|
Welcome to this site |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Folklore |
|
QUARANTENA PUPPET |
|
Quarantena is a puppet of human dimension that look like an old
woman smiling sarcastically.They are made with crossed brush
sticks, kinked rags and a white sheet, on which they paint a
gloomy face. They wear clothes that remind ancient dark dresses
that women used to wear during mourning times with a
fazzulitton (a big scarf), a blouse and dark tights. It is
hanged between two houses, usually on a crossroad. The
Quarantene holds u fuse (a spindle) in one hand and a fresedde
in the other one. Next to the old woman, on the same thread,
there used to be some faggots, salami, oranges, a bottle of wine
and a brush. Every week they added another fresedde, to
count Lent weeks.
|
 |
|
The salami, capocollo and wine were symbols
of what cannot be eaten in that period. The faggots, spindle or
bush, instead, were symbols of the hard and monotonous daily
work. The orange symbolized the shortness of good things.On Holy
Saturday the puppet was burnt. Once, in Martina, you could see
many more of those puppets, but now you can still see some
Quarantena hanging from a thread. It hangs on until they cut the
thread and put the puppet on fire.In the past, this sign
indicated that the fasting was over and you could eat i
pucciatidd p’ l’ove (taralli with a egg in the middle) and i
cavaddistr (biscuits for kids with strange shapes) |
|
|
