Ancient Masks of Sardinia

[askra]

In Sardinia is possible to find examples of rituals and costumes that pre-date Christianity, especially in the “zoomorphic” masks that appear in festivals throughout the island, particularly those ones of Barbagia (mountain areas of inner Sardinia).

[askra]

Boes are masks from Ottana, province of Nuoro, they represent a ox. They wear sheep pelts with a belt adorned with heavy cowbells across their chests. Their faces are hidden by masks called sa carazza 'e boe which are designed to look like an ox, on the forehead is engraved the symbol of the Flower of Life.

[askra]

Traditional masks from Neoneli, province of Oristano.




It's a zoomorphic costume constituted by a cap made of cork and horns of Sardinian Deer or Fallow Deer. The shoulder pads are realized with the hedgehog fur, while on the back are attached bones of several animals. The Corriolos follow the sound of a horn arranging in a circle around a fire.

[askra]

S'urhtu and sos Buttudos are the traditional mask of Fonni, a mountain village located in the historical region of Barbagia, in the Province of Nuoro.
S'Urthu is an animal, it wears billy goats or rams leathers, and it's hold in chains by the Buttudos, that are hooded men in black dresses, with cowbells on the shoulders. The two masks are exhibited during the Saint Antony Fires (traditional bonfires of pagan origin, today assimilated in the christianity). They stage the fight between the good and the evil, the man and the beast, the rationality and the instinct.

[askra]

Sos Mamutzones are costumes from Samugheo, province of Oristano.


Mamutzones are dressed in black moleskin on top of which they wear a goat skin and goat skin leggings. They wear trinitos and campaneddas around their waists and two pairs of heavy bronze and copper bells on their chests.


Their faces are blackened with burnt cork and hold a club in their hands.


What characterizes su mamutzones from the other costumes from Barbagia is the way they decorate their heads: a goats wool bag is filled with cork su casiddu or more unusually su moju and decorated on the outside in the form of a crown with ox or goat horns at its extremities.

[askra]

Su Bundu is the carnival mask from Orani, in the province of Nuoro. Su Bundu wears the peasant's cloths, a coat, velvet trousers, leather leggings and a large mask made with cork, constituted of horns a big prominent nose, mustache and goatee.

[Kalimtari]

Slovenes have this:

[Kalimtari]

Austrians:

[askra]

Slovenes have this:

I know, i remember there is a discussion in another thread where are shown the similarities between sardinian and slovenian and other european masks. In many cases also the meaning and the origin of these masks is the same.

[Kalimtari]

Bulgaria: