ARMY FOLK SONGS. LYRICISM VS WAR IMPACT
ARMY FOLK SONGS. LYRICISM VS WAR IMPACT

Summary/Abstract: The Romanian folklore, among its corpora of lyrical songs transmitted by word of mouth, contains a special category entitled “cântece de cătănie” (from Hungarian ”katona”=soldier), modulated in Transylvania, at the intersection of Romanian traditions with the reality of the young lads being summoned to army service or even to war. What was the situation for Romanian ethnics who were under the ruling of Austro-Hungarian Empire? The analysis of these particular army folk songs unravels the subjective dimension of this topic, conveyed in a lyrical form. The army service was perceived like a forced seven-year-exile with dangers. The entire village community was present at the departure; therefore, the moment was deemed as similar to rites of passage. The lyrics associate the forced departure for army with a temporary death, the shirt is prepared as for the wedding ceremonial or for the funeral rites. This meant a way to foreshadow the integration of the specific ritual in case of sudden death. The rhymed verses of these folkloric songs testify the sufferings of young men taken to army, the longing of the lad after his sweetheart, but also the dramas of families left without financial support and without consolation.

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