001. Marko skače

Dialect: A (Slovenian)
Reference: NM-MH 1224a
Text incipit: Marko skače [Marko leaps]
Locality: Tišina/Csendlak
Performer(s): Ana Horvat (21 y.) and Franc Džuban (45 y.)
Year: 1898
Collector: Béla Vikár

Comment: This song, which is today one of the best-known Prekmurje songs, draws attention to some special features in the tradition of the Slovenes in Hungary. Because of the influence of the Lutheran church, they experienced greater pressure on traditional rituals and folk beliefs and hence also on their ritual songs. Hence, the ritual heritage that remained in use was mostly wedding customs and songs. This song is also a wedding song, though originally connected to courtship, and it was known in a wider area along the Slovene–Croatian border. Its connection to dance highlights its archaic character. At the time of the recording in Tišina the song had several stanzas and the original connection to dance was obvious. Before the Second World War, it was replaced by a folklore-based dance game that included choosing a dancing partner, also therefore changing the meaning of the song.

Transcription is published in the Collection (nr. 1).

Music note

Lyrics

Marko skače, Marko skače
po zelenoj trati,
hm, hm, tra-la-la,
po zelenoj trati.

V rokaj nosi sedem žutij zlati.
Tou de njemi za devojko dati.
Pijte, jejte, mojga bratca konji!
Zdaj mo išli daleč po devojko.
Prek devétij, prek desetij moustov.
Tam jo vidim, folaše pomejče.

Manuscript