June 12th, 2011

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Pentecost. June 12. The Spirit is a-movin but not over every land.

Sunday, June 12th, 2011

I attended the orthodox church service in the hope of getting a feeling of the spirit of Pentecost. But it was just as before. A few old ladies, crossing themselves continuously, lighting candles, kissing the icons, a drone coming from the priest behind the closed doors to the sanctuary. I still do get a sense that I am in the house of the same Lord. But not much else.

When I was on my way back to the “ranch”. I heard music and a whistle and some shouting. 6 young men in tradtional costumes were performing a dance in a courtyard, and then there was this evil looking character. Which turned out to be the Iele. I heard that they performed later in the ttown. They must have just been practising where I saw them.

The tradition is described in the web site :http://mainweb.hgo.se/amnen/etnologi.nsf/0/637E3DB7A9B3F244C125739B0047014F/$FILE/The%20Romanian%20Calus%20tradition%20and%20its%20changing%20symbolism%20as%20it%20travels%20from%20the%20village%20to%20the%20global%20plattform.%20-%20Liz%20Mellish.%20www.elizznik.org.uk.pdf?openelement

as follows: Traditional Căluş Ritual in the Romanian village.The determined time, for theCăluş ritual is the period of Rusalii (Pentecost) which occurs forty days after Orthodox Easter, and lasted for seven to nine days. This transitional period from spring to summer is when, according to Romanian and Slav folklore, malevolent fairies, known as were at their most active. The period of Rusalii was a liminal period in villagers’ lives .