Naslov
The Interpretations of the Lastovo Island Carnival

Autori
Lozica, Ivan

Izvornik
Cosmos (Edinburgh) (0269-8773) 28 (2012); 223-245

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Lastovo; Carnival; ritual and drama; social memory; chain dances; gender

Sažetak
The immediate cause for the paper is the recently published book about Lastovo Carnival by Iva Niemčić. The intention was to use the occasion in order to fill up the gaps caused by time span and to reconsider previous scholarly positions. The comparison of the available descriptions and other accessible data is given in order to point at the subtle changes of Carnival structure. Comparing Niemčić’s general conclusions with his own, the author finds no major discrepancies – conclusions support each other in general statement about persistent variations within Lastovo Carnival. Those subtle changes are extremely important: they are indicators of a living practice typical for traditional culture. Moreover, the changes of rules and their rigidity enable the transition of ritual to theatre and back. Just as it happened in the ancient Greece long ago, the theatre is reborn from ritual on the island of Lastovo in the middle of the 20th century. But, in the seventies the trend has changed - the Lastovo islanders became aware of the values of the Carnival custom. The new rigidity of rules reverses the process – Carnival drama disappears, ritual returns. Pokladari are pleading for strict rules in order to preserve their tradition. Officialism is a double-edged sword and we can only hope it will not cut off those subtle changes that divide a living Carnival practice from petrified cultural monuments.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Etnologija i antropologija

POVEZANOST RADA