«Carnuval carnuvalicch’
a few sausages
and if you don’t want to give it back to me
»so you can hug me’
(Folk nursery rhyme)
The Satriano Carnival, as is often the case with many events, has its roots in folk tradition. It takes place on the Saturday and Sunday before Shrove Tuesday and is regarded as the most distinctive, evocative and mysterious in the region. Its distinctive feature – unique, one might say – is due to three traditional masks who parade through the streets of the village: Rumita, Urs and Lent.
Although the Satriano Carnival is regarded as one of the last ancient tree-worship rituals to have survived to the present day in its original form, it has in fact undergone various changes as regards his interpretation.
In the 20th century, it explored the themes of emigration and a return to one’s homeland. Since the 2000s, however, a significant shift has emerged, particularly in 2013, which saw the Complicated to the ‘tree-man’, a champion of ecological and naturalistic values.
A significant shift, however, began in the 2000s and has become even more pronounced since 2013, when the figure of the hermit has come to be associated with that of the ‘tree-man’, who embodies ecological and naturalistic values.
Here too, as with many folk traditions, the Its origins are uncertain and are lost in the mists of time. One theory is that its ethnic origins lie in the ruined city of Satrianum, from which it also takes its name.
In In medieval times, famine and poverty were rife in the area, which was also – in a contrasting manner – inhabited by French lords and non-native peoples (including the Lombards) who had settled in the vicinity. It is highly likely that this intermingling influenced the history of the place. Some even claim that the the birth of the bear (urs (in dialect) is a consequence of this, since – again, according to certain assumptions – it seems that thisIt was a metaphor: the transposition of a foreign culture – presumably French – into the customs and traditions of Satriano.
Following the destruction of the settlement at Satrianum, there was a migration to Pietrafesa, with an almost complete and total resettlement.
The masks
Masks are generally rooted in the history and culture of the place where they originate. Each one reflects a way of life that varies according to class and socio-economic and cultural circumstances.
There are three in Satrianum: hermit, bear and Lent. The first group – during the festival – enjoy teasing onlookers with sticks fitted with a thistle at the end. The bear – just like the real animal – instils fear with its sheer size and wild temperament, and stuns onlookers with its clanging bells. Finally, Lent drags on slowly and gloomily, almost as if to counteract the atmosphere of merriment that reigns during the festival.
The bear
Bears (urs)
A man dressed as an animal, clad in sheep or goat skins, symbolises prosperity, good fortune and success. Contrary to what one might think, the skins are highly prized and, together with other riches, represent the emigrant who has returned home after making his fortune in distant lands. He skips along accompanied by the shepherd, dressed in peasant clothes, whose task is to curb the wild impetus of his animal, ensuring that it does not cause too much disturbance to the people.
His prolonged absence from his homeland has left him speechless. Furthermore, he wears a bag over his head that conceals his features – and his identity – with two holes for his eyes and one for his mouth.
The its body is adorned with noisy bells and cowbells, all the more so as the bear hopped about with the dual aim of instilling fear and emphasising the fervour of the mask.
The interpretation and symbolism of the bear have changed over the years. Initially, it was a form of revenge for a wrong suffered; thanks to the anonymity afforded by the mask, the bearer sought to exact retribution on their “tormentor”, thereby resolving social conflicts.
As was the case with the Rumit, the bear too came to be associated – in the post-war period – with the migrant (as mentioned above) who had returned in comfortable circumstances. This stood in stark contrast to the hermit, who, by contrast, had remained in his own land, clad only in leaves, and who, bold and impertinent, would sneak into other people’s homes – even by force – behaving as if he were the master.
Unlike in the early days, nowadays you see more urs to walk together – and not alone – led by a shepherd.
The Hermit
The hermits (rumit)
«If you want luck to be on your side, don’t get in the way – let it take its course and don’t hold it back; it’ll let you have a go and won’t leave you empty-handed.’
(A nursery rhyme by Romita)
(U’rumit) A plant-like man, a wandering tree, a silent mask shrouded and covered in leaves, climbing plants and ivy tendrils.
An equally important and evocative mask, a symbol of poverty and deprivation. Unlike the bear, although destitute, he has remained (loyal) to his native land, building himself a remote shelter, far from the centre, in the woods.
On the last Sunday before Shrove Tuesday, she wanders through the village, tapping her stick – the tip of which is adorned with a sprig of holly or broom – as she goes (the rustling) on the front doors of houses. In this way knocks on people’s doors And those who receive a visit from him also respect his silence and usually offer a gift in return for a blessing (in the past, people used to offer food; nowadays, they give a few coins).
As with the bear, once again it is the Second World War that marks the temporal dividing line between a “role” and its transformation. Initially, in fact, the hermit was associated with a Franciscan spirit – an outcast – who, once winter was over, would go into the village to beg.
Following the – actual – migration, there has been superimposed on the rumit the figure of the man from Satria who – whether out of listlessness or because he was unable to – had not turned his back on his roots in search of a better future. And so, destitute like the old man, he too wandered about begging, so that he might face the warmer months with strength and vigour.
Nowadays, young people have once again – and radically – transformed the meaning of the hermit, seeking to use it allegorically to convey a universal environmental message: a sort of reversal of values aimed at re-establishing that ancient relationship with Mother Earth, out of respect for those who will inhabit her in the future.
Lent
Lent (quares’m)
«That’s why my eyes, now clouded, wander from one door to another, seeking to recognise those I’ve lost in the crowd’
(Lent nursery rhyme)
It is a’an elderly woman dressed in black, whose face shows a clear a red grimace stretching from cheek to cheek.
It envelops her in a black cloak made of fabric or cotton and on the The woman is carrying a cot with her son, who was conceived during the Carnival period, though the father is unknown.
A son who, according to legend, It represents the carnival itself, but one that has come to an end.
Lent has no gender and can be performed by both women and men: That’s the maxim expression of sadness who accompanied the women widows, who, on the death of their husbands, gave in to feelings of sorrow and anguish.
This figure is almost motionless: she does, indeed, make her way through the streets, but with a slow, melancholy gait, lost in the shrill laments of despair that characterise her.
The Fancy Dress Floats
The true essence of the carnival, these traditions have fallen by the wayside since the 2000s due to declining public participation and the high cost of organising them.
Since 2013–2014, they have been replaced by a new event, recognised at national level: The Walking Forest, organised by the cultural promotion association “Al Parco” in collaboration with the main local authorities.
‘To Zita’
It is the a re-enactment of a peasant wedding with role-reversal: women playing men’s roles and vice versa. ‘Zita’ (the bride) is accompanied by lu zit (the groom), followed by all the traditional figures of a wedding ceremony: a procession that also includes the priest, the altar boys and all the guests.
According to tradition, all of them dress up as men or women, to add to the merriment of the occasion, as they walk through the streets. The result is a a tragicomic performance, which at times borders on the vulgar. During the performance, it is common for people to eat sweets, snacks or even drink wine.
The following are relevant: acts of infidelity which the bride, whilst the celebrations were still in full swing, she goes about it right under her future husband’s nose.
Cinema
Alber – by Michelangelo Frammartino. The plot is an account of the daily life of a Rumita.
Television
Over the years, Satria’s carnival tradition has attracted not only the attention of the local media, but has even reached the national media.
Interesting facts
There are 131 trees – one for each town in Basilicata – that walk during the the walking forest.
You can also take an active part in the carnival by dressing up as Rumita. Simply turn up in a ready-made costume or ask the organisers for help. Alternatively, for a nominal fee, you can have one made on the spot. Apart from a few guidelines regarding clothing, there are no restrictions on taking part!
Carnival in Literature
Romita, the bear and the white widow
Notebooks, “La scena territoriale” Publications”
1982 – Enzo Spera
Landscape rituals
Museum Anthropology, the journal of the Society for Museography and Demo-Ethno-Anthropological Heritage
2015 – Sandra Ferracuti
Polyphonies of cultural heritage: the case of the Satriano di Lucania Carnival
International symposium “Dialogue among cultures. Carnivals around the world” – Florence, Viareggio, 3–7 February 2016
2016 – Sandra Ferracuti
Folk traditions as social practices and cultural heritage. Masks and carnivals in Basilicata in the research of Enzo Spera.
Studi Nuovo Meridionalismo, Vol. III, No. 4/April 2017
2017 – Ferdinando Mirizzi
