The Carnival of Sauris: Antique Masks and Strong Traditions
- In collaboration with www.paesaggiritrovati.it online newspaper of culture of the territory -
Special characters and old rituals characterize a tradition of the Alta Carnia valley. It is the Carnival of Sauris, a small Friulian community of about 400 souls, which each year relives the magic of this festival, during which everything is transformed into a whirlwind of dancing and parades that animate this charming little village in the heart of the Alps.
Even today in Sauris, on the Saturday before the start of Lent, very old traditions are evoked, leaving only room for fun and happiness. The oldest inhabitants still remember when the Carnival in this vicinity used to start on the day after Epiphany, and during the last three Sundays before Easter, people would dress up according their class, because, at one time, even in the festive climate, the different social classes made their voices be heard. There was a masked Sunday for the rich, one for the peasants and one for the beggars. On the last day of Carnival, a public dance was organized and the masquerade was marked by a specific ritual. In particular, the first to appear on the streets of Sauris was “Rolar”, a strange character whose name comes from “roln”; he wore bells attached to his waist that he shook continuously to alert the people to start the festivities. With his face and hands covered in soot, wearing scruffy clothing, he went around the community three times, shouting out three messages: “Tonight we are going to be masked”, “All of the children are at home,” and lastly, “It’s time to get dressed”.
At this time, the masks needed to be realistic and to depict one of the two extremely opposite categories: the beautiful and ugly of society. The women who wore the “beautiful” masks adorned themselves with wreaths and nice clothing, flounced skirts and pretty bodices, and the men were in beautiful wooden masks and plus fours trousers. Instead, the “ugly” wore old worn out and faded clothing, ugly hats, scary masks or a rag on the face that was tied from behind at the back of the neck. The worst of all, however, was “Kheirar” (the one of the broom), who, wearing a threatening wooden mask and with hands black with soot, would gather everyone together for Carnival. Then he went from house-to-house, sweeping the floors and bringing in couples wearing beautiful and ugly masks.
In reality, all of these traditions, in part, still exist and maintain a specific meaning, starting with the use of masks by older people, to symbolically remember their ancestors and renew past traditions. Also, the actions of Rolar and Kheirar are symbolic: the sound of the bells and the sweeping of the floor serve to chase away the bad and negativity as well as winter and the cold to leave room for positive things and the arrival of spring. There are old traditions, like Sauris Prosciutto and guanciale, which is also used during Carnival for recipes that are still “wintry,” such as cream of squash soup with Carnia beans and guanciale.
With almost a century and half of history, from 1862, this product characterizes the culinary art of the area. Moreover, if there wasn’t a fire in the very last century that destroyed the archives of the Sauris parish, maybe the history of the local prosciutto would date back even further. The documented history, however, says that in 1862, Pietro Schneider first gave it a name, or more precisely, a nickname, “Wolf,” and to customize his prosciutto, using his ability as a pork butcher, the secrets of the trade and a unique factor that is not easily reproduced, the specific climate of Sauris.
One of these secrets was smoking the meat, which today like then, was done by burning beech wood from the surrounding forests in traditional fireplaces and directing the smoke to the work areas. It’s a tradition that is repeated and maintained generation after generation. Antique masks, therefore, are just like old customs that best define a territory, one which is dotted with shepherds’ huts here and there, and where, thanks to particular geological features and rich pasture grass, the products of this valley number among the best and most delicious on the market.
Even today in Sauris, on the Saturday before the start of Lent, very old traditions are evoked, leaving only room for fun and happiness. The oldest inhabitants still remember when the Carnival in this vicinity used to start on the day after Epiphany, and during the last three Sundays before Easter, people would dress up according their class, because, at one time, even in the festive climate, the different social classes made their voices be heard. There was a masked Sunday for the rich, one for the peasants and one for the beggars. On the last day of Carnival, a public dance was organized and the masquerade was marked by a specific ritual. In particular, the first to appear on the streets of Sauris was “Rolar”, a strange character whose name comes from “roln”; he wore bells attached to his waist that he shook continuously to alert the people to start the festivities. With his face and hands covered in soot, wearing scruffy clothing, he went around the community three times, shouting out three messages: “Tonight we are going to be masked”, “All of the children are at home,” and lastly, “It’s time to get dressed”.
At this time, the masks needed to be realistic and to depict one of the two extremely opposite categories: the beautiful and ugly of society. The women who wore the “beautiful” masks adorned themselves with wreaths and nice clothing, flounced skirts and pretty bodices, and the men were in beautiful wooden masks and plus fours trousers. Instead, the “ugly” wore old worn out and faded clothing, ugly hats, scary masks or a rag on the face that was tied from behind at the back of the neck. The worst of all, however, was “Kheirar” (the one of the broom), who, wearing a threatening wooden mask and with hands black with soot, would gather everyone together for Carnival. Then he went from house-to-house, sweeping the floors and bringing in couples wearing beautiful and ugly masks.
In reality, all of these traditions, in part, still exist and maintain a specific meaning, starting with the use of masks by older people, to symbolically remember their ancestors and renew past traditions. Also, the actions of Rolar and Kheirar are symbolic: the sound of the bells and the sweeping of the floor serve to chase away the bad and negativity as well as winter and the cold to leave room for positive things and the arrival of spring. There are old traditions, like Sauris Prosciutto and guanciale, which is also used during Carnival for recipes that are still “wintry,” such as cream of squash soup with Carnia beans and guanciale.
With almost a century and half of history, from 1862, this product characterizes the culinary art of the area. Moreover, if there wasn’t a fire in the very last century that destroyed the archives of the Sauris parish, maybe the history of the local prosciutto would date back even further. The documented history, however, says that in 1862, Pietro Schneider first gave it a name, or more precisely, a nickname, “Wolf,” and to customize his prosciutto, using his ability as a pork butcher, the secrets of the trade and a unique factor that is not easily reproduced, the specific climate of Sauris.
One of these secrets was smoking the meat, which today like then, was done by burning beech wood from the surrounding forests in traditional fireplaces and directing the smoke to the work areas. It’s a tradition that is repeated and maintained generation after generation. Antique masks, therefore, are just like old customs that best define a territory, one which is dotted with shepherds’ huts here and there, and where, thanks to particular geological features and rich pasture grass, the products of this valley number among the best and most delicious on the market.
