It hath been my first house...

Összefoglaló

Gatepost ornamented with flowers, doors decorated with suns; gates carved with lions and dragons; headstones carved with flowers, suns, birds and snakes - this is a world of wonders. These wooden gates, which signify life and existence, and the gravestones, symbolizing death, can be found in Transylvania, around the Maros-Nyárád and Kis-Küküllő rivers. The gate is much more than a simple entrance: it is the expression of the existence of the people, of the family. The gravestone is more than a memorial stone; it is also the entrance to the next world. It must be protected by magic figures, like the gates, which protect life. The surprising similarity between the gate carving and the engraving of the headstones is no coincidence. Here we find the ancient beliefs that flourished even before the adoption of Christianity. The full story is presented here, through the words of sculptor László Péterfy and the Photos of Mihály Kútvölgyi.