FolkCostume&Embroidery: Folk Costume and Embroidery of Pannonian Romania, Part 1: Maramureș County

Hello all,

Today I wish to start a series on Romanian Pannonia. Pannonia is the great plain of central Europe, centered on Hungary, but also including parts of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. There is a certain commonality to the folk costume in this area, especially for the men. The Romanian Pannonian region is sometimes lumped in with Transylvania, but is actually a separate region.

Today I will be talking about Maramureș County.

Maramureș lies just west of the Carpathian mountains on the Ukrainian border, north of Transylvania.

The cultural area of Marmorosh, including the folk costume also extends north of the border. While most people are ethnically Romanian, there is a significant Ukrainian minority in the northeast. This county also includes three other microregions, Lăpuș, Chioar, and part of Codru. Țara Codrului also extends into the highlands in the south of Satu Mare. The dividing line between Chioar and Codru is the Someș river.

Maramureș

Maramureș is characterized by a square necked chemise of unique cut. This chemise is worn by both Romanians and Ukrainians, on both sides of the border, but is unknown elsewhere. There are two long, relatively narrow strips which pass over the shoulders, and wider front and back fields which are smocked to make a neckline.

There are narrow stripes of embroidery worked around the neckline, on the shoulders and the cuffs. A sort of epaulette is added to the shoulders, smocked with the edge hanging free. A similar sort of piece is sometimes added to the front and back smocking. These always have a scalloped edge.

In more recent years these extra fringe pieces have become enlarged and exaggerated by some. The sleeves were originally gathered into cuffs, but now are often gathered towards the ends, and the sleeve ends left open.

The edges of these pieces have gotten more elaborate open work embroidery, and today is sometimes edged with commercial lace.

Traditionally the lower garment consists of wide wool double aprons, with wide alternating stripes of black and either red or yellow, or occasionally green.

This is occasionally replaced by a regular skirt, usually of colorful material.

Necklaces of various types are worn. What is most distinctive to the area is woven chokers of beads. These are also worn in the other microregions and Ukraine. These are hand made in a wide variety of patterns and colors.

The hair is put up at the back of the head and a kerchief tied over it. I imagine there must have been some sort of more traditional cap, but I have found no evidence of it.

Heavy white wool socks and moccasins are the traditional footwear, and have survived here better than in some other regions.

Heavy, shaggy, usually white wool jackets similar to the Hunia of Ukrainian Transcarpathia are worn. Wool shoulder bags woven in check designs are used by both men and women.

Embroidered sheepskin vests with a front opening are worn by both men and women. The older ones have very elaborate embroidery, including leather applique, covering most of the suede surface.

I have one of these, packed away somewhere, if the moths haven't eaten it. It seems that, unfortunately, these are no longer being made. The new ones are embroidered with a scale pattern all over, just as extensive although simpler in design, and have colorful tassels attached to them, perhaps due to influence from Bistrița-Năsăud, just to the south. Often mirrors or sequins are placed in the center of the scales.

Men wear straight cut shirts, with embroidery on the collar, shoulders, front opening, cuffs, and sometimes the hem. The sleeves may be gathered into cuffs, or left open. White pants are worn, wide linen ones in summer, with heavy wool ones worn over them in winter. See the images above.

The wide Carpathian leather belt, woven or knitted wrist warmers, small bell shaped straw hat or wool cap, woven shoulder bag, and boots complete the ensemble. In older times the men also wore white wool stockings and moccasins.

Just a few more images from this region.

Lăpuș

The zone of Lăpuș is found in the southeastern part of Maramureș county. Culturally it is intermediate with Transylvania. It occupies the valley of the river Lăpuș and the surrounding highlands. Above you see a couple in the old costume, and some folk dance friends of mine, including Joan at left wearing her Lăpuș costume.

https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C8%9Aara_L%C4%83pu%C8%99ului

The chemise has three basic forms, and they do not seem to be regional, as I have found photos of all three being worn in the same family. Neither do they seem to be generational.

What I assume to be the more original form is what is being worn by Joan, the grandmother in the first photo, and the young mother in the second photo. This has the neck opening in back, the sleeves in one piece up to the neckline, and the front smocked and embroidered at the neck. There is usually a narrow band of embroidery on the upper sleeve, a smocked gathering at the elbow, and another band of embroidery below that, as well as lace or openwork on the edge. This is a more Transylvanian cut, similar to that of the Gyimesi Csango.

The second cut includes a rectangular yoke over the shoulders. This shows influence from their neighbors to the west. The neck opening may be in front or in the back, and the edges of the yoke are embroidered. The sleeves are generally the same. Going back to the intergenerational photos above, this is being worn by the young woman on the right in the first photo, and the central woman, presumably the baby's grandmother in the second. It sometimes includes a fold over collar.

The third type is a chemise with, usually, a front opening and no yoke. This is similar to the type of chemise worn more generally in Romania. These may have sleeves embroidered in a similar way to the others, but might instead have a wide band of embroidery high on the sleeves, and vertical stripes below that. Some seem to be generic Romanian blouses with no real tie to this region.

The chemise is long, and a double apron is worn, blue, black, or red, with at least one patterned horizontal stripe at the bottom, usually with colored fringe. The lower part of the chemise may have one horizontal band of embroidery.

The outfit is completed with white socks and moccasins, kerchiefs for the women and hairbands for the girls, beaded necklaces, and sheepskin vests that close at the sides and are embroidered.

Long dark wool overcoats are worn in winter. Checked woolen shoulder bags are also used here.

Mens clothing is similar to that of the neighboring regions, shirt and linen pants, wide leather belt, boots or moccasins with white wool socks. They tend to use felt hats with beaded ornaments here, or sheepskin caps in cold weather.

Chioar

Chioar lies in the southwest and south central part of Maramureș County, named after the Kővár vára, 'Stone Fortress', built by the Hungarians. It lies in the area of the lower Lăpuș river, from the gorge to the Someș river, from the highlands north of Baia Mare to the south border of Maramureș County.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C8%9Aara_Chioarului

There seems to be far less information on this costume available in general, but the image gives you some idea. The womens' costume consists of a chemise, embroidered linen skirt and one full apron. The men's costume is similar to others in the area, but has a distinctive stovepipe straw hat. White on white embroidery and openwork are very popular here. It is more similar to the general Pannonian Costume.

Here are a couple of examples of the old style chemise and skirt

More recently, the shirt and skirt have had their cut simplified. Both whitework and polychrome embroidery are used.

Here we have a dance in the region. In the background are girls from Lapus, and in the foreground some from Chioar.

Sometimes the shirt has a rectangular yoke, which may be colorfully embroidered, as in other nearby regions. The apron is often black, and usually embroidered and lace edged.

Some modern shirts keep the cut simple, but continue to have elaborate embroidery, including cutwork.

The aprons are generally embroidered, and crotched lace is common on the skirts and aprons both.

An embroidered sheepskin vest that closes on the side is worn.

Jewelry, is, of course, valued. Both fine jewelry and the colorful chokers made of beads.

Moccasins were part of the original costume here as well.

Men''s costume is similar to that of neighboring regions, including an embroidered shirt, wide linen pants, wide Carpathian belt, boots or moccasins, and the trademark stovepipe straw hat of the region.