Carnevale in the Barbagia Villages
Another different but amazing Carnival is held in some Barbagia Villages where Carnevale is influenced by ancient cult and rites. The masks in Barbagia probably recall ancient Dyonisus rituals. The main principle of Carnival is based on the world upside down and in Barbagia men become animals. Shepherds turn into their bulls or sheep.Carnevale in Mamoiada
The most famous masks parade takes place in Mamoiada. They are called Is Mamuthones. They appear first on the night of Sant'Antonio Abate on January 17. During that night, in the different quarters of the village, several bonfires are lit and the Mamuthones come round to bless all of them. The Mamuthones are men who are transformed into animals and wear sheep skins and cow bells hanging on the shoulder. They also wear a grotesque wooden mask and walk rhythmically. When they leap the sound of their cow bells casts away the evil spirit.
They are flanked by the Issocadores, people wearing a sort of Spanish costume with a woman's shawl wrapped around their waist. They hold a lasso and catch people while they watch the parade of the Mamuthones.
Carnevale in Orotelli
Another village in Barbagia is Orotelli and they have another mask called Sos Thurpos (it means the blind people, or the creepers). They wear no mask but their faces are painted in black with soot and they are hidden by a long hood. They're dressed in a velvet black suit with leather hand-made boots and a long black rough wool coat (su gabbanu) used by the shepherds in winter. Across the shoulder they have cow bells to ward off the evil spirits. They parade in Orotelli.
Sos Thurpos includes a man who represents Su Thurpu Voinarzu (il contadino, the peasant) who has to govern the stubborn people who are the Thurpos Boes (i buoi, the bulls); then there are the Thurpos called seminatori ( Sowers) who throw grain along the road; Su Thurpu Vrailarzu (il fabbro, the blacksmith) who shoes the bull represented by Su Thurpu Boe, and then there is Su Thurpu who lights a fire with a steel, flint-stone and holds a little bull horn full of dry freula ( a plant from Sardinia) used to start the fire.
During the parade on Sunday suddenly Sos Thurpos jump on the crowd inviting people to join them and play with them. They mimic the bull, reproducing animal noises and then they catch some people from the crowd and ask them for wine or other drinks. They want to drink and people must not deny them a glass of wine.
On Tuesday the roles change, Sos Thurpos must offer the villagers wine and drinks for free and at the end they all dance together Su ballu de Sos Thurpos in the main square of Orotelli.
More Barbagia Carnival Masks
Another mask in Barbagia are the Merdules and Boes from Ottana. The merdule is a human figure who represents the owner of Sos Boes the bulls or shepherd. Sos boes are men dressed as animals with sheep skins and their faces are covered with a wooden mask with bull horns. The mask is also nicely decorated with small carvings. Sos boes also carry cow bells on the shoulders.The Boes rebel and the merdules have to try to stop them and calm them down. The boes also jump on the people creating terror and chaos while the Merdules try to restore the order and stop them using a wooden stick su Mazuccu or a leather whip or lash called sa Soca. Along with the merdules and boes there is also a female figure called sa filonzana who represents a sad old lady who weaves with a spindle. She's dressed in black and she's ugly!! People are scared by her but respect her at the same time as she holds the fragile thread of life and she could decide to cut it. She holds people's destiny.
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