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Paper short abstract

The presentation will focus on milk measurement customs recorded in four different villages in Romania (Maramureș and Cluj regions), presenting the beliefs associated to plant elements used and believed to ensure the safety of the animals throughout the summer.

Paper long abstract

At the beginning of spring, the sheep start grazing around their owners' houses. After the Feast of St George on 23 April or 1 May (depending on the village's tradition), the owners gather their animals together and form a sheepfold. To calculate and regulate the quantity of milk or cheese that each owner would receive during the summer while the sheep graze in the mountains or on common pastures, the custom of milk measurement is performed. Several gestures are performed on this occasion to protect the animals and shepherds. For example, the sheepfold is adorned with green leaves and flowers, and a tree (usually a fir or birch; this tree is called "the cross" of the sheepfold) is planted in front of the pen where the owners milk the animals. At the start of the milking process, an axe is planted in the ground to protect the sheep from lightning. The presentation will focus on milk measurement customs recorded in four different villages in Romania (three in Maramureș region, and one in Cluj region), presenting the beliefs associated to plant elements used to ensure the safety of the animals throughout the summer.