The oldest known przywołówki, also called przywoływki, come from the account of the ethnographer Oskar Kolberg of 1867:
Harness horses and oxen, we are taking away Maries Dorędówna! And take for her 4 heaps of sand (for scrubbing), – 5 heaps of quitch grass (for the evening), 20 buckets of water and soap, for washing in dung heap, – 4 long hoes for sweeping in shit, as she is black!
I announce it to everyone that Żówka, as she was wearing unattractive clothes, her house was untidy, she did not go to work, but argued with everyone, will be given the following dyngus [water pouring]: a hundred barrels of water and a hundred birches. Żówka is not scared as Jasiek with vodka is standing behind her (Tuczno village).
No matter which town przywołówki originated from, they were all similar in their form. They would start with a presentation of a girl, i.e. with the words The first, the second and the third, in Mister Lewandowski’s house lives a beautiful girl … or The first house from the manor …. . Then there was a flattering or criticising opinion of her, for example a lovely, beautiful girl, God-fearing girl wanting happiness for herself and the announcement how much water would be poured on her, for example: One needs a glass for her beauty. At the end, a name of the boy calling her out was revealed, for example: Let her sleep well, let her not be scared as Janek Kowalski stands behind her! He will buy her out! Przywołówki from eastern Kuyavia were shorter and less diverse in their content, for example:
In the first house from the manor
Lives one beautiful, lovely girl
Looking descent
One needs five buckets of water on her
For her beauty.
(Chodecz, 1930)
The ones from western Kuyavia, especially from the villages situated closer to the cities, were more extensive and varied, for example:
The first, the second and the third,
Zosia, from Kowalski family, is an ugly girl,
A slut at work, very slovenly,
Her house is dirty
Dressed as a sloven and lazy at work,
Late at work, cows are dirty
And badly milked
(Lubostroń, the 60s of the 20th century)
In the first house from Inowrocław
Lives a lovely, beautiful girl,
Her name is Bogna.
One needs a glass of water on her,
Perfumes for her beauty and a comb for her hair,
A mirror to look at herself.
Let her not be scared at all
As Jasio Lewandowski stands behind her,
He will buy her out!
(Szymborze, 1949)
Since the 60s of the 20th century, the form of przywołówki in Szymborze has changed, now the girls are not assessed nor criticised as it previously was. Only the name of the girl and the surname of her parents are given, how much water would be poured over her and the name of the boy who bought her out:
At Ms Kolasiński’s lives one girl Danusia, one needs the Baltic sea of water on her – Pachocki Zbigniew (1979)
At Mr Witczak’s lives one girl Jadziuchna, one needs a squirt can of water on her – Zieliński Maciej (1987)
The ones for whom a big ransom was paid are promised a bottle of fragrant water and one embroidered towel.
The bachelors who did not buy a girl out nor made any contribution to the Committee and who do not support this tradition are described in a funny, sometimes sarcastic way:
On the Steward ‘s Mańka
Full can’s water,
As she stands all day in front of a mirror
And only spruces herself up!
For her beauty
Full bucket’s water!
And the one that attends to the pigs
It won’t miss her either,
Full pond of this water
For her ugly look!
(Brzyszewo, 1930)
Beautiful Kochna,
Similar to a goat
For her beauty
Two buckets of water,
Two kilos of quitch,
And a spoke on her back.
Hurra, hurra, hurra!
(Zakrzewo, 1965)
Marianna from Świecie
Banns for the third time.
Who knows of any obstacle
Let him dip his heads into water!
Let her not be afraid,
As 10 bachelors stand behind her!
(Zakrzewo, 1965)
Under number 56 for the Lewandowski’s Fela
One needs a bottle of Committee water
And two linen towels, embroidered in gold
Let her sleep, let her not be scared.
As Michał stands behind her
Well qualified farmer,
Undereducated gardener,
Who plants roses and thistle grows,
Our, our Michał Szasta.
(Szymborze, 1984)
First number from the mansion
Lives Marysia, pretty and beautiful,
Like a rose.
Let her not be scared,
As Wojtek stands behind her.
Four buckets of water
For her beauty.
Firstly, secondly, thirdly!
(okolice Brześcia Kujawskiego, 1930)
Woźniakowa keeps a lovely girl,
As the other ones.
Let her not be scared,
As Jan Pawiński stands behind her.
A towel to wipe,
A mirror to look into,
A comb to comb hair.
Hura, hura. Let her not be scared.
(Smólsk, 1954)
Under number four
At Mr Łopaciński’s
One girl Marychna,
One needs a bottle of water on her
I am an old bachelor of tall height,
But I do not have beard on my chin.
All girls think a bachelor,
But they call me crazy.
As my sight is as of a bull’s
My nam eis Trawiński Henryk.
(Szymborze, 1965)
At Mr Pochocki’s lives one girl Renatka.
One needs a kettle of water on her. Rolirad Andrzej.
(Szymborze, 1979)
I wanted to feather my nest on my father’s store
After one year I drank it all.
When my father leant about it,
He spent three weeks in hospital.
And as I am a little deaf,
No girls attract me.
I wanted to gain fame as a table tennis player
But after one month they chuckled me out.
I drink a lot of beer at Szymborze disco,
And my stupid head is swaying all the time.
I wear fashionable striped pants
My name is bankrupt Daruś Kozłowski.
(Szymborze, 1994)
And under the number two
Lives Mr Kowalski’s Pela.
As fat as a pig.
Needs to be poured on with buckets of water,
So that she should not lose her beauty.
A heap of slag from our smithy
some quitch to brush,
And a comb to comb hair.
Let her not be scared,
As one lame-leg stands behind her!
(Strzelno, 1962)
Let Zosia not be scared,
As Maciek stands behind her.
For her beauty
A glass of water
A silk towel
For her beautiful face.
(Strzelno, 1962)
U pana Lewandowskiego jedna panienka Agatka.
Potrzeba na nią karafkę wody. Sowa Mariusz.
(Szymborze, 1979)
U pana Janowskiego trzy panienki.
A tej pierwszej Eluchna, potrzeba na nią szklankę wody. Czartek Wiesław.
A tej drugiej Grażynka, potrzeba na nią studnię wody. Kopeć Krzysztof.
A tej trzeciej Halinka, potrzeba na nią wiadro wody. Grzymysławski Andrzej.
(Szymborze, 1979)
At Mr Kamiński’s lives girl Kasiuchna
One needs a bucket of water on her.
I got a railway job
And I acted as a furious electrician.
As a wire touches a wire,
Then the current gets into my head.
And as I am a bad farmer,
Gawks ate my crop.
I often drink beer,
So my stupid head often is amiss .
Now, after drinking, I am down at heel,
My nam is pee Kamil Dedek.
(Szymborze, 2008)
