Merry Cemetery – Sapanta (Maramures)
The Merry Cemetery or Cimitirul Vesel dates from the middle of 1930s, and is
the creation of a popular artist Stan Ion Patras, sculptor, painter and poet at the same time. Creativity of Patras revealed this
monumental and famous artwork. More than 50 years the artist has created hundreds of wooden crosses inscripted in characteristic style.
After his death in 1977, his work was continued by his disciple Dumitru Pop Tincu.
The geographical coordinates of the Merry
Cemetery are 47° 58' 21.24" N 23° 41' 53.22" E.
The merry cemetery from Sapanta is known all over the world, thanks to
the man who was a great popular artist Ion Stan Patras, sculptor, painter and poet appreciated for all three arts in equal form. Because
of the prestige enjoyed among villagers, during his life he managed to execute a remarkable number of carved crosses, painted. To
which cross is added a short chronicle which captures in a few words the essence of the whole life of late deceased. Because of the
lively colors, (blue background or ultra-marine with an engraved design, and colored with white or yellow, where red, yellow, green
are in a very small proportion, give a maximum contrast, but at the same time harmonious. To the colors is added a carved artistic
form well executed with a good distribution of volumes in space.
His own grave reads:
Romanian
De cu tînar copilas
Io am fost Stan
Ion Patras
Sa ma ascultat oameni buni
Ce voi spune nu-s minciuni
Cîte zile am trait
Rau la nime n-am dorit
Dar bine cît-am putut
Orisicine
mia cerut
Vai saraca lumea mea
Ca greu am trait în ea
English Translation
Since I was a little boy
I was known as Stan Ioan Patras
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
The Chronicles written, sometimes very funny, transformed the cemetery,
from a sad place to a "happy" one, being the only one of its kind in the world and hence the name it has today” Merry Cemetery” from
Sapanta.
An example of a funny grave is:
Romanian
Sa va mai spun una buna
Mi-o placut tuica de pruna
Cu prietenii la birt
Uitam si
de ce-am venit
English translation
Now I will tell you a good one
I kind of liked the plum tuica (Romanian alcholic beverage)
With
my friends at the pub
I used to forget what I came for
Over 800 painted crosses create a vast archive, to preserve the history
of the inhabitants of Sapanta.
At the merry cemetery, the tourist gets one of the most beautiful lessons about life, from local
people. Their ancestors, believed death was a begging, not an end. This belief has survived until today.
“Merry Cemetery" - here
is evidence of those beliefs. Death is welcomed with joy. The crosses are inscribed with satirical verses, describing key events in
the life of the deceased. Philosophy of life in Maramures is "to laugh when in trouble".
The cemetery is located 18 km
from Sigehtul Marmatiei, nearest station is that of the Tisa, Campulung. Tisa Valley Cemetery is located on county road Sighet - Satu
Mare.
Merry Cemetery from Sapanta has become a veritable open-air museum and also a tourist attraction. The novelty of this cemetery
is the differentiation from most European cultures that consider death as a very solemn event. Sometimes, special culture of this
cemetery was made in connection with the Dacian culture, whose philosophy was based on the belief that immortality exists and death
was a cause for joy, person reaching into another better life.
Merry Cemetery is unique in the world in the way it displays the
human relationship with the ultimate destiny – death.
The cemetery was ranked first of the funeral monuments in Europe and second
in the world - after the Valley of the Kings.
Bibliography
The travel guide of Romania - Publisher
Publirom, 2008
Institutul
de Memorie Culturala "Poarta catre patrimoniul cultural românesc" 2009. Institutul de Memorie Culturala
27 Dec 2009 <
http://www.cimec.ro>
Wikipedia contributors. "Merry Cemetery" 26 December
2009. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
