FOLKLORE AND FOLK ART
Romanian folklore is
probably the most varied and traditional in the whole of Europe. Or so the
experts say ! But you do not have to take their word for it. Wherever you go in
Romania ‑ whether you make a point of seeing one of the folklore performances
in town or simply pass through one of the peasant villages scattered all over
the country ‑ you will be completely captured by the tasteful beauty of the
regional costumes and the attractive simplicity of their architectural
achievements.
Romanian folk music and
dancing is well‑known and the Romanian dance companies have often given
performances abroad.
The "doina" is a
distinctively Romanian ballad, combining light‑heartedness with gravity. Its
verses give expression to a wide variety of feelings ‑ ranging from lovers'
songs to outlaws' ballads.
Here is a short description
of the major folk dances ‑ but naturally, no words can do justice to their colorfulness
and variety of movement !
Hora
Widespread in the whole
country, it is danced by men and women together, with a duple rhythm and a
moderate tempo. The steps are generally simple, small and beat on the spot. It
is accompanied by a flute or a Romanian bagpipe. This dance has many variants and
names : "Hora Dreapta" (Straight Hora), "Hora Mare" (Big
Hora), "Hora Miresei" (Bride's Hora), or "Hoea pe 8atai".
Invartita
Common especially in Ardeal,
this is danced in pairs, with a duple rhythm in syncope or assymetrical rhythm.
Generally it consists of two parts ‑ a walk. alternating with pirouettes by the
girls, and a rapid switching round.
Briul
Probably coming from the
mountains, this dance is popular on both sides of the Carpathians, and in the
Danube Plain. It may be danced either by men alone, or together with women.
Forming a semicircle the dancers hold each other either on the shoulders or by
the belt. The melody is lively, and the dance is performed with great Busto,
complex movements alternating with gentler ones. There are variants of this
dance in the Banat, where it is a men's dance. Holding each other across the
shoulders, they dance it to a very lively rhythm with small, rapid steps, and
much leg crossing and kneeling.
Fecioreshti
This is a very fast,
picturesque dance, popular among the men in Transylvania. The different
movements, based on jumps and leg‑slapping, demand great virtuosity.
Calush (the Little Horse)
This famous Romanian folk
dance dates from preChristian times, when it had been a ritual dance. Today it
is widespread as a folk show in Muntenia and Oltenia.
In Banat and Transylvania it
is called Caluser. It is danced by groups of 7‑11 men, called
"calushari", holding sticks in their hands, and dressed in special
costumes. These have multicolored ribbons fluttering from their hats, and bells
tinkling on their legs. Sometimes they are accompanied by a masked dancer ‑
"the mute". The dance includes jumps and crossed steps, performed to
a very lively tune, which is adapted to the dance figures.
Due to the complexity of the
movements, and the virtuosity required of the dancers, this dance has entered into
the set repertoire of the Romanian folk ensembles.
Suba
This is a duple rhythm dance,
widespread in the whole of Romania, with different names and variant forms :
"In Trei Ciocane", "La Bataia", etc. It is danced in a semi‑circle,
the dancers holding each other across the shoulders. The movement is lively and
rapid, either stepping on the spot or going round with jaunty crossed steps.
Dragaica
This old Romanian folk dance
may be seen today only in the southwestern part of Romania. Danced by six
girls, it has an assymetrical rhythm, and lively steps.
The great resemblance of the
Romanian folk costume to those of the Dacians represented on the Column of
Trajan in Rome and on the monument at Adamclisi, proves the age and the
continuity of the Romanian folk costume tradition.
A woman's costume consists
of : a thin white veil called
"marama" or a scarf called "basma", for the head; a blouse
with heavy embroidery; a white pleated skirt above which she wears an
embroidered skirt called "catrintza". Over the blouse she wears a
sheepskin vest‑coat, and in winter a long woolen coat.
A man's costume consists of :
a fur cap or hat, very tight white trousers, a long shirt down to the knees,
decorated with embroideries, a big belt, a short sleeved leather coat, and in
winter a long woolen coat is added.
The Romanian folk costume
presents a great variety of styles in different regions, determined by the
different social historical conditions, characteristic to each region.
The unity of the Romanian
folk costume appears in the material which is used, the cut, the style of coloring
and embroidery adorning the costume. The national costumes most famous for
their beauty are from:
Prahova and Muscel ‑ costumes sometimes sewn with golden thread.
Transylvania and Oash ‑ very vividly colored skirts.
Motzi Land (Tzara
Motzilor) ‑ shirts adorned with
"ciupag" embroidery.
Olt Land (Tzara Oltului) ‑ a combination of the white and black embroideries.
Hatzeg Land (Tzara
Hatzegului) ‑ predominant red
embroideries.
Vrancea Land (Tzara
Vrancei) ‑ shirts with long and
twisted sleeves.
Today, much is being dope to
preserve traditions, and the different ornamental motifs of folk costume are
used in the textile industry.
No matter what part of
Romania you visit you will come across some example of folk architecture : in
the Maramuresh County one can see the celebrated wooden churches which have
stood for several centuries, appreciated by all who see them as architectural
works of art rivaling those of other European countries.
North Moldavia is the land of
the painted churches and monasteries. These buildings are of architectural
value simply as buildings ‑ but they have a special and highly prized
characteristic which has earned them a reputation throughout the world ‑ the
frescoes on the outer walls which for over five hundred years have delighted
the expert and the layman alike.
Wood carving in general Is a
distinctive feature of Romanian folk art ‑ besides the larger and more obvious
works of art such as the above‑mentioned churches, smaller but no less artistic
are the wood carvings with their characteristic motifs found on all manner of
household articles and various places in and around the peasants' houses.
Romanian pottery and weaving
are two other famous Romanian folk creations.
Pottery in Romania is very
varied ‑ and you will have no difficulty in finding examples of different
styles all over the country. In the Argesh region, you will see the renowned
Horezu pottery with geometrical patterns produced by a bone pen and wire brush.
Perhaps you prefer black ceramics ‑ this is the specialty of Marginea and was
originally a Dacian art. It is made by a special method of baking and polishing
the clay.
Oltenian carpets are
characterized by their bright colors, red and blue predominating, their floral
and animal designs. Moldovian carpets, on the other hand, are recognized by
their more subdued coloring and the "tree of life" design to be found
woven into the pattern.
The most popular season for
marriages used to be in the period between New Year and Lent today, Autumn is
the most preferred season. There are several important points to be noted : the
betrothal when the couple "leave" those of their own age; the actual
wedding ceremony, and the festivities marking their official married state.
Many of the songs sung at
this occasion are of special interest, such as when the bride leaves her
parents, or during the wedding feast itself.
One of the most exciting and
unforgettable experiences of a visit to Romania, is to be guest at a
country wedding. If you are
driving on a tour of the country, all you need do is hope you are lucky enough
to come by one on the route; all the rest is easy, for these people are so
friendly, so sincerely hospitable that not only will they immediately invite
you to share
their celebration, but they
will be truly hurt if you decline !
On a Sunday, around mid‑morning,
you are more than likely to see a large number of people, led by a man riding
on a colorfully decorated horse, towards one of the cottages. He is the Herald,
who gives a speech before the brides house, formally announcing the wedding.
After receiving the ceremonial coiled bread, the herald dismounts and leads the
guests into the house, to drink a toast.
Here, usually, the merry‑making
begins. Circles form to dance the "Hora", gradually spilling outside
to include more and more dancers. The band, generally consisting of trumpet,
accordion and drums, accompany the celebrations from the start, but when the
dancing begins ‑ it plays endlessly until feet grow heavy both from the
rhythmic beat and from the wine. For all this time the "pioska" is
passed generously round; this is a specific wine urn, which is colorfully
decorated for the occasion and filled with wine or tzuica (plum brandy).
After some photographs have
been taken, the bride and groom are followed by their guests to the church,
where the actual marriage ceremony takes place. All the way to and from the
church, stand decorated pails of water, into which each passer throws some
money. At the end of the ceremony, dancing and drinking begin once more, before
the church, on the road, or anywhere where there is open ground.
If the groom is from another
village, the entire entourage drives in cars and trucks to his village. There,
the great feast begins, lasting for days on end. The band plays, the food and
wine flow, and the merriment is spontaneous and lively.
So ‑ if you pass through a
village on a Sunday morning, and happen to stop to look at a wedding our advice
is not to refuse the invitation to participate, if you want a truly authentic
picture of the people's age‑old customs. But ‑be prepared for a long look
Some of the outstanding
features of a Romanian funeral are again the songs ‑ particularly the
"bocet". This is a semi‑improvised lament, and in some places
entirely improvised.
The funeral procession is
accompanied by ritual masts and flags, and sometimes by masked dancers. The
dead person is carried on his coffin with his face revealed. Much of the
funeral ceremony is allegorical, representing the "final farewell".
New Year festivities are
generally spread over the period from the 24th of December to the 7th of
January. Traditionally, it is the young men of the village who plan all 'the
entertainment, mainly secular in tone.
On New Year's Eve itself,
large groups of children go from house to house to greet the occupants.
On Christmas Eve, and the
three days after, on New Year and sometimes on Twelfth Night, it is the turn of
the young men to go from house to house, singing allegorical songs, called
"colinde". The colinde vary greatly in subject matter since they are
adapted to the situation of the individual occupants.
New Year also includes the
well‑known "goat dance" ("capritza") and the "little
plough" (plugushorul"), in which the young boys pass through the
village greeting the rest of the villagers. "The little plough" tells
the story of the farming year, from the sowing of the grain to the baking of
the bread.
In addition to the above,
carnival processions take place in Moldova, Transylvania and the Banat.
These include the
"Ariet" or the "Gathering of the ewes". This is an occasion
for great festivities ‑ eating, drinking, dancing. It marks the gathering
together of all the sheep from the village into one, large flock, which is then
driven into the mountains.
"The ploughman's
Festival" began originally from the custom that the first young man in the
village to start ploughing was made leader over others. Today, it remains a
custom in some parts of southern Transylvania.
The "Dragaica" is a
Midsummer Day tradition now continued in relatively few places. This is when
the girls go into the fields to weave coronets of flowers which they then throw
over the village cottages to bring the occupants luck.
This is the time for the
Calush, "the little horse" dance. It is not only part of an ancient
fertility rite but also a polished performance by professional Romanian dancers
called "calushari" which has won world reputation (See "Music
and Dances").
This was an important
festival, particularly in Transylvania, before World War I. The whole village
would join in the reaping of each peasant's land in turn. The finest grain was
made finto a crown and carried along in ceremonious procession. At the end of
all the celebrations, the fine grain of the crown was mixed with the grain for
sowing in order to secure a good harvest.