Romanian traditional masks

The traditional masks are ancient remains of the collective memory. Masks were used in the fertility rituals, rain calling rituals, hunting rituals or in ritual dances. They represent characters from folk mythology.

The mask games are played in specific moments of the year (Christmas, New Year, etc.) or on the events definitive for humans life (wedding, death).

Only men wear masks. It is forbidden to say the name of the persons under the masks. These customs are probably the remains of ancient initiation rituals.

Masks are made of fur and animal skin, of cloth, ceramic, carved wood, lime, fir or birch bark, metal rings or pieces, thick colored rope, bird feathers, hemp tow, horse or pig hair, beans and corn, straw, colored paper, beads, buttons, glass pieces, horns or pieces of objects. Some of these materials are colored.

The most used tools for making masks are the knife, the clasp, the scissors, the hammer, the chip axe, the hand drill and the pincers.

Masks are remains of a strange, symbolical world which is getting lost in the industrialized world of today.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Romanian traditional masks
• mask romanian mask romania

[simina2]

În Bucovina în ajunul Anului Nou ne putem bucura din plin de aceste obiceiuri populare.

Mă bucur să descopăr acestă prezentare atât de bine realizată despre tradiţiile de Anul Nou la români.

Felicitări!

[shantiliu]

bine-ai revenit simina :)) putine zone din tara mai pastreaza traditiile astea. mare pacat!

[1stlagitana]

Great !! Very interesting !!! Thanks for sharing !!!

[shantiliu]

ty for watching ... they r very interesting and scary in reality... wow! what a funny time I had in childhood with those masks :))

[jfnuyen]

Very strange faces. lol

[shantiliu]

These are specific Romanian masks during Winter Holidays :)

[bluereflektor]

SUPER!

[shantiliu]

mersi, sarbatori fericite!

[30072BB]

Superb clip, mulţumesc!!!!! Exact ce ne trebuie de sărbători!!!!!