Călușul - un dans ritual la românii din nordul și sudul Dunării

Abstract

The tradition of this dance comes from the pre-Christian era, being linked to the ancient worship of the Sun. It was practiced in the south of the country and in Moldova, on Pentecost /Rusalii.
The accounts of the scholar Dimitrie Cantemir in the book Description of Moldova about the gag are the oldest, offering details about the faith and the healing power of the ritual. Linking this ritual to the feast of Pentecost gave a clue to its Roman origins. The callus has several elements: ritual, healing, show and theater, it includes games, songs, shouts performed by the callus men, in odd numbers. The costumes of the horsemen are adorned: hats with ribbons, sticks, tassels, sticks, belts, shirts sewn with flowers, headscarves, metal bells and tassels on the feet, heels on the heels. Within the group, the roles are well defined: the waddler is the leader of the whole ritual; the dumb (or the madman) considered to have supernatural healing powers, is not allowed to speak, but interacts with the spectators, sometimes he can mask; the flag bearer carries the flag. The cobblers were clean in body, gathered on Pentecost Sunday, in the morning and took the oath, then went through the village to play in the courtyards of the households. In return, they received money and food, followed by fiddlers. The oath was taken in chorus, according to the vataf and was respected by all, so as not to be taken by the gag.
The function of apotropaic magic and that of healing magic combine the spirits of the dead (who must leave this world back into the other world) and the households that must celebrate the beginning of summer (G. Rusu-Păsărin, 2004). In addition to its apotropaic function, the callus also has a fertilizing and healing function. In 2005 the Gospel Dance was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.