Izviđanje prilika u obitelji i u kući budućeg bračnog druga
Investigation of the Circumstances in the House and Family of the Future Spouse

Summary/Abstract: The research in Pazarišta has shown interesting forms of the investigation of the circumstances in the house and the family of the future spouse. Very specific forms of investigation connected to annual customs (on the day of St. John after the Christmas and during Carnival days), have not been confirmed in other areas. Two terms zagledačina and prljačina are sometimes used even at the same time for the same phenomenon, and can have the same meaning, too. However, in some villages the term zagledačina is used for investigation of the circumstances in the girl or boy s house, and in the other the term prljačina is used for the same phenomenon. This meaning of the two terms is characteristic for the area of Pazarišta, and there is only one confirmation of the same phenomenon in the neighborhood of Udbine. The term zagledačina meaning a trial asking in marriage is used only in the village of Draga in Pazarišta and in other southern areas of Lika. Zagledačina also has another meaning of getting to know of future spouses, and sometimes getting acquainted of the youth with the family of boy and/or girl (in the area of Velebit, in the neighborhood of Perušić, Gospić and Otočac). The term prljačina meaning investigation of the circumstances is characteristic for Bunjevci areas in Lika (Pazarišta, Sv. Rok), and is also known in the neighborhood areas with prevailing Serb population. According to individual narration, in some places of Pazarišta and in Lovinac, this custom is linked to the asking in marriage so also the agreements on the dowry are being made. Thus in Lovinac prljačina is the term for asking in marriage. In Lika, the following terms for investigation of the circumstances: ugledi, ogledi, obilazak are also sporadically confirmed which, like the terms zagledačina and prljačina have other meanings as well. The found differences in terms and meaning of some phenomena related to investigation of circumstances in the house of the future spouse (properties, the characteristics of the girl, the mother and the family in general), as well as the getting acquainted of the youth and the family are obviously reflection of the ethno-cultural permeation in the area of Lika during history (especially after the Turkish penetration into these Croatian territories). Characteristic terms prljačina and zagledačina meaning investigation of circumstances in various forms is known only with Bunjevci in Lika (with the confirmations with Serbs in the same area), while the term prljačina is not known outside these parts of Lika. Starting from the appearance of investigation of circumstances in the area of Lika, it has been shown that the same terms used to mark those phenomena also have other meanings like trial asking in marriage, agreement before asking in marriage, giving the final answer and real asking in marriage. Accordingly, clarification of this issue would demand first of all a more detailed research, which would encompass the mentioned phenomena as well, in order to identify what processes had the impact on the phenomenon of using the same or related terms for different customs related to premarital period, and which parts of Lika were encompassed by these processes.

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