lighting before electricity

Breste 1

38 (a) i hùrkata i prèda cèla zìma predème tačème na làmbata tɤčème

I [take] the distaff and spin. We spin all winter, we spin by lamp-light.

39 (a) nèma kòj ti e imàlo takìvi tòkove̥ bòže bòže tòkove̥

There was no – whoever had this electric current. Goodness – current!

40 (a) làmbata tɤ̀ča i na làmbata tɤ̀ča ta gа spùštim kùpime pamùk abe

The lamp! I weave by lamplight, remove [what I’ve woven], we buy cotton, and–

Breste 3

35 (a) tà emi pràve:me si sedènki nakladèm ògɤn svetùčkata predè:me pòsle zatrìa tavà

So we had work bees. We light the fire, spin “svetuchka”, and then that stopped

38 (b) za svetùčkata t’à ìska da kàže na kakvò nè na tòka

[When she says] “svetuchka” she means by what [light], not by electric lights,

39 (b) na svetùčkata vìkaše

[but] by “svetuchka”, as she said.

40 (a) na svetùčkata na ogɤ̀n’a

By “svetuchkha”, by firelight.

42 (a) na ogɤ̀n’a

By firelight.

45 (a) na ògɤn’a te sve svèti ogɤ̀n’a i nìe na nèja predèm

By the fire – the fire gives light and we spin by that.

Dolno Ujno

166 (a) i nèmaše tòk a na làmba se svèteše làmbi

And there wasn’t any electricity, rather a lamp would burn. Lamps ...

167 (RA) bez

Without –

168 (a) làmbi ne znàm vidèli li ste [laughter]

I don’t know if you’ve seen [such] lamps? [laughter]

169 (GK) səs gàzje

On gas?

170 (RA) visì li

Is it hanging?

171 (a) nè nè

No, no!

172 (RA) səz gàs li

[Burning] gas, is it?

173 (a) nè nè làm na làmba səs gàzg'e

No, no! It’s a lamp, a lamp. [Burning] “gasgye”...

175 (a) z gàs [laughter] i s vìdelce pək ne znàm

gas! [laughter] And a “videltse” (small dish holding a candle). I don’t know –

176 (a) prez ə kato detè sɤ̀m na vìdalo rasnàla

during – as a child, I grew up with [that kind of lighting].

177 (a) ednò takvò kakvò da vi kàžem mɤ̀ničko kato

It’s, like, how can I tell you? It’s tiny, like –

178 (GK) paničè nèkvo

Some sort of little bowl?

179 (a) nè nè nè e tekà

No, no, no. It’s like this –

180 (RA) əhɤ̀ səs svèšti

Aha, with candles.

181 (a) sos svèšti soz gàzgija

With candles, with gas –

183 (b) kandìlče

A hanging lamp

184 (a) kato kandìlče

Like a hanging lamp.

186 (a) oddòle sos kvò da vi go kàžem tè zabravìla səm

With [this thing] below – how can I tell you? I’ve forgotten.

Gorna Krušica 3

22 (c) a tàa čèrga ìska da se istkàe i jàs tkàa

but this rug needed to be fully woven. So I’m weaving

23 (c) na tèmnoto večertà na ednà gàzena làmbička

in the dark of night, with just one gas lantern [to see by].

Sŭrnica 4

52 (a) i i nə č’ərkmɤ̀tə kləd’èš’ pàk kandž’èl’e gòre də svərìš’

And you put a hanging lamp up on the “churkma” in order to cook –

53 (b) tvà vèče na odžàkɤ

That’s in the hearth already.

54 (a) ə f udž’àkə vɤ̀tre zəkàč’iš’ ìmə idnòvrɛ̀meš’en kəndžìl ž’il’ɛ̀zən

[Yes,] in the hearth. You’d hang this old-fashioned iron lamp –

55 (a) zəkàč’iš’ tàmkənə čərkmɤ̀tə kləd’èš’ burnìčkətə də ti svɛ̀ti

you’d hang [it] there [on] the “churkma” and light some kindling [in it]

56 (a) də vìdiš’ tvà tàm f tɤ̀vnutu n’èmə làmbə s kvò də sv’ɛ̀tiš’

so you could see there in the dark. There weren’t any [modern] lamps to light.

57 (a) sìč’ku stàrə ràbutə làmbə n’èmə drùgu n’èmə kləd’èš nə č’ərkmɤ̀tə

Everything [was] old-time. No lamps, no other [light source]. You put [up] the “churkma”

58 (a) də ti sv’ɛ̀tɨ vərìš’ pupàrətə bɤ̀rkəž z dɤ̀rvenətə lədžìcә̥

to give you light, you cook the porridge, you stir it with a wooden spoon.

59 (a) bɤ̀rkəž’ bɤ̀rkəš’ tàm čərkmɤ̀tə ti sv’ɛ̀ti udvɤ̀tre nə kòlə

You stir and stir and the “churkma” gives you [enough] light, from a post

60 (a) pə f kumìnə də dud’è sə svərì dud’è sə nəpràvi jɛ̀d’en’ètu

inside the fireplace to do the cooking and prepare food [to eat].

61 (MM) ta nə koè kàzvate vìe čɤrkmɤ̀

And – what is this [thing] you call “churkma”?

62 (a) č’ərkmɤ̀ d’ètu slàgəme burnɤ̀tə ednò vrɛ̀me svetìlu

The “churkma” is where we put kindling in the old days, a light [source] …

64 (a) d’ètu ut t’èl

… that’s on a wire.

65 (b) kato šìlo

Like an awl.

66 (a) təkà zəkàč’enkə i dòlu è təkvà kətu reš’ètč’icə

[It was] hanging [from it], and underneath was a sort of little grate.

68 (a) kətu riš’ètkə nàč’i č’ərkmɤ̀ mu vìkəme

It’s like a small grate. We call it a “churkma”.

69 (a) i zəpàliš’ burnìč’kətə ti sv’ɛ̀ti ə tùk ti e kandžìlə

and you set fire to the kindling, and it gives you light. And here’s the hanging lamp ...

70 (b) slòžiš go sv’ɛ̀t’ə nə tàm nə jàdenetu dètu e

You put it where it will give you light while you’re eating.

71 (a) àrkumàtə pàk

... [over] the cooking pot …

72 (MM) a da se vìžda

So you can see.

73 (b) à də se

So you can –

74 (a) də sə vìždə kəkò də vərìš’ də gòtviš’

… so you can see what’s cooking so as to prepare meals.

75 (a) štòtu n’e jè kətu seà də ìmə tòk də ìmə svetìlu

Because it wasn’t like now, when you’ve got electricity and lights

76 (a) vič’irtɤ̀ doòd’əš’ kɤ̀snu ud ràbutə

in the evening [when] you come home late from work.

78 (a) sklàlu si àrkumatə nə kəndž’ìlə a nìe si burnìč’kite si klàvəme č’ərkmɤ̀tə

You’ve put the cook pot under the hanging lamp, and we light kindling in the "churkma",

79 (a) i tàa sv’ɛ̀ti tì vərìš’ bɤ̀rkəš’ zə də svərìš’ jàd’ene də nəpràiš’

and it gives light, you cook, stir, finish cooking – you prepare the meals.

83 (a) èdenèt trɛ̀və si gòtviš’ s’èki dèn’ tàm nə kòlə nə kəndž’èlə

You had to cook the meals every day, to [the light] of hanging lamp on a post.

Sveta Petka 2

1 (MM) a s kakvò si svètexte bàbo eminè ednò vrème vɤf.kɤ̀šti

What did you use to light up the house in the old days, Granny Emine?

2 (a) s làmbi

Lamps.

3 (MM) a predì tovà

And before that?

4 (a) nә ugèn’e

Fire.

9 (a) nә kumìn’etu val’èhme ògen’

We would light a fire in the fireplace

13 (c) udž’ɛ̀k tùkә tùkә vɤf kɤ̀štәtә

The hearth here – here in the house.

15 (c) i [unintelligible] da vàl’eme wògin

And to – we light the fire.

17 (c) i sv’ɛ̀ti

And it lights [things up].

19 (a) kәtu izdujdòә làmbi tugàs si kupìhme pu nɛ̀kuә làmbicә

And when gas lamps came around, each of us bought a couple of them.

20 (a) pә pә s làmbite dujdè pә tòko hà pa tòko fәnà:me

So then along with the lamps, electricity came in and we got electricity

21 (a) s tәvà sme pɤ̀rvu pumìnәle

That’s how we first started [doing that].

33 (MM) znàči na na ogìna si svètixte vìe

So then, you all got your light from – from the fire.

38 (MM) a ne pràvexte li od bòr takìva

And didn’t you make some sort of [something] from pine trees,

39 (MM) kàk im vìkate vìe da pàlite od bòr eni ə ə

what did you call it, [something] to light a fire from pine –

40 (b) bòr’inә

Kindling.

47 (MM) e kàk se svèteše sɤs nèja

So how did you get light from it?

49 (a) n’èmә n’èmә nә ugìnә nәàkәme drɤvà i

No, no. We piled wood on the fire and …

51 (a) i putpàliš z bòrinàta i

… and you light it with the kindling and …

54 (c) i ni sv’ɛ̀ti

… and it gives us light.

56 (c) nәklәdèm nәklәdèm nә udž’ɛ̀ku

We lay – we lay a fire in the hearth …

58 (c) drɤvà

… [with] wood …

60 (c) i putpàlehme z bòr’inә

… and we’d light it with the kindling …

62 (c) i se grɛ̀eme i svɛ̀ti

… and we’d get warm and have light.

63 (MM) dobrè ako tr’àbva da večèr’ate na tàja svetlinà li

O.K. And if you need to have supper in this light?

64 (c) emi nә tàә svetlinà

Well, [we’d do it] in this light.

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