Pokači - Kurentovanje

The Whip Crackers

Announcing the Beginning of Carnival

The whip cracker is one of the first traditional carnival characters to announce the beginning of the carnival time. Traditionally, already in the night immediately after the Candlemas, boys and men started cracking their whips, which were carefully woven from hemp ropes and raffia before the carnival season. With the loud whimpering whips that split into the winter night, they announce the time of carnival. The whip crackers join the carnival appearances of other carnival characters. Their visit brings happiness and prosperity, and according to the tradition, they chase away dark forces and evil spirits.

The Whip Crackers

Announcing the Beginning of Carnival

Traditional ethnographic characters

Masks are so widely spread that they hold a significant place in the history of the mankind. For centuries people have believed that the use of masks could help to make connections with the world beyond, with demons, gods, and ancestors’ spirits. Their driving force was to understand and influence natural and social phenomena. The celebration of the carnival goes back to the pagan period, before Christianity, when people celebrated the forthcoming spring and the inevitable end of the winter by performing the rituals of fertility and by magic of masks. Although later Christianity felt absolutely disinclined to this pagan performance, it could never really uproot the masquerading. To be preserved the carnival took place at the beginning of the 40-day Lent preceding Easter; in fact Lent lasts 46 days as the first day is Ash Wednesday. After the period of merry-making, excessive eating and drinking which end on Shrove Tuesday at midnight, begins the period of fasting.

Masks and masquerading which have come into existence through various historical periods, can nowadays be divided into traditional masks with magic power, and contemporary carnival masks criticising and mocking different events happening in everyday life. In Slovenia, the Ptuj and Drava Fields, Haloze and Slovenske Gorice hills represent the area which deserves special attention for the number and variety of traditional carnival masks.

Kurent

the most important ethnographic figure

Old Woman Carrying Her Man

spirits of heaven

Gypsies

from Dornava

The Devil

fear, fear, is coming

Jürek and Rabolj

from Haloze

The Trough

the straw bride

Wedding Character – the Spearman

marital character

Kurike and piceki

for a good harvest

The Mischievous Bear

from Ptuj field

Ploughmen

draw a magic circle

Log-Haulers

to enchant fertility

Carnival dancers

from Pobrežje

The Whip Crackers

for happiness and well-being

Rusas

from Ptuj field

Fairies

dancing and singing

Traditional ethnographic characters

Traditional ethnographic characters

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