Marija Gašperin from Stara Fužina was born during the First World War. She recalled going to the mountain pastures for the first time with her uncle at the age of five. Before starting her independent path as a dairymaid (majerica), she thoroughly familiarized herself with the pastures. Her first solo journeys to the mountains filled her with fear, but later she became so accustomed to them that she could no longer live without them. Her greatest joy was when the livestock was healthy and everything followed the usual schedule. She remembered her youth the most, a time when there were still many dairymaids in the mountains, and they would even go dancing at other pastures. She worked as a majerica in the Laz pasture, where cows from multiple owners were kept, and she was responsible for milking thirteen cows. She remained connected to the pastures for four decades.
THE DAIRYMAID (Majerica)
Traditionally, members of the household took on the role of dairymaids or herdsmen—unmarried girls or boys, as well as older, unmarried uncles and aunts. If no one from the household was available, they had to hire a dairymaid. A dairmaid usually began her work in the pastures at the age of fourteen or fifteen, learning from her mother or older dairymaids. She returned to the pastures year after year until she got married. If she never married, she could remain dedicated to the dairymaid profession for decades. The dairymaids wore skirts with a bodice and tied an apron around their waist. Their socks were usually red, and they wore wooden clogs (cokle). It was believed that if a man wanted a hardworking and responsible wife, he should marry a dairymaid—they were highly sought-after brides.
Information: Anja Poštrak, mag. Barbara Kalan / Gorenjski Museum
Photographs: Gorenjski Museum
