VASIL LEVSKI VILLAGE'S KUKERI - COSTUME & DANCES
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Personages
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The Kukeri and the Plashilki were the traditional types of personages in the past.
The "plashilki" also disguise, however their masks differ from the Kuker ones. For instance, two men disguise, and a little girl or boy goes with them as a "lazarka" (a traditional role of the girls that has a meaning of initiation for them during the Spring custom Lazar's Day celebrated on Saturday exactly eight days before Easter). "They cast the kerchief over you, the Kukeri jangle to the "lazarka", and "she" plays for you. And you should cast some penny to the kerchief". |
Nowadays, a couple of devils also play with the Kuker band. For several years, they also include a scene with a ploughman with oxen, a sower and female croppers, although the scenes ploughing and sowing are not typical for the Kukeri of Karlovo region.
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The MaskThe Kukeri of Vasil Levski village wear conical hoods. The hood is made of thick sheeting in order to stand upright, and is covered with white cloth and lace.There are “shehriti” and red and black circlets as flowers.
The face mask is with a long beard of kid leather and moustaches of horse tail, which Kukeri like twisting by fingers. The eyes and eyebrows are made of black cloth. The teeth are of white cloth. On the top of the hood, there is a black tassel. They deck the hood with a bunch of flowers wrapped in a thin sheet of silver or gold (“varakosana kitka”). They will sew the hood on the back of the Kuker, and there is a a “hump” or bulge there in order to make him stand upright, to be bold, and to disable him bending the head down.” The Kukeri just bend the heads down, when they remove the hoods." |
The BellsThe “hlopki” (round-bellied bells) of the Kukeri of Vasil Levski Village are bulging. They will get broken down and get bores during the long use. In the past, the local Kukeri would buy new “hlopki” only from the Bourgas region, where the such kind of bells were crafted. Now, they should specially order them to any craftsman.
When they buy “hlopki” in a house, they will use them for long time. If someone gives up from playing Kuker they sell their “hlopki” to anyone else. |
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ClothesThe shirt of the Vasil Levski Village's Kukeri is white with embroidered neck and sleeves.
Over the shirt, they put on a black pinafore of home-made cloth ornamented with “trimpeta” at the bottom edge. Once, they used to take knee-length women's pinafores and fold them under the traditional red wide woollen belts in order to shorten them and at the same time to prop up the “hlopki” (the round-bellied bells) during the dancing. Nowadays, the pinafores will be especially tailored shorter or if the old ones are used their length will be cut. However, even today some Kukeri would use the old time woollen belts for the above mentioned reasons. The belt is decorated with little tassels on the end. Above the belt, they will put on an old-time scarlet kerchief with beads stamped with ornaments from nature. The “hlopki” will be hang up on the belt on the waist, which is decorated with another belt of beads and multicoloured tassels. On their wrists, the Kukeri have beady bracelets. They wear “badzhatsi” (legs) of goat fur with the long hairs left outside. The Kukeri of Vasil Levski Village have handmade traditional moccasins ("tsarvuli") of calfskin. |
Moves and Steps
The steps of Vasil Levski Village's Kuker are slow, rhythmical and heavy.
They have a specific dance in rhythm, which is at the same chaotic. Traditionally, they would not form any figure or order while dancing. Everyone plays whatever and wherever they wants. However, nowadays they happen to play in a column ie one after another.
It is always impressive to see the enthusiasm and passion of the Kukeri of Vasil Levski Village while they are dancing. “Our children (most of the Kukeri are children) play to the last possible moment until they are not driven away from the scene” (the secretary of the Chitalishte ie the local Community Cultural Centre).
The dance ends with a kind of a Kuker “horo” (a traditional dance), which is authentic and characteristic just for the Village of Vasil Levski. Thereby, the Kukeri catch each other across the shoulders, and move with vigorous side-jumps to the right.
Figures
The Kuker "horo" and dance
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The Kukeri of Vasil Levski Village do not form figures during the performances unless one considers the specific Kuker “horo”.
Some people from the village, who are not Kukeri expressed their wish to change the moves, to replace the chaotic game with somme figures alike the other villages' Kuker bands. However, the position to go on with the authentic old-time dance prevails.
Some people from the village, who are not Kukeri expressed their wish to change the moves, to replace the chaotic game with somme figures alike the other villages' Kuker bands. However, the position to go on with the authentic old-time dance prevails.
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