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Zvončari ("bellmen") is the characteristic folk custom maintained in the region around Rijeka, Croatia. It was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.[1]
Zvončari at the Rijeka Carnival
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| Place of origin | Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia |
|---|---|
| Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav area | |
|---|---|
| Country | Croatia |
| Reference | 00243 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2009 (4th session) |
| List | Representative |
The custom dates to Slavic pagan antiquity and remains typical for this region. The primary task of Zvončari is to scare away evil spirits of winter and to stir up a new spring-time cycle. During the Rijeka Carnival, Zvončari march from village to village throughout the region, following the same centuries-old route, making an extraordinary amount of noise, fueled in part by the wine provided by the locals' en route.
The standard Zvončar costume includes white trousers, striped shirt, and a sheepskin throw. In their hands they hold a "balta" or『bačuka』— a stylized mace, and around the waist one or more big brass bells. The costume varies from village to village; for example, Zvončari of Halubje and Grobnik (Dondolaši) wear special stylized masks representing fantastic animal heads, while Zvončari of Žejane (populated by Istro-Romanians) and Brgud [hr] wear "flower hats". Local legend claims that it was the Zvončari that scared away invading TatarsorTurks during the Ottoman conquest, with shepherds doning masks on their heads, along with belted-on bells, produced a deafening noise that scared the enemy away. From that time on, a mace became part of the standard equipment of Zvončari.[2]
The Zvončari participate regularly in the international Rijeka Carnival.
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