Kurentovanje
Encyclopedia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. The origins of Kurentovanje are not certain, but it is likely connected to Slavic paganism.
On Shrove Sunday, 27th February 1960, the first organised event called Kurentovanje was held in Ptuj featuring the traditional carnival masks from Markovci lined up in a carnival procession. At the sound of music played by a local band, the ones leading the procession were dancing spearmen followed by ploughmen, »rusa«, a bear, fairies, cockerels and Kurents. The performance and customs of each traditional mask were explained to the gathered crowd via loud-speakers. The event met with tremendous success and aroused general interest which encouraged the organisers to continue. One year year later masks from Markovci were joined by ploughmen from Lancova Vas, log-haulers from Cirkovci and mourners from Hajdina. For the first time, carnival (non-ethnographic) groups presented themselves in the afternoon. In 1962 the event reached beyond local boundaries by inviting »laufarji» (‘’runners’’) from Cerkno and “borovo gostuvanje” (‘’pine wedding’’ participants) from Predanovci in the Prekmurje region. The international aspect of the event was only acquired in the years to follow when local and Slovene traditional masks were joined by masks from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Hungary, Austria, Italy, and many more. Not only has the number of participants grown over the years, but also the number of spectators, with thousands visiting the Carnival events to marvel at the spectacular costumes and take part in the fun.
The main event of Kurentovanje is the procession of traditional carnival masks and groups which takes place on Shrove Sunday in the afternoon. For many years the main part of the event had been the presentation of individual traditional carnival groups; this took place either on the Saturday or Sunday morning prior to the afternoon procession. In 1994 Kurentovanje underwent a sort of upgrade, with the event being reorganized to last for more than just a couple of days, and featuring a multitude of organized carnival events, performances of traditional carnival masks on the square in front of the Town Hall, the burial of the Carnival, and an entertainment programme held in the carnival tent. In 1999 the organisers introduced the Prince of the Carnival who has since been chosen from among the numerous active supporters of the masquerading tradition in the region of Ptuj. The enthronement of the Prince takes place on 11th November each year – on St. Martin’s Day – which has become an important cultural and entertaining event in itself.
During the past few years, carnival time has begun precisely at midnight on 2nd February –Candlemas. Budina, one of the mostly rural suburbs of Ptuj, stages the event. This event includes a huge bonfire around which, at the stroke of midnight, Kurents --for this event equipped relatively simply with a chain and five bells and a wooden club-- start to dance, thus announcing the beginning of carnival. From this moment on Kurents are “allowed” to make their habitual rounds.
The festivities of carnival follow, and nowadays last for approximately eleven days, starting on Saturday, a week before Shrove Sunday, when only traditional carnival masks form a procession on the streets of Ptuj and when the Prince of the Carnival is bestowed the honour of ruling the town during the carnival period. Each day features performances of masks and many other types of entertainment which take place on the square in front of the Town Hall and in the carnival tent. All these activities culminate in Saturday’s procession of traditional carnival masks, the children’s carnival parade, the burial of Carnival and the return of power to the Mayor of the town. However, because there are sometimes fewer days between Candlemas and Shrove Tuesday, this means that other activities are of shorter duration as well. Consequently, this strongly influences the entire programme and development of the event each year.
The idea of an organised carnival event in Ptuj came about in the 1950’s, when the carnival masks, accompanied by a band, spontaneously formed processions on Shrove Tuesday. This event continued to grow, thanks in no small part to Ptuj cultural historian Drago Hasl (1900-1976). Hasl, indefatigable organiser of Kurentovanje from its beginnings until the 1970’s, was strongly convinced that this event could help prevent what he saw as the extremely rapid disappearance of carnival habits and traditional customs in the surrounding villages. In 1959, Hasl, strongly backed by those who shared both his views and enthusiasm for the event, proposed that the Historical Society of Ptuj take over the organisation and the implementation of the carnival event. He suggested that the event should be named after the most well-known mask Kurent – and Kurentovanje was born. Hasl also prepared a draft regarding the content and outlining the major guidelines to be followed in order to transform Kurentovanje into an event of ethnographic significance. His vision of an event comprising the unique carnival figures and habits from the Ptuj region, which could be joined at a later stage by other traditional Slovene masks, helped to make the event grow into a festival of masks. He additionally planned to expand the content of the event by introducing contemporary carnival masks. The confluence of the aforementioned guidelines and efforts employed by the organisers has turned Kurentovanje into a Carnival of European dimensions, confirmed also by the admittance of the town of Ptuj into the European Federation of Carnival Cities (EFCC-FECC) in 1991.
In 2010 the 50th anniversary of the first organised procession of traditional carnival masks was celebrated in Ptuj.
Photo gallery from Kurentovanje celebration
Kurent or Korant - the main carnival figure
Kurent or Korant is the most famous traditional carnival figure of the entire region, and arguably, the most recognizable in all of Slovenia. While Kurent groups might not all look exactly the same, it is the most popular and frequent traditional carnival figure in the Ptuj and Drava fields, and in the Haloze Hills.
Kurent or Korant, as it is known today, has its origin in popular tradition. Traditionally, the Kurent's outfit used to be reserved only for unmarried men, but nowadays Kurent-Korant can be unmarried or married men, as well as well women and children.
There are two types of Slovene Kurent-Korant: the so-called »feathery« (from the town of Markovci) and the »horned« ones (from Haloze), with the difference being mainly in the look of the head covering. The Kurent-Korant wears a massive sheep skin garment, and around its waist hangs a chain with huge bells attached to it -- all that resulting noise does a great job of chasing away winter, which is, ostensibly, the Kurent's function. The Korent also wears heavy boots and special red or green leg warmers, while the head is covered by a towering furry hat festooned with ribbons, and a mask typically sporting a long, red tongue. A wooden club is normally carried in the left hand. By the end of Carnival a Kurent will have collected many handkerchiefs (given by girls & women) which he carries tied around the club.
Some figures
Kurentovanje is visited by more than 100,000 people every year, while Saturday and Sunday parades are watched by 60-70,000 people.
During the entire eleven days, there are some 15-20,000 people expected to party in the carnival tent, and afternoon programmes in the town are followed by more than 2,000 people every day,
Kurentovanje is becoming more and more recognizable in Slovenia and abroad, and more than 400,000 spectators follow daily information by means of mass media.
Participants in parades are numerous: the Saturday parade boasts more than 1,500 participants, and the Sunday parade over 9,000 and around 800 Kurents,
Kurentovanje is the most prominent cultural and ethnographic event in Slovenia.
The rite resembles a carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
and lasts for 10 days.
External links
Official Slovenia website - Kurenti tradition