Main character KURENT of the carnival event Kurentovanje in Slovenia
In the past few days, Kurentovanje took place again. It is one of the most popular carnival events in Slovenia. Its name comes from the festival's central figure, the Kurent.
Kurentovanje
It is ethnologically significant as well. It's a rite of spring and fertility, that lasts 10 days in February in Ptuj, which is the oldest Slovenian town. Most of the festivities are centered in and around Ptuj. The carnival is accompanied by concerts, activities and other attractions, and it has approximately 150.000 visitors every year. It's celebrated on Shrove Sunday in Ptuj. The masked rite is held since 1960 (the first modern version of the festival) and the 50th anniversary of the first organized instance of this festival was celebrated in 2010 in Ptuj, that became in 1991 a part of the European Federation of Carnival Cities (EFCC-FECC).
Kurent
The origins
Kurent (Korant) is the main and most famous, popular, traditional figure of the carnival and the most recognizable in the whole Slovenia. The origins of the carnival and the Kurent are not entirely clear, so it may have come from earlier Slavic, Celtic or Illyrian customs. It could have evolved from Greek and Roman rituals or from ancient Slavic tradition. We can find similar traditions in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and elsewhere. In Slovenian folk mythology, he is like an extravagant god of pleasure and hedonism.
The costume
The Kurents have two types of the head. The head can be covered with feathers or horns. The first one is feathery Korant (from Markovci), and the second one is horned Korant (from Haloze).
Kurent wears traditional garments, that are made of sheepskin and are massive. Around its waist is a chain belt, from where the big cowbells are hanging. In his hand (normally left) he is holding a wooden club with hedgehog skin, that is attached to it, and is called ježevka.
Massive sheepskin garments & big bells
It wears boots, that are heavy and black, and special leg warmers, that are made of red or green wool. Head is covered with a furry sheepskin hat, that looks like a tower and is festooned with ribbons. Part of the head is, of course, the mask.
The mask is made of leather and has 3 holes (two for the eyes and one for the mouth), that are surrounded by red paint. It has a big nose, that looks like a trunk. The nose is connected alongside bristles or whiskers from twigs and teeth from white beans. The mask usually also has a long, red tongue. It is a Slovenian folk art to create the Kurent masks.
If you wanted to be a Kurent in early times, you had to be a man, that is unmarried, but now the outfits can also wear the married man, women and children. Basically everyone.
Function
Kurent has the power to chase away winter with the sounds of the chains with bells and the wooden club with hedgehog skin. Its presence announces the beginning of spring as well. It is said that they can also bring luck and abundant crops. They are jumping and whirling to produce even more sound with the cowbells.
Intangible cultural heritage
At first, the carnival figure was inscribed into the Slovenian registry of intangible heritage in 2012, but later the Kurent has made it on UNESCO list as well, which is really great. =>
“Door-to-door rounds of the Kurent have been put on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage across the world.” They go door to door to bring luck and vanquish winter.
To find more information, visit =>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurentovanje
https://www.culture.si/en/Kurentovanje
http://www.rtvslo.si/news-in-english/door-to-door-rounds-of-the-kurent-inscribed-on-unesco-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage/439959
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-trv-slovenia-story.html (It's a nice post by Beverly Beyette, who visited Slovenia and also the carnival in Ptuj. It is an insight into how the Ptuj carnival and Kurents are experienced by a foreign citizen.)
Thank you for taking part in this months #culturevulture challenge. Good Luck.