The Bear Dance - an unique Romanian tradition

[gixajo]

Yes, I know several dances or folklore involving bears or wearing animal skins, specially in Nabarre (Ituren, Arizkun, Zubieta etc...).





Momotxorroak in Alsasua...



Zanpanzar are probably most famous.

[Varda]

well..the symbol of the Dacians was the a wolf with a dragon body

In Serbian wolf is vuk. There are many Serbian names with root vuk (wolf) recorded since middle age: Vuk, Vukota, Vukoje, Vučina, Vučeta, Vukman, Vuksan, Vukan etc. Names related with vuk were given to children for protection from demons and witches, because vuk is a powerful animal.
Also many Serbian surnames have a root vuk: Vuković, Vukić, Vučinić, Vučetić, Vujić, Vujaković, Vukojević, Vukanović, Vučić, Vučković etc.

[Seya]

In Serbian wolf is vuk. There are many Serbian names with root vuk (wolf) recorded since middle age: Vuk, Vukota, Vukoje, Vučina, Vučeta, Vukman, Vuksan, Vukan etc. Names related with vuk were given to children for protection from demons and witches, because vuk is a powerful animal.
Also many Serbian surnames have a root vuk: Vuković, Vukić, Vučinić, Večetić, Vujić, Vujaković, Vukojević, Vukanović, Vučić, Vučković etc.

Interesting, we also have many surnames derived from the word wolf - lup in Romanian: Lupu, Luparu, Lupascu, Lupea, Lupeanu, Lupescu...and who knows how many others...but also names derived from bear - urs, though maybe not as many.

[gixajo]

In Serbian wolf is vuk. There are many Serbian names with root vuk (wolf) recorded since middle age: Vuk, Vukota, Vukoje, Vučina, Vučeta, Vukman, Vuksan, Vukan etc. Names related with vuk were given to children for protection from demons and witches, because vuk is a powerful animal.
Also many Serbian surnames have a root vuk: Vuković, Vukić, Vučinić, Vučetić, Vujić, Vujaković, Vukojević, Vukanović, Vučić, Vučković etc.

In Spanish a quite common surname is López, a typical Castillian patronimic meaning son of Lope, and Lope comes from Latin lupus meaning wolf.

There exists also surname Lobo (wolf) and in Basque also surname Ochoa (Otxoa/Ochoa=wolf) and many others related surnames (Ochotorena, Ochoa de Aspuru, Ochate etc...).

Also a mix Castillian/Basque as Lopetegui, Loperena or typical composed surnames with López just Castillians or Basque mixed (López de Lara, López de Arbina and hundreds of them).

In Portuguese Lopes would have similar origin(ethymological origin I mean).

[Incal]

There exists also surname Lobo (wolf) and in Basque also surname Ochoa (Otxoa/Ochoa=wolf) and many others related surnames (Ochotorena, Ochoa de Aspuru, Ochate etc...).

Thanks for that bit of info. Yo pensaba que Ochoa tenía que ver con el número 8 jajajajaja

[gixajo]

Thanks for that bit of info. Yo pensaba que Ochoa tenía que ver con el número 8 jajajajaja

ocho (8) = zortzi/sortzi

[Cybele]

These traditions with masks exists and are very common only in Moldova region (north-eastern Romania), so did not have anything to do with Romans.

Somewhat similar costumes with bells attached and horned masks are apparently worn by people in traditional celebrations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland etc. (Kukeri, Zvončari, Pohod bušara/ Busójárás, Kurentovanje, Zapusty). I've read about Kukeri for example and while is believed to be related to the Thracian Dionysos cult, other sources claim that the name comes from Proto-Slavic *kuka ("evil spirit") or from a pre-Slavic divinity named Kuk. Or possibly from Latin “cuculla”. Either way, no wonder is difficult to pinpoint it, since the Balkans are a melting pot of populations.

Spoiler!

I giggled at this photo I must admit. At a very quick glance, one could mistake their garments, for those of members of an uncontacted African tribe. I think an old “tribal” spirit exists in all populations.

[Cybele]

“Wodzenie niedźwiedzia” -Poland

“Leading a bear” still takes place in Upper Silesia , especially in the Opolskie Voivodeship . A colorful parade of disguised people walks through the village from house to house, leading on a bear 's leash . The bear is tied up in peas or straw ropes braided into braids, and has a high straw cap with a bell on its head. Another type of clothing was a set consisting of a sheepskin coat turned upside down and a fur hat on the head . A typical composition of the retinue is: a young couple, a chimney sweep, a doctor, a forester, the devil, a priest, a chemist, a gypsy woman, a camel, a policeman, a butcher, musicians (accordion, drum), bridesmaids and groomsmen, a thief, a newsboy. The hostess of the visited house should dance with the bear, because it means good luck for the whole year . The host, in turn, should offer vodka to the guides of the bear. In the event of an attempt to avoid these duties, the devil or the chimney sweep smears the faces of the hosts with soot. As a token of gratitude for the visit, the hosts make free donations or offer sweets. In the evening, there is a final party, where in the past, bears were killed and bear blood (wine) was drunk .

[Cybele]

“Chodzenie z kozą” - Poland

In the period from Fat Thursday to Ash Wednesday, a group of costumed people passed through the village. A man dressed as a goat was part of the ensemble (along with a stork, turoń or konik ). In Krakowskie, the goat sometimes walked alone, with only a band and singers for company. The boy playing the role of a goat put on a sheepskin coat turned upside down over his head and shoulders, in his hand he held a stick with a wooden head mounted on it, covered with goatskin and decorated with horns, and he had a bell hanging around his neck. During the carol singers' performance, the goat jumped around the room, performing a pantomime to the music of the "goat band", composed of "guslers", a bass player and a drummer. At the end of the performance, the carol singers chanted:
Where the goat walks, rye is born there,
Where her tracks - kicks are made,
Where he turns his horns, haystacks rise.