DOMLYAN VILLAGE'S KUKERI - COSTUME & DANCES
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In the Village of Domlyan, the Kuker costumes (“dyuzen”) have been kept and worn through the generations
The elderly women know how to maintain and keep the whole outfit. The costume would be prepared and repaired two months before the Kuker Day; they replace the fallen beads and “titereta” with new ones, and restore the hood if necessary.
The elderly women know how to maintain and keep the whole outfit. The costume would be prepared and repaired two months before the Kuker Day; they replace the fallen beads and “titereta” with new ones, and restore the hood if necessary.
“Baburi” are a second type of masked people; they are not Kukeri. They wear varied masquerade costumes such as of animals, birds, traditional costumes that are not characteristic for the masked person, etc. The “baburi" can be children and adults. The “babur's” costume may include anything found in the old-time chest, which is worn never but on Kuker Day.
The MaskThe hood is “the most beautiful” attribute. It is made of cardboard covered with white cheese-cloth and adorned with various decorations such as “martenitsa” (a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1), artificial flowers, “titereta”, beads. A small mirror in the middle of the hood just above the head is typical for the Domlyan's Kuker costume. The mirror is surroundedby embroidery. There are tassels on the top of the hood.
The teeth of the mask are either made of black embroidery or painted. The mask has a long beard of kid and moustaches of a horse tail. |
The BellsThe “hlopki” (“lopki”according to the regional dialect pronunciation, ie round-bellied bells) are lined on the belt around the waist. One or two big “hlopki” are put at the front, and the rear “hlopki” are smaller.
Some Kukeri place a big bell (“tuch”) at the back amongst the “hlopki” for euphony. The big bell jingles louder, and enriches the sound of the other bells. |
“They are in great harmony, and everyone melts when they are jingling.”
ClothesThe shirt is white with embroidery or lace.
They wear it with a short pinafore decorated with “titereta”. Now, the pinafores are specially sewn for the Kuker, and are not a women one as it was the case in the past. The trousers are of goat fur with hairs outside. They could be white or black, but obligatory with long hairs ie taken from the special goats bred in the Town of Kalofer, Karlovo region. Those legs (“klashni”) are tightened with belts to the waist. A red kerchief is tied at the waist, and covers the groin. Now, they decorate the former with a lot of tassels. The kerchief on the shoulders is white with hand embroidery. Who is not able to provide embroidery, attaches ready laces. At wrists, the Domlyan Kukeri put women bracelets decorated with beads and other ornaments. The shoes are special; they should be made of leather with natural colour. The local Community Cultural Centre (“Chitalishte”) provides shoes for all the Kukeri of the band in order to ensure they are all identical, and also because not every one can afford to buy such shoes. |
Moves and Steps
The steps of the Domlyan Kukeri are heavy and frightening. The Kukeri should step simultaneously and in the same way in order to sound beautiful and to avoid irritating sound disharmony.
The crook has a special role. Once, if a Kuker likes or is in love with a girl he would go to her, crook her ankle or neck, and start dancing, jumping and jangling. And the girl willingly or not would jump and dance too.
Crooking
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Nowadays, the Kukeri could also crook any person amongst the people on the square, be it a lass or a married woman if they like her. And she would jump. “There is no way to recognise who is the person behind the Kuker mask; you just see his eyes, and can wonder who he is.”
Sometimes, the thorns of the crook might tear holes in the pantihose of the caught girl, which the latter would surely dislike. It is also not exceptional, if the Kukeri facetiously crook any man.
Sometimes, the thorns of the crook might tear holes in the pantihose of the caught girl, which the latter would surely dislike. It is also not exceptional, if the Kukeri facetiously crook any man.
Figures
"The Sun" figure
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The Kukeri revolve in a circle, and go around the square as a monolithic group.
A typical figure for the Domlyan Village's Kuker band is “the Sun” figure. It presents four or five Kukeri arranged in a circle, while the tops of their crooks are gripped in the middle through the horns. The number of the participants in a Sun figure is limited since otherwise they risk to have the crook horns plaited and broken.
Other characteristic figure for the Domlyan's Kukeri is “the Star”, however they almost do not perform it nowadays.
A typical figure for the Domlyan Village's Kuker band is “the Sun” figure. It presents four or five Kukeri arranged in a circle, while the tops of their crooks are gripped in the middle through the horns. The number of the participants in a Sun figure is limited since otherwise they risk to have the crook horns plaited and broken.
Other characteristic figure for the Domlyan's Kukeri is “the Star”, however they almost do not perform it nowadays.
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