are then tapped together. The egg with the unbroken blunt end is held steady while the person with the unbroken sharp point taps the blunt end of the other egg, until one cracks. The owner of the unbroken egg is declared the lucky winner. According to tradition, a strong egg is symbolic of good health, happiness, and prosperity. The cracked eggs are then peeled and eaten while the proud owner of the unbroken egg goes on to compete against the winners in other families. Another traditional Macedonian holiday is Giurgevden. Giurgevden falls on April 23rd and is considered to be the halfway point between winter and summer or the milestone between the changing of

seasons. On this day sheep, goats, oxen, and pigs are gathered together in communal herds and sent to summer pasture. In keeping with tradition, early in the morning, livestock owned by individual families are brought together to form the communal herds. Traditionally, Oshchima puts together three herds of sheep and one of cattle. Goats, due to their small numbers, usually accompany the sheep herds. Giurgevden is the first day on the job for the herders. Shepherding (ofcharlak) is a full time job, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week with an occasional short break for family visits and a haircut. Cattle herding on the other hand, is only a day job as the cattle come home to sleep. If the job of cattle herding is too expensive or candidates are not available for hire, families themselves must undertake herding duties. Each family owning cattle must provide rotating services based on the number of cattle owned. According to Macedonian tradition, a year is divided into two cycles, the fall-winter and the spring-summer cycle. The spring-summer cycle, as I mentioned earlier, begins on April 23rd, Giourgievden. It is worth mentioning that the dates used in this document are those of the new calendar. Prior to 1912 Oshchimians went by the old calendar which is 13 days behind. To calculate the old date, just add 13 to the current date. Ploughing (oranie) continues well into May. After the summer fields are ploughed, if there is time, farmers plough the fall fields. To allow the soil to regenerate half of the fields are left to lie fallow for at least a year. Before planting, fields are ploughed (meshai) for a second time to further break up the soil. Potatoes (krtouli) are the first crops to be planted, usually at the end of April, followed by beans (gra) and corn (miser) in May. Before planting, a different plough (ralo) is used to arrange the soil into long, straight troughs. Each seed is planted evenly, by hand, into the trough and covered with soil. Care must be taken to keep the crows (galitsi) off the field so they don’t eat the seeds. A couple of weeks later, the fields are visited again, this time to dig out weeds (prashenie), to replant seeds that didn’t germinate, and to remove excess seedlings. A week or two later, when the plants have grown hardier and formed healthy roots, the fields are prepared for the summer season. Soil is raised onto the plant stems (plnatie) covering their roots, and at the same time creating troughs (trapoi) between rows of plants. The troughs are open on one end to allow water to enter and closed on the other to hold the water from flowing out. The fields are now ready for watering. The gardens undergo the same process as the fields except the soil may be broken down even further to accommodate the diversity and variety of plants grown. In their gardens, Oshchimians grow peppers (piperki), tomatoes (domati), leeks (pras), onions (kromit), green beans (pachi od gra), cabbage (zelki), squash (tikvi), cucumbers (krastaitsi), zucchini (tikvina), garlic (louk), and lettuce (maroulki), as well as spices including mint (nagiasmo) and parsley (magdanos). Basil (bosilok) is also grown but not for consumption. Most of the plants grown in the gardens including peppers, tomatoes, leeks, onions, and garlic are transplants from plants grown in pans or special partitions (vragii) within the garden. The soil in the partition is mixed well and cleared of stones and other large objects, sometimes using a sieve. Seeds are planted about a month earlier and the patch is covered with straw to protect the plants from frost. To feed the seedlings a mixture of composted chicken droppings and water is prepared and used regularly. Transplantation takes place after the threat of frost has diminished. Watering begins in the spring, starting with the meadows (livage). Water is channeled from the Oshchima River (Oshchimska reka) via the long spanning upper irrigation ditch (gorna doazha) or the lower irrigation ditch (iazo) to the various fields.

Water is also channeled from the Zhelevo River (Zhelevska reka) to fields in the lower part of the village. The gardens (gradinie) require watering next. Due to the variety of plants grown, gardens require more frequent watering, sometimes twice a day if the weather is hot and dry. The crop-growing fields (olnishcha) are watered next. At this time water is in such demand that there is fierce competition for it, sometimes with consequences. That is why Oshchimians employ the services of a water manager (vodar) with powers to sue violators, entrusting him or her with the responsibility of fairly managing the community’s water needs. The flow of cool, clean, life-sustaining water makes the meadows green and the fields and gardens robust, giving distinction and character to the landscape. From atop the rugged mountains one can marvel at the patchwork shades of green, a testament to the struggle of the Oshchimian to make a living.

Spring is also the season of flowers, nature’s aroma factory. Even before the leaves are out cherry trees are in blossom. Cherry trees produce dense clusters of white blossoms giving off a pleasant aroma. The warm, moist, spring climate also gives birth to an array of wild flowers that spring up everywhere. By May most meadows (livage) are teeming with green grass and flowers. One particular plant that grows in the meadows has a white flower (charchichok), which resembles the trillium except that it has a fine red outer rim and a bright yellow center. This plant grows in abundance in the meadows of Tourska Polena. When many plants in close proximity blossom, it transcends the imagination in beauty only to be outdone by its heavenly aroma. Most plants are in full bloom by May, intoxicating the air with nature’s perfume. For a short time during May the Oshchimian landscape is transformed into heaven on earth. One particular blue wildflower (sino tsveke), found in shaded areas all over Oshchima, has such an aroma that it makes one feel privileged to have experienced it. May is also a month for celebrations. May 20th is around the corner and the whole village is getting ready to celebrate Sveti Nikola. This is a village affair when relatives and friends from neighbouring villages such as Besfina, Trnava, Rula, and Zhelevo are invited to partake in village activities. The entire village bustles with energy as Oshchimian families play host to many visitors. To honour Sveti Nikola, between 1865 and 1870 the Oshchimian community built the St. Nikola Christian Orthodox Church. Since then May 20th has been a village holiday. St. Nikola is traditionally celebrated on December 6th in Macedonia, but due to the day falling in winter when outdoor activities are limited, Oshchimians chose May 20th, for its seasonal splendour. St. Nikola is also celebrated on December 6th, but is limited to visiting people named Nikola in their homes. Beyond grass and flowers, meadows are also providers of tender green delicacies. Women pick young, tender dock, sorrel, and dandelion (mlechki) leaves to supplement meals with nutritious greens. Boys and girls like to pick delicious, tart sorrel stems (lastari od kiselets) to snack on. Spring delicacies made with tender greens include zelnik stuffed with loboda (cabbage like yellow, circular leaves), zelnik stuffed with tender stinging nettles (koprii), and zelnik stuffed with tender dock and sorrel leaves (shchave and kiselets). Oshchimians love to eat fruits in season such as cornel cherries (drenki), berries (kalinki), blueberries (trlinki), wild pears (gornitsi), wild plums (slivi), sweet berries (sladouchki), thorn berries (shipinki), wild strawberries (planouchki), wild cherries (chereshi), and crab apples (diviachki). They also find hazelnuts (leshnitsi) and the hearts of thorn roots (reshetki) delicious. By late spring swallows (lastoichki) are back from their winter migration, chirping and gathering mud to build their nests. Swallows are fun to watch as they soar high then swoop down to take a drink of water at a mud puddle or to pick up a mouthful of mud for their nest. Children love to watch them building their nests while being entertained by their melodies and flying antics. But they had better watch out for the cats. Speaking of migrating birds, who can forget the cuckoo? One cannot resist the wake-up call of the mysterious cuckoo from Osoi. In mid-June Oshchimian men prepare their scythes (kosi) for the traditional cutting of the grass. The scythe consists of a round wooden pole about five feet long. The bottom end is two inches wide and narrows to an inch wide point at the top. Midway down the pole is a wooden or ox-horn handle sticking out perpendicular to the pole. The cutting part of the scythe is a sword-like blade about two feet long that mounts perpendicular to the bottom of the pole, held together by a cylindrical metal sleeve and a wooden wedge. The scythe blade is sharpened by tapping (clepanie) its metal edge thin over a tiny portable anvil (koalna) with a small hammer (chekan, klepach).

The bottom of the scythe is soaked in water before use, allowing the wood to expand and tighten the connection. The blade is further sharpened with a long thin sharpening stone. The green grass in the meadows is mature and ready for harvest. Lean men swing their scythes from side to side leaving the grass bunched in rows of sheaves (kosei). Better watch out for the snakes. Once in a while the scythe comes in contact with a snake or a frog, by accident of course. In the old days the meadows were teeming with storks which followed the scythe looking for creatures on the

move. Nowadays it’s the crows and magpies that do the scavenging, as the storks no longer come to Oshchima. After the grass is cut women and children use hand-like pitchforks (drvena vila) to spread the sheaves to allow the grass to dry in the hot sun. After the top surface is dried, the grass is turned over and again spread for further drying. When it is fully dried the grass (seno) is collected with a wooden rake (griblo) and heaped into manageable piles. Each pile is tied in two places with strands of straw (iazhichki) into a cylindrical bundle (sfalnitsa). Two or three bundles at a time are transported to the barn by pack animals, usually a horse, mule or donkey. Dried grass is fed to the sheep and other animals in the winter. The straw strands used to tie the grass are made of rye or wheat stems, well soaked in water to make them soft so they can be twisted into inch thick rope-like strands. During long jobs the workers usually take time off to rest in the shadows under large trees away from the searing sun. Lying peacefully on their backs, children also take a rest but instead of sleeping, they watch the clouds above. Their imagination takes them soaring like eagles in the sky, making imaginary castles and legendary creatures in their minds. How wonderful would it be to live in the clouds? By the end of June school is almost out and cherries are ready for picking. Late June is a favourite time for children and adults alike. Most cherry trees in Oshchima are of the wild variety and are not harvested except for snacking. No Oshchimian could resist the urge to pick a few cherries on the go, especially if the cherry tree did not belong to them. Oreski and Blatoto were but two favourite places to pass by during cherry season. The end of June is also the time for sheep shearing. Wool is an important commodity for Oshchimians not only because it can be sold for cash but also for making yarn. Traditionally, Oshchimian women make all fabrics by hand including family clothing and bedding materials.

School is over and the children join their working elders with chores. Some children take over the daily task of re-filling the pottery jugs (stomnina) with drinking water from Oreshki and other springs. Others deliver freshly made food and cool spring water to the workers in the fields. Temporary duties taken on by others are herding sheep and cows to relieve the herders for a day or two so that they can tend to their own domestic activities. Free time from the farm is often spent making house repairs, cutting beanpoles, gathering wood for fuel, cooking, baking, etc. Once a week, the women of the house bake bread and wash clothes. The rest of the time they process milk daily, cook three meals a day, mend clothing, feed the chickens and pigs, pick the ripe vegetables from the gardens, and generally look after the well being of everyone in the family. You can imagine the joy a son’s marriage would bring to his mother when another pair of hands joins the family. Traditionally, bread is made with rye flour but is sometimes combined with wheat or corn flour depending on availability. Grain is stone ground into flour at one of the local water mills a few times a year or as required to keep the flour fresh. Oshchimians harvest cow, sheep, and goat’s milk (mleko) for consumption, to make buttermilk (bientsa), butter (mas), cottage cheese (ourda), feta cheese (sirenie), firm cheeses (kasher), etc. The richest and most abundant milk is from sheep. Ewes give birth to lambs during the winter months and by the end of April lambs are weaned and separated from their mothers. Milking begins immediately after weaning, usually on April 23rd, Gurgevden, and continues until the fall. Rain or shine, milk is extracted twice a day, once early in the morning and again in late afternoon. Milking is at minimum a three-person job, two to milk (mlzachi) and one to guide (terach) the ewes to the opening of the corral (kotar or strunga). In communal herds, each owner is responsible for milking his or her own sheep. A unique mark carved on the sheep’s ear identifies the owner of each individual ewe (oftsa). Sheep graze in mountain pastures and are milked at designated corrals built close to the grazing grounds. At milking time, sheep are herded into the strunga and one by one are forced through a narrow door at the front of the pen and milked as they exit. Before milking can begin, the rams are ejected from the pen to keep them from causing trouble. The pen’s fence is usually made of thorny shrubs piled a meter high forming a circular or oval enclosure large enough to fit the entire flock. The entrance door into the pen is usually at the back of the enclosure and made from a large tree branch piled high with thorny

shrubs. The milking door is a small opening at the front of the pen, usually about sixteen inches wide by thirty-six inches high, about the right size for a single sheep to squeeze through. On each side of the milking door, there are stone stools for the milking team to sit on. The milking team sits side by side, knees touching, effectively closing the door opening. Each member of the milking team has a galvanized container in front of them secured to the ground by the insides of their feet. In the old days they used ceramic jugs. The milking process begins by first guiding a sheep to the milking door. Then when one of the milking team members is ready to take on a ewe, both milkers move their knees inward creating a gap for the ewe to go by. As the ewe attempts to exit it is caught by its hind leg and moved into position in front of the milking container. The ewe is then held by its udder with one hand and milked with the other. Thumb and index finger are lubricated with milk to make them slippery so as not to hurt the sheep, then milk is squeezed out. The actual extraction involves placing the top of the teat tube between the thumb and index finger, lightly pinching the tube to hold the milk from escaping back up then sliding fingers down squeezing a stream of milk into the container. The extraction is repeated until all the milk is drained from both teats. Each stroke produces about a spoonful of milk. The milk is particularly aromatic and tasty when sheep graze on healthy green thyme (chembritsa) which grows in abundance in Oshchima. Sheep’s milk is one of the most essential raw materials for the manufacture of dairy products. In season, it is collected twice a day and transported home in galvanized containers on the back of a donkey. In the old days, milk was transported in sheepskins. Most of the milk produced is sold to cheese factories (bachila) to make feta and hard cheeses while some is kept for home consumption. Milk (mleko) is a versatile food that can be eaten raw or boiled, made into feta cheese (sirenie), cottage cheese (ourda), butter (mas), buttermilk (bientsa), and whey (siratka), a by-product from making feta cheese. Feta cheese is produced according to age-old recipes and pickled in salt brine for preservation. Nowadays feta cheese is sealed in tin cans until used. In the old days it was stored in oak casks and required regular maintenance (tochenie) to keep it from spoiling. Milk products, other than feta cheese, are seasonal and eaten before spoiling. There is nothing that quenches thirst like buttermilk (bientsa) on a hot summer day or the taste of warm zelnik made with cottage cheese (ourda). Butter is also enjoyed immensely. This is no ordinary butter with its creamy white colour, smooth texture and heavenly taste. Butter is difficult to make but is delicious to eat spread on a warm slice of freshly baked bread. Children love to eat it fresh, especially as an incentive to deliver cool, thirst-quenching buttermilk to the shepherds and the workers in the fields. Sheep rest in the shade during the hot day and graze in the early morning, late afternoon and night. Late at night sheep are brought to sleep on fallow fields where they leave their droppings, fertilizing the soil. Shepherds, sometimes with young assistants, stay with the sheep twenty-four hours a day. It is during these times that stories are created and transformed into legends often told and re-told. Some stories are of nymphs (samobily) who only come out at night in the moonlight and sit on the rocks near the river’s rushing water, washing and combing their long golden hair undisturbed. Others are of eerie noises and screams in the night or of shepherds and sheep dogs chasing wolves with red glowing eyes. When times get lonely shepherds always turn to the flute. One cannot be a true shepherd without knowing how to play the flute. Shepherds practice and practice until melodies flow from their flutes like crystalline waters from a cool spring. The melodies of a shepherd’s flute in the darkness of night are always welcome, not only to the shepherd but also to those who work and travel at night.

The shepherd’s flute is also a warning to beware of vicious sheep dogs. In the herding profession, shepherds top the scale when it comes to job prestige, followed by cattle herders then pig herders. Equipped with their staff (krluk), flute (kaval), food sack (torba), and their sheep dogs, shepherds lead their flocks through the mountainous pastures of Oshchima, sometimes for months at a time without a break. It’s a lonely life but never without excitement. The days may be boring but the nights certainly are not. On a clear night when there is a full moon, the landscape transforms from the familiar colourful sights of day to that of many eerie shades of black, gray, and silver. The shepherd sleeps outdoors in the wild with the earth as his pillow and the starlit sky as his blanket. When darkness

covers the terrain the shepherd’s senses become heightened. He uses his ears to detect danger. To the eyes ordinary shadows become dark and impenetrable objects but to a trained ear the snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves or the bark of a dog may mean that there is a beast lurking nearby. But when the sky is dark and it is pouring rain it’s a different matter altogether. Sharp flashes of lightning can blind, while the sound of rain and thunder can deafen an ordinary person with all senses lost, at the mercy of the elements. Shepherds, however, are not ordinary and instead of being scared out of their wits, they use the elements to their advantage. A flash of lightning in pitch dark is welcomed because it provides light to see the flock even if it is only for an instant. With each flash the shepherd can guide his flock to safety. The rain will help grass grow and feed the sheep. Such is the life of the Oshchimian shepherd. Less glamorous yet equally important is the cattle herder’s job. Each morning before dawn the cattle herder (voloar) walks up and down the village streets calling on all to bring their cattle out. As each family escorts their livestock, the voloar takes inventory and holds the herd until every cow is accounted for. The voloar then leads the herd to pasture, making sure none stray. The herd consists mainly of plough oxen and a few cows. The only excitement the voloar may encounter is if the herd is spooked by a wild animal or stung by a particular wasp. The cattle fear the sting of the wasp and the instant they hear its distinctive buzz they raise tails and bolt in every direction. The wise cows will head for home and the safety of the stable. Those not so wise may stray into someone’s garden or field and decide to snack while escaping the flying menace. When cows bolt, the voloar has a big job on his hands and may ask others to help him with the roundup. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, at dusk the same day, the voloar escorts the herd back to the village and to their owners. In comparison, pig herding is easiest but has a stigma of being associated with pigs. It’s not a high paying job but for those who need employment, it’s a job. Like the voloar, each morning the pig herder (bishkar) calls on the community to bring him their pigs. Then he leads them along the creek, Golem Trap, where they can graze on the long grass, eat roots, and wallow in the cool, moist mud. At the end of the day the bishkar leads the pigs back home making sure each is received by its owner. A loose pig can spell disaster for someone’s garden or crops. In July watering is at its peak. The hot summer sun dries the soil quickly and the fields require watering more frequently. Around this time watering becomes a daily chore. Every drop is needed to water gardens and fields, leaving the meadows as a last priority. To relieve the burden of watering and replenish the dwindling water supply, rain is welcomed and year after year it fulfils its obligation. Sometimes, however, nature forgets its role and must be reminded of its obligations. This is when Oshchimians turn to old traditions. “Vai Doudoulki” is an old custom invoked during droughts but is no longer practiced. It is a plea for nature to provide satisfying rain from the heavens. It involves a young woman being dressed in a costume made of leaves. Water from a stomne (earthenware jug) is poured on her head as the crowd chants the rain song. Dressed in leaves from head to toe, the young woman extends her arms outwards and receives the precious water as the crowd surrounding her chant, “Vai doudoulki sitna rosa zarosi od boga do golema rosa ihi aha”. Many villages in Macedonia practiced this custom with some variations. Some regions used young orphan boys and dressed them in leaves of specific plants. Oshchimians used the leaves and stems of the “biliachka” plant, a common weed growing in abundance in Oshchima. In mid-July, water worries are set aside for a moment, to prepare for the July 20th St.

Ilia celebration. This is a community affair involving the entire village. In 1922 Oshchima built a Christian Orthodox Monastery at Osoi in honour of Svety Ilia. Every year on July 20th organizers put on a big celebration and call on every Oshchimian to cross the Oshchima River to the Svety Ilia Monastery to partake in the many events starting with the church service. Later there is live music and the people sing traditional Macedonian songs. The church committee puts on an impressive display of free food and drinks for all. The celebration is a happy event bringing families, friends, neighbours, and the entire community together. With the Svety Ilia celebrations set aside and the hot, dry summer weather looming ahead, Oshchimians start to plan for the grain harvest. Rye (hrsh), wheat (pchenitsa), and barley (iachmen) are the most common crops grown. Rye flour is the main ingredient for making bread and is usually mixed

with wheat or corn (miser) to add flavour, freshness, and texture. Chunks of boiled potatoes are sometimes added to keep the bread moist or to compensate for flour shortages. Barley is strictly animal feed. In early August the sickles are sharpened and made ready for the grain harvest. If the grain is mature and the weather conditions are right, harvesting can begin. To prevent the husks from bursting, cutting of the grain stem must take place early in the morning when the plants are moist with dew. A dry husk will burst and spill its seeds on the ground. Harvesting is performed by grabbing a bunch of stems near their tops with one hand, while cutting their base with a sickle in the other. The cuts are made close to the soil to take as much of the stems as possible. Any husks that may break off are picked up, usually by young children, and placed in a sack. This way the child can be occupied and productive while adults concentrate on their own work. These are exciting times for the young, being with their parents and at the same time, helping them out. Some children enjoy getting up very early in the morning just to witness the sunrise. Even the trip to the field is exciting. Experiencing the cool morning air, witnessing the dance of the nighthawks (patlashi), and watching darkness fade away into daybreak can be fascinating. After they are cut, grain stalks are grouped together in bunches about eight inches in diameter. They are then woven together into twenty-five to thirty inch cylindrical bundles (sfalnitsi) so that the husks are hidden inside the straw. The bundles are tied with two straw ropes made from grain stalks each about two inches thick. The straw stalks kept moist and supple, are then twisted together to make a straw rope. Once the straw is loosely tied by hand, the straw rope is then twisted into a knot with a wooden stake (vitel) to tighten it. A well-bundled sfalnitsa has no hulls exposed or the grain will be lost during transport. The bundles are transported from field (niva) to threshing yard via pack animals (horse, mule, or donkey) two or three bundles at a time. Once harvested, the field will remain fallow until next fall to regenerate. In preparation for threshing, every speck of fresh cow dung is collected and stockpiled. Those families who don’t own cattle, or need more than they can collect from their own, roam the streets picking up the stuff. Dung must be kept cool and moist at all times to keep it pliable. Threshing yards (goumna) are prepared by removing all dirt and grass at the root level without disturbing the hardness of the soil floor. Most families in Oshchima have a threshing yard located outdoors near the barn. To prepare for threshing, the yard is first moistened with water then coated with dung slush. To ensure the threshing floor is flat, all dips are filled by multiple applications of dung slush. After the area is left to dry it becomes like a thin carpet, strong yet flexible so that the grain will not be crushed when stepped on. At the center of the threshing yard is a wooden post (stedjer) to which the animals doing the threshing will be tied. Horses, mules, donkeys or oxen, sometimes in pairs, are employed to do the threshing. Single hoofed animals are preferred because they can be outfitted with special metal shoes that can crush the straw while threshing out the grain. Threshing begins when the threshing master announces, “Today is a good day to prepare for threshing.” The threshing master achieves the honour of being called a master only if he or she can accurately predict the weather. Only after examining the early morning skies and taking a good look at Bodantsa and Belavoda can the threshing master make predictions. Even the slightest shimmer of fog atop Bodantsa or Belavoda can be a warning that it may rain in the afternoon. No fog usually means no rain and threshing can be scheduled for the day. Dry weather is desirable because moisture or prolonged rain can spell disaster for the harvest.

The actual process of threshing begins by laying the grain stems on the threshing floor in two to four inch layers outwards from the center post, in a circular fashion. The stems are left in the sun for a while to dry any dew that may have collected during the night. Next, the threshing animals are brought to the outer rim of the circle and tied with a taut rope to the center post. The animals are then led in a circle around the outer rim, coming closer to the center as the winding rope shortens. When the animals reach the center post, they are turned around thus reversing their direction and unwinding the rope to its limit.