2. MARAMURES IS THE BEST PLACE TO GO IF
YOU WANT TO SEE THE QUALITY OF THE
ROMANIAN CREATIVE EXPRESSION
THROUGH WOOD ART.
SAPANTA VILLAGE IS LOCATED ON THE
RIGHT BANK OF THE TISZA RIVER IN THE
VALLEY OF THE TERRACE, NEAR THE
CONFLUENCE SAPANTA AND TISZA, IN
THE EXTREME NORTH OF ROMANIA,
MARAMURES COUNTRY. THE VILLAGE IS
SITUATED ABOUT 18 KM FROM SIGHET
MARMATIEI.
3. IN THIS AREA ENCLOSED BY THE
CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
EMERGED A WOODCRAFT-
ORIENTED SOCIETY WITH AN
INTEREST IN CREATING NOT
ONLY USEFUL, BUT ALSO
PARTICULARLY AESTHETIC
OBJECTS. PERHAPS THE SAME
INTEREST WAS SHARED BY ONE
PARTICULAR ARTISAN FROM
MARAMURES COUNTY, IOAN
STAN PATRAS, WHO LEFT
BEHIND A REAL TREASURE.
4. TOMBSTONE SCULPTOR AND ARTIST, HE DECIDED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE
TRADITIONAL WAY OF CARVING WOODEN CROSSES. BEING A SIMPLE, RELIGIOUS
PERSON WHO FEARED GOD, HE UNDERSTOOD THAT DEATH IS PART OF LIFE. THIS
DETERMINED HIM TO STOP LOOKING AT DEATH WITH THE RIGIDITY WE ARE USED TO.
5. IT IS BELIEVED THAT A CHEERFUL
ATTITUDE IN FRONT OF DEATH WAS A
DACIAN CUSTOM. DACIAS BELIEVED IN
LIFE AFTER DEATH, DEATH BEING JUST A
GATE INTO ANOTHER WORLD. THEY DID
NOT REGARD DEATH AS A TRAGIC END,
BUT RATHER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
MEET THEIR GOD, ZAMOLXE.
6. IN MANY AREAS OF ROMANIA, ACCORDING TO ROMANIAN TRADITIONS, THE
PARTING WITH THE DEAD IS A JOYFUL EVENT. THE WAKE IS REGARDED AS THE
LAST PARTY WHERE THERE ARE PRESENT BOTH THE DECEASED AND THE LIVING HE
LEFT BEHIND. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE IN MIND, IOAN STAN PATRAS TRIED TO
TRANSPOSE INTO HIS WORK THE ESSENCE OF THE DECEASED’S LIFE IN A JOYFUL
WAY, THUS MAKING PEOPLE ACCEPT DEATH MORE EASILY.
7. THE CEMETERY'S ORIGINS ARE LINKED WITH THE NAME OF STAN IOAN PĂTRAŞ, A LOCAL
ARTIST WHO SCULPTED THE FIRST TOMBSTONE CROSSES. IN 1935, PĂTRAȘ CARVED THE
FIRST EPITAPH AND, AS OF THE 1960S, MORE THAN 800 OF SUCH OAK WOOD CROSSES
CAME INTO SIGHT. THE INSCRIPTION ON HIS TOMBSTONE CROSS SAYS:
SINCE I WAS A LITTLE BOY
I WAS KNOWN AS STAN ION PĂTRAŞ
LISTEN TO ME, FELLOWS
THERE ARE NO LIES IN WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY
ALL ALONG MY LIFE
I MEANT NO HARM TO ANYONE
BUT DID GOOD AS MUCH AS I COULD
TO ANYONE WHO ASKED
OH, MY POOR WORLD
BECAUSE IT WAS HARD LIVING IN IT
8. “UNDER THIS HEAVY CROSS
LIES MY POOR MOTHER IN-LAW
THREE MORE DAYS SHOULD SHE HAVE LIVED
I WOULD LIE, AND SHE WOULD READ (THIS CROSS).
YOU, WHO HERE ARE PASSING BY
NOT TO WAKE HER UP PLEASE TRY
CAUSE' IF SHE COMES BACK HOME
SHE'LL CRITICISE ME MORE.
BUT I WILL SURELY BEHAVE
SO SHE'LL NOT RETURN FROM GRAVE.
STAY HERE, MY DEAR MOTHER IN-LAW!”
