The symbols of the beautiful Maramures gates

We also talked about symbols inlaid in wood when we told you about church in Leleasca. And about the wood that accompanies the lives of country people when I shared with you from my childhood memories from my "country" in Moldoveni, a village, where I spent all my holidays. But the wooden gates of Maramures are a crowning achievement. They are in themselves a symbol. I love these Maramures doors, with their craftsmanship and their meticulous workmanship, and I am glad to see that there are still craftsmen who carry on the tradition, taking it over from the old folk craftsmen.

I have been to Maramures many times, mostly on business, less on holiday, and often a tall, beautifully carved wooden gate caught my eye. I would simply stop on my way because I couldn't resist the temptation to feel the wood, to see the symbols and understand their meaning. There were so many and so varied! I recently saw such a beautiful new Maramures gate. It reminded me of the gates I had seen "at home" in Maramureș and I thought it was time to find out more about all these symbols, but also about what the gate itself represents, why it is different from other places and why it is only there.

The old Maramureș gates can be found mainly in the villages along the valley of the Iza, Cosău and Mara rivers, but also in the villages of Țara Lăpușului. Why were they built in these places? During the feudal period, some wealthier families, who had a number of privileges, were raised in this area from among the village families. They were called "nemeses" (kings) and a lord was chosen from among them. The voivods preferred to have several such families with limited power, so over time power was distributed to as many families as possible. The heads of these families built imposing gates to distinguish themselves from the other members of the estate who did not have this right and who had simple gates called vranițe. This way, when someone came to the place for the first time, they immediately knew who was a gentile and who was not. In fact, even now, if you go to such a village and ask for someone they will guide you by pointing out elements of the gate construction or carving.

The typical Maramureșana gate is high and built on 3 vertical posts and one horizontal post, positioned at the top (the upper threshold of the gate), which joins the construction and is called the "fruntar". The roof - the hâizaș - is covered with draniță. The gates are made of oak, which must be felled only on nights with a full moon to protect the house from misfortune and evil watches, and transported on weekdays when fasting is not eaten, i.e. Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, to bring good luck to the house.

The symbols carved on the gate date back to the pre-Christian period and were intended to protect and purify family members as they passed under it. Among the most common symbols are:

• twisted rope - symbolizes infinity, the link between heaven and earth, life with good and evil going together;

• the sun - represents life and has several representations: circle, star, a round face;

• the hive - brings abundance in the house;

• the tree of life - life without end, life without death, but also verticality;
• snake - the guardian of the household (house snake);
• wolf's tooth - defender against charms;
• the tree - life, verticality;
• the rooster - hardiness, greatness;

• cross - faith;

Some of the old symbols have disappeared from the new gates and more modern ones have appeared: flowers, folk verses or scenes of life.

Passing under the gate was a symbol in itself. In the old days, it was the man who went out - to work, to trade or to battle. On his return home he was supposed to come laden with the evils of the world, diseases, curses and spells, and passing through the gate purified him to go clean to his family.

There is so much beauty and poetry in these gates and there is so much to learn about them. In fact it's a way of finding out about us, they are 'books' made with chisels. They are like the painted churches in Bucovina, where you can "read" the Bible by looking at the drawings in a certain order.

I love Maramures with its gates, traditions and people. I have had the joy of meeting wonderful people, fond of their places and proud of their heritage. They are people who welcome you warmly into their homes and hearts. Going to those places you often get the feeling that they have all passed through the gates and left behind all the evils of the world.