This is the second of five parts in our project translating information on pre-WWII beliefs in vampires, witches, monsters, demons, death rituals and superstitions in specific villages. This post focuses on Sanok County, excluding Komańcza Gmina, which will have its own post. This information was provided by local school officials to the Sanok School Inspectorate in the late 1930s. The original documents and metadata are available online from the Sanok Historical Museum through the Sanok Digital Library.

To learn more about the scope and purpose of this project, see Introduction: Vampires, Witches, and other Terrifying Creatures in the Sanok School Inspectorate Questionnaires

Bukowsko

Przybyszów

The population is convinced that the spirits of certain deceased individuals walk the earth at night. They willingly give to Romani because they fear that a Romani person might cast spells, for example, witches stealing milk from cows. They also believe every person has their own star. If it shines brightly, they are fortunate. If it is dim, they will experience misfortune.

Wola Piotrowa

The population believes in spirits (they roam the world at night until 12 o’clock).They believe in witchcraft (e.g., a witch stealing milk from cows).Girls go to fortune-tellers for help in love, etc. They attend the cerkiew and offer prayers – they make pilgrimages to indulgence sites, such as Kalwaria, Kalnica, and Sanok. The population says prayers in the church and at home, morning and evening.

Tokarnia

The population is under the impression that the spirits of some of the dead walk the earth at night. Romani people are willingly supported, because they fear that a Romani person might cast a spell, e.g., a witch taking away milk from cows. Every person has their own star—if it shines brightly, they are happy/fortunate; if it is dim, things will go badly for them.

Bukowsko

The local people do not really believe in fears related to water, but various superstitions and beliefs prevail here, e.g., if a cat (worse if black) crosses someone’s path, misfortune will happen to them – It is bad to meet a woman first thing in the morning, or a person carrying empty buckets. After sunset, they will not sell milk here, because the cow will lose its milk – On Christmas Eve, they will not sell anything to anyone, they will not give, nor will they lend anything – Generally – there is a great abundance of superstitions and beliefs here.

Bukowsko Fair

Wola Sękowa

Spiritual culture is very poor. People believe in witchcraft, evil spirits, and so-called zamawiacy who are capable of casting spells; for example, they can take away or spoil a cow’s milk, bring misfortune to a household, or illness to a person. In case of illness, they usually turn to witch doctors.

Dudyńce

The population is quite superstitious, mostly the elders; the youth no longer believe in various haunts.

1). The people believe that a person who, when in life, talks to themselves while walking, will continue to walk for another year after death. They believe that such a person has two souls—that one goes to its predestined place, while the other walks around the village.

2). When someone from the family dies, no one dares to touch the quern-stones (hand-mill for grinding grain) for a whole week, because the soul is doing penance there.

3) When they carry the deceased out of the cottage, the family throws grain, they stand so that the soul goes with the deceased, and doesn’t stay behind. Before putting the deceased into the coffin, every family member grabs the deceased by the big toe, so that they will not be afraid of him in the future.

The old folk believe in “boginki,” that if, for example, a mother leaves her child alone in a cradle, the “boginka” will come and swap the child. They even say that such an event actually took place. They believe that on Christmas Eve (or the Feast of Jordan), every housewife must pour holy water into the cooked food, otherwise, this “boginka” will poison the meal. No one will lend anything to anyone after sunset, especially nothing related to milk. – On the Feast of the Annunciation, no one will lend anything to anyone either.

Wolica

The population believes in the afterlife. They believe that the dead walk the earth and talk to the living. Old people repeat certain words spoken by the deceased, claiming to have heard them themselves. Superstitions and folk beliefs exist among the people. Once a year, on the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God on October 14th, they do not milk cows for the entire day, because they say and believe that the Mother of God takes this milk for baby Jesus. After sunset, they will not sell dairy products, because otherwise, the cows will milk poorly and the hens will not lay eggs well.

Questionnaires without monsters

Bełchówka, Karlików, Nowotaniec, Płonna, Zboiska

Zagórz

Poraż

Beliefs in ghosts and superstitions are not known to the local population. Generally, the inhabitants do not display excessive piety.

Tarnawa Dolna

The local people believe in ghosts and spirits of the deceased – they believe that after death, the soul stays around the hut for some time and makes its presence known through knocking, rustling, tiptoeing, etc. For example, they believe that the spirit of a mother comes to the hut at night and takes care of her orphaned infant, feeding and putting it to sleep. They say that after death, a young child has a bruised back because it is being whipped by angels for the sins of the mother.

On the first night after the funeral, the spirit of the deceased comes to the cottage, where they place a full glass of water, bread, and salt on the table. When water is found spilled around the glass on the table, they believe that the soul came to visit.

Old people tell a story that over thirty years ago, the wife of a local Greek-Catholic priest, a Polish woman, died here. After her death, on moonlit nights, a female figure was often seen walking from the parish house to the church and back. She would enter the parish house and demand from her husband the rosary that he had promised to place in her coffin but failed to do so. This continued for a long time, until a missionary was brought in. He prayed fervently for her soul and hung a rosary on the cross upon her grave—and the spirit never appeared to anyone again.

Wielopole

The majority of the people are superstitious, for example, they believe that a deceased person hears everything until the first clod of earth falls onto the coffin. Or that on St. John’s Day, sorcerers roam around stealing milk. They consider Monday to be a heavy (unlucky) day, so they do not undertake any major work. And they believe in good yields when sowing during a full moon.

Zasław

The population is quite pious, participating in all neighboring indulgence feasts together with their children. They are superstitious and talk about terrors that appear at midnight over the river in the form of a flickering light. Under the bridge at midnight on Good Friday, a rushing sound can be heard, and a bright shadow, three meters long, flies back and forth. In the collapsed buildings of the unfinished factory, unusual things occur even during the day—smoke appears, and floorboards move by themselves. They also talk about a certain “black lady” wandering at night near the manor house. Others say that on the night of Good Friday, one cannot pass under the railway bridge because various animals block the way.

Zahutyń

The local population believes that after a person’s death, the human soul does penance at the site of its misdeed, sometimes appearing to people and asking for help…

…Few fairy tales and legends have been preserved: Wodniki or drowned men, and water nymphs appearing at night over streams, over the San River, as well as in swamps and marshes.

Questionnaires without monsters

Choceń, Czaszyn, Dolina, Kamionki, Łukowe, Mokre, Morochów, Olchowa, Serednie Wielkie, Tarnawa Górna

Tyrawa Woloska

Hołuczków

The inhabitants of Hołuczków—just like rural people in general—are superstitious. They believe in hexes, charms—above all, they believe in witches who steal milk from cows or make it unfit for use. There are even a few old women in the village whom the people consider to be witches.

If any housewife happens to churn more butter than her neighbor, or if she can afford to sell milk and cheese—she is a witch, a witch for certain. And immediately the gossips prove it because “Why don’t I have any, while she does—after all, I give food to the cows at milking time just like she does!”

Interestingly, they can get to work spying on a housewife suspected of witchcraft right away—day and night. And immediately, gossip spreads. A group of women gathers and starts making a fuss: “You know, yesterday she was smoking her cattle with something. And why was she planting some herbs the day before yesterday?” And that little herb does not grow long in the “witch’s” garden, because a few days later the “witch” complains, “Someone maliciously pulled the herbs out of my garden!” People fear such a witch and hate her. Out of fear of their spells, they invite witches to christenings, weddings, and other family rituals, so that they would not seek revenge on them later.

If they were not afraid of bearing responsibility for their actions, many of them would have long ago said goodbye to this world. Not being able to kill a human, however, they take revenge on poor animals, into which these abominable witches allegedly transform from time to time.

No more than three years ago, a forester, having seen a large toad on top of a manure pile in the evening, grabbed an axe to whack into the toad. The toad jumped away, but he claimed that he had cut off a piece of its leg. As chance would have it, on the second day one of those village ‘witches’ had a bandage on her hand. Of course, it was because at night the forester had hurt her — while she was transformed into a frog. Clear as day.

This is how much the local population believes in witches. They are also afraid of spirits, which, having left human bodies, wander the world and terrify people due to some wrongdoings they committed. A spirit can also transform into a giant dog that startles horses grazing peacefully.This belief is also fueled by the downright incredible imagination of women. Not only do they believe what others say, but they are also capable of seeing and believing in what does not exist.

Bad luck is foretold by a cat that crosses the road, or an empty bucket carried by a girl hurrying to get water. No important work should be started on a Monday, nor should a brooding hen be set on eggs on the day someone died in the village. It is forbidden to give fire or butter to a female neighbor in the evening (witchcraft).

This conservatism of the people is interesting when it comes to their beliefs and superstitions. — A farmer or housewife will convince themselves a hundred times that these superstitions are only superstitions, that they have and can have no influence on their lives, and yet they do not stop believing in them. — It looks as if they could not do without what their grandfathers and great-grandfathers believed in, as if — they simply could not live without them.

Deep is the people’s belief in the afterlife. In connection with this, and also to honor for the last time the mortal remains, they wash the corpse very carefully, dress it, and lay it on boards, on plentiful straw,in the main room. During the day, neighbors visit the deceased, recite prayers, and at night they gather, sing all night long, or tell each other tales. In the event of the death of a father or mother, the sons walk with their heads uncovered for three days.

They believe that if the deceased was honest, the soul goes to heaven, a sinner’s to hell, and sometimes it returns home at night around midnight and haunts. To protect themselves from this during the removal of the corpse from the room, they strike every threshold with the coffin three times.

If a girl dies, they put a small bottle of holy water and a small vessel filled with wheat into her coffin (why—they don’t know themselves).

After the death of a faithful one, it is forbidden to grind on hand-mills (querns) in the house for 14 days.

In the first year after the death of a family member, an unwhitewashed corner is left in the room, because according to their beliefs, the soul does penance in that place.

Questionnaires without monsters

Rakowa, Siemuszowa, Tyrawa Wołoska, Wola Krecowa

Blueprint for school in Tyrawa Wołoska

Sanok Gmina

Tyrawa Solna

Various superstitions are almost eradicated. Older people still sometimes believe in witches who spoil cows, or that it brings bad luck if an old woman crosses the road with empty buckets.

On the feast of “Widime” on December 4th, a neighbor will absolutely not visit another neighbor, because such a person would be yelled at right on the doorstep and not allowed inside.

Międzybrodźie

They believe that the spirits of the deceased return to haunt the living. By the corpse, they tell folk tales, chat merrily, or sing. They believe in the “gniećka” [the presser], a nightmare demon that tangles horses’ manes and suffocates people. They believe in the evil eye, in the power of incantations and sorcery, and they try to do everything to prevent spells. In this regard, women usually have the upper hand.

Liszna

The local people believe that some of the deceased walk after death, and there are even those who claim to have seen them. They say that the soul does penance in this world for certain sins. Until recently, it was said that one of the forest ravines was haunted. It was supposed to be the soul of an illegitimate child whose mother killed it and buried the body in that ravine.

Out of superstition, some housewives will not give milk and butter out of the house after sunset, saying that this negatively affects the milk yield of the cows. Some also believe in witches who steal milk from cows. They say that one of the farmhands saw such a witch who, before sunrise, while dragging a wooden milk pail through the dew, was saying: “I’ll take my share, but not everything.” Some time later, this farmhand, having led the horses out to the pasture, used the same spell, dragging the horse’s tether through the dew, and when he returned and hung this tether in the stable, milk began to drip from it. Formerly, “bohynki” (their name for boginki indicating a Rusyn origin) were also said to reside in the streams in the ravines, washing clothes and kidnapping small children. Nowadays, belief in superstitions and spooks is becoming less and less.

Bykowce

They believe that on St. George’s Day, witches can spirit away an infant left unattended. After death, a soul must do penance if it requires prayers for its salvation.

Załuż

Recently, I was told that before the World War, witches used to live here. There was an incident where one of them cast a spell on a neighbor’s cows. So, the neighbor “lay in wait” for her. Standing by the gates, he saw a large toad crawling toward his stable. He threw an axe at the toad, cutting the toes off its foot. Investigating the matter further, the neighbor found out that from then on until her death, the witch was missing five toes on one of her feet.

Traditional folklore also includes beliefs about specific locations that were considered unlucky or inhabited by spirits. According to these local legends, certain areas within a landscape or even a home were thought to be better avoided. Narratives from this period often describe spirits appearing in various animal forms, which were believed to cause distress to those they encountered.

People believed there were remedies for such misfortunes. Historical accounts mention that if a person believed to be a witch was physically confronted, it was thought she would stop interfering with the livestock. To confront her, certain rituals were performed to draw her to a specific location. One documented folklore method involved boiling specific items—such as wire pins, juniper needles sourced from a cemetery—during a High Mass while reciting specific incantations. These practices were believed to force the witch to appear, allowing for further confrontation.

In 1925, I myself witnessed how a local dyak, who was also the commune secretary, accused one of the housewives of witchcraft. When carrying a deceased person out of the house, every threshold must be touched with the coffin as a farewell, and the seed grain and hatching eggs must be moved, otherwise the life within them will die. The same must be done in houses past which the deceased is being carried or transported. On the anniversary of the death, one must make an offering for a parastas. Until recently, food was brought to the deceased’s grave on this day. Relatives, friends, and acquaintances sit by the body of the deceased without interruption, and from time to time they are given vodka there. The youth tell each other various jokes, most often about ghosts. After the funeral, a funeral wake takes place in a tavern or in a booth next to the cerkiew, or for some in their home. They serve vodka, bread, and cheese…

…Most often, they take a person to the doctor only when they are already dying. Hence, there are many cases of death during the journey. Such a death outside the village borders also brings further unpleasantness; namely, it is not considered a good thing when a deceased person is brought back from “abroad” or outside the village…

Niebieszczany

The population of this locality is pious. Some, especially the elderly, still hold superstitions, e.g., after sunset they do not give away or sell milk, or dairy products in general. They believe in the evil eye, which means that when someone has a headache, they throw a few glowing embers into a glass filled with water, and then, when these embers sink to the bottom, they wash themselves with this water 3 times, spitting 3 times while doing so…

…On the eve of Saint John’s Day, they burn “sobótki,” which means bonfires.

Prusiek

People believe souls wander around the village visiting their loved ones. They believe that from beyond the grave, the spirits look after their closest family members, helping them with advice and deeds. For example, a widow finds a beautifully plowed field in the morning, saying that her husband remembered her. Similarly, mothers visit and rock their children to sleep. They also say that spirits play wicked tricks on neighbors with whom there was no harmony during their lifetime.

Stróże Wielkie

The local people believe that the soul of the deceased remains on earth for some time after death and appears to their loved ones.Mondays are considered to be hard days and not particularly lucky; Friday, on the other hand, is regarded as the luckiest day. On Saturdays, as well as on days preceding holidays, local superstition forbids women from spinning. Farmers also believe that if someone sows wheat on the Jewish Judgment Day (Yom Kippur), they will reap rich harvests. After sunset, nothing should be given out from the house, and the same applies to the day when a farmer’s cow has calved.

Stróże Małe

Superstitious population. They believe in evil spirits that take various forms and appear at night in certain places, so they also try to avoid these places. They believe in witchcraft. For example, a bad female neighbor can take away a cow’s milk, can spoil things, can cast a spell (witchcraft) and many others.

Dąbrówka Ruska

The people do not believe in ghosts and spirits, and while the elders speak of them, the youth laugh, resulting in the elders losing their faith in spirits and refusing to speak about it.

Of beliefs and superstitions, the following have survived: “after sunset they give nothing away; after a cow calves, they borrow nothing and give nothing away; borrowed items are returned and taken back on the day before Christmas Eve so that everything is one’s own; when a cat crosses the path, they throw a stone and then pass.

Czerteż

They believe they recognize shadows after a person’s death. When the heirs do not act for the spirit of the deceased, their soul haunts the house and smashes objects. Dreams come true, a fable deludes, they gossip, plums mean illness. A bad female neighbor casts the evil eye, causing headaches and vomiting. Three needles brought to a deep plate and arranged appropriately indicate whether the sick person is truly suffering from curses. It is absolutely necessary to wash oneself three times (face and head) in a stream, spit three times each time, and fumigate the head with wild thyme.

Sometimes a witch neighbor steals milk from a neighbor. Her cow then gives better milk in the exact amount lost by the harmed neighbor. Her milk is fatty and yields greater profits, such a sorcerer. Bewitched cows lose weight, moo, lose milk, and become restless…

…When Czerteż belonged to the Jurowce estate, it was covered by several morgs of land. Where “Złota Górka” (Golden Hill) stands today, it used to be among the least fertile areas and had difficult access. Even today, only very poor grass grows on it. The estate manager of Jurowce would assign this plot of land to whichever peasant he liked the least, or usually to some incompetent person.It so happened that this very plot was given to a hardworking and pious man who observed fasts. He once pointed out to the manager that he was making those doing serfdom labor work even on holidays without urgent need. For this boldness, he received a whipping, and as punishment, his good land was taken away. Instead, he was given the poor land, specifically including the aforementioned hill. As a rent payment, he was required to deliver each year to the manor 5 geese, 10 hens, 1 kopa of eggs, and 2 kopy of grain, and every 4 years, 1 fattened ox standing 3 cubits high. Furthermore, he was to work on the manor’s estate for 3 days a year, but within a single week. The peasant accepted this gratefully and set to work. Year after year he fulfilled his obligation; however, when the fourth year came for him to deliver the ox, he could not do so, because that very year his cattle died of a plague. The pious peasant prayed fervently to God for help, as this was the only recourse left in the trouble of the distressed peasant. For a whole week, the peasant prayed and fasted. As the day for paying the rent approached, instead of going to the manor, the peasant went up a hill to say goodbye to his plot of land, where he had worked for 4 years without even earning enough for the rent, but which he had nevertheless come to love. Exhausted, he fell asleep. In a dream, the estate manager appeared to him—the one who had been persecuting him—and ordered him to dig a pit, right in the spot where he was sleeping. The depth of the pit was to match the height of the ox, i.e., 3 cubits. When the peasant woke up, he understood the dream as a divine command—he brought a spade and dug. When he had dug a pit 3 cubits deep, he came across a pot filled with gold coins. The honest peasant brought the money back to the manor, and the landlord gave him ownership of a dozen or so morgens of land along with the hill, which the local population from that time on called “Złota Górka.”

Srogów Dolny

They have various superstitions that they believe in, for example: After sunset, they do not carry dairy products out of the house, so that the cows do not lose their milk. They believe that a witch can steal the milk and that the evil eye can cause harm; according to their superstitions, nothing may be gathered on St. Mary’s Day.

Falejówka

Before St. John’s Day, no one bathes in open water because the water is not blessed. Before the Feast of Our Lady of the Berries (Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary), mothers who have deceased children do not eat berries, because due to their greed, Lord Jesus would not give berries to their children. After sunset, they will give nothing out of the house, because happiness would leave the home. On Christmas Eve, as a rule, they will give nothing—likewise no glowing embers to kindle a fire in another cottage—because this brings about a fire.

Raczkowa

Among the population, a belief in the afterlife is deeply developed; they believe that the souls of the deceased can return to Earth, visit their homes, and sometimes even appear to people in various forms. According to folk songs, the deceased also returns if they do not receive complete clothing for themselves.

Near the deceased, they sing religious songs and pray the rosary. While escorting the body of the deceased to the resting place, they sing the Rosary and “Jesus in the Garden of Olives” (Jezu w ogrojcu). After the funeral, they invite their closest relatives and neighbors to a funeral wake (stypa) to honor the memory of the deceased…

…They also believe that a witch can steal milk from cows, and that this witch can be lured to oneself in such a way that for 15 days before Christmas Eve, one lays aside one log of firewood and one pin every day, and on Christmas Eve, one must light a fire with that wood and drive the pins into a cloth intended for straining milk, boil all of this. By the power of spells, these pins will prick the witch, who will certainly come to beg for mercy. They also believe in the power of “evil eye” and ward it off. If they drive or walk to town, and a cat or a woman with empty buckets crosses their path, they wait until someone else passes first, otherwise they will not settle their affairs successfully.

Jurowce

They believe in the afterlife and that the spirits of the dead can return to earth, visit their homes, and sometimes appear to people in various forms. They sit by the deceased all night and sing religious hymns. According to beliefs, if the deceased is not given full clothing, they will walk after death. Everyone who attends the funeral must throw a lump of earth into the grave, contributing to the raising of the burial mound; otherwise, the deceased will come to claim that lump. After the funeral, those who carried the body, the cross, and the banners, as well as close neighbors, are invited to a gathering, or ‘funeral wake’, to honor the memory of the deceased. On Monday, they do not start any major work because it will not succeed.

On Christmas Day, they wish for a boy to come first in the morning as a “połaznik” (first guest), because a girl brings bad luck. All misfortune that occurs during the holidays is blamed on the “połaznik”. After the Christmas Eve supper, they bring a bundle of straw, which they spread on the floor, and the host takes a handful of straw and throws it under the ceiling beams; as many stalks stick to the ceiling, that many sheaves of grain there will be. There must be an even number of participants at the supper, because otherwise, one of the participants will die within the year. On the Epiphany (Jordan), they sprinkle the houses with holy water, and whoever runs home first will drive the evil spirit into others.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, they do not touch any grain, because the winter crops would dry up. On Easter, they hang the shells of blessed eggs on fruit trees so that the fruit grows large and fine. During solemn holidays, neighbors do not borrow anything from one another, because they immediately suspect each other of witchcraft. A farmer will not sell seed until he has sown or planted it himself, out of fear that another might steal his good fortune. If milk is given to a neighbor as a gift, they salt the milk, dip their pinky finger in it, and tuck it behind their belt. They do this so that the cow does not lose her milk. They believe that a witch can take away a cow’s milk and that she can be tracked down by setting aside one log of firewood and one pin every day for 15 days before Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, they light a fire with that wood, stick the pins into the ‘powarka’ (a cloth used for straining milk), and boil it. By the power of magic, these pins will prick the witch so much that she will come begging for mercy, and the cow will regain her milk. They believe in the power of “evil eyes” and they “cleanse” them.

Strachocina

Some still believe in witches who steal milk from cows. They believe that after sunset, milk cannot be taken out of the house, otherwise, the cow will lose its milk. They seek advice from fortune-tellers and folk healers. At the beginning of an illness, the sick person treats themselves with various herbs; when this does not help, they seek advice from babas, and when the illness is already fatal and help is often too late, they seek advice from a doctor. The sick are usually left to themselves without any care at home. The healthy go to work in the fields.

Questionnaires without monsters

Dobra Szlachecka, Jędruszkowce, Kostarowce, Lalin, Łódźina, Olchowce, Pakoszówka, Pisarowce, Płowce, Sanoczek

Zarszyn

The local population believes in specters or spirits. However, this belief is not as simple or superstitious as is often the case in less cultured districts. Beliefs regarding specters or spirits are most strongly linked to the deceased. The younger generation takes less interest in such tales, whereas the older folk enjoy recounting experiences involving encounters with the uncanny. In these stories, the fear is portrayed as something elusive and undefined—perhaps something walking about the room or shifting the furniture—yet no one can say exactly what it was. Tales of specters or spirits usually center on the room where the deceased lay, the church, or, most frequently, the cemetery. At the cemetery, people might see a woman dressed in white moving from the graves, crossing the grounds, and vanishing at the entrance gate. Interestingly, these stories are passed down from generation to generation. Young people do not fully adopt these beliefs, as they view the world more realistically; consequently, one can observe a gradual fading of these traditions.

…A creature—often a toad—is believed to dwell in the stable and act as the “master of the house”; harming it brings bad luck. If a cow’s milk is stolen, it is often blamed on a witch—sometimes a neighbor—simply because her own cows are producing more milk. A woman might imagine her neighbor is a witch in league with evil spirits; she does not say this directly but seeks advice from other neighbors, and the rumor spreads throughout the village. Remedies include keeping a male goat in the stable or nailing a horseshoe above the entrance to restore the milk supply. People also believe in the “evil eye.” Anyone can cast a spell with an envious glance…

Questionnaires without monsters

Długie, Jaćmierz, Nowosielce, Odrzechowa

Besko

Mymoń

There is no belief in ghosts or spirits. Some go to fortune-tellers and believe in the superstition of milk spoiling through witchcraft. They have a superstition that during the waning moon (before the new moon), and on the new moon, one should not sow or plant, because it will not yield a harvest. The arrival of a woman as first visitor on Christmas Eve morning is considered an omen of bad luck (“dziurawa podeszewka “). If a female beggar or a Romani woman comes to Christmas Eve dinner, illness awaits the members of the household that year.

Questionnaires without monsters

Besko

Images are found within the questionnaires, themselves, and are in the public domain. Please credit the Sanok Digital Library, not this site. Route maps from Google, vintage Galicia map from polona.pl, translations by Google.

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