ABSTRACT
The ingrown character of Slav peasant society had meant that for generations the sole source of the education of young peasants had been traditional. The fact that such a large part of the ‘pure’ peasants lived together in zadrugas had resulted in the passing on of a richer and more complex tradition than would have been possible had the household unit been limited to small family groups. For each child and young person was brought into close contact with a fairly large group of adults, who could supplement one another’s instructions, so that there was less likelihood of part of the tradition being lost from generation to generation.
