Il periodo di Carnevale è sempre stato nel corso dei secoli un momento di trasgressione, di eccessi e di sbeffeggiamenti contro il potere.
Nelle valli montane, però, queste celebrazioni sono dense di simbologia, evocano antichi riti propiziatori, festeggiano la fine dell'inverno e l'inizio della primavera, ma servono anche a tenere lontane antiche paure tipiche degli uomini di montagna come i predatori o l'uomo selvaggio. I Carnevali Alpini sono un connubio tra sacro e profano, tra storia e leggenda.
Diverse località delle valli della Provincia Granda hanno mantenuto o ridato vita ai tradizionali carnevali alpini e una di queste è Valdieri con il Carnevale dell'Orso di Segale.
Le origini del Carnevale dell'Orso di Segale si perde nella notte dei tempi e grazie agli studi di Euclide Milano e alle memorie degli anziani, si è riusciti a ricostruirne l'organizzazione come era agli inizi del Novecento quando c'era l'elezione degli Abbà, la distribuzione pubblica degli gnocchi di patate, il taglio della testa di un gallo o di un gatto, la morte del Carnevale e l'arrivo della Quaresima.
Il giorno di San Martino, 11 Novembre, un tempo giorno di fine delle semine, iniziava il letargo invernale. l'Orso di Segale riposava nella sua "barmo" fino a risvegliarsi nella notte tra Sant'Orso e la Candelora (1-2 Febbraio). Secondo una tradizione diffusa in tutta Europa in questa notte si stabilisce l'imminente stagionalità. Se l'Orso uscendo dal letargo vede il cielo illuminato dalla luna piena, luna vecchia, allora torna in letargo perchè l'inverno durerà ancora 40 giorni, mentre se il cielo è scuro perchè la luna è nascosta,luna nuova, la primavera è alle porte.
La preparazione della maschera dell'Orso era elaborata, l'uomo preposto veniva avvolto in lunghe corde di paglia di segale ritorta e le parti del corpo esposte venivano annerite con del turacciolo bruciato. Il vestito era completato da un grosso cappello, sempre in corda, e da una lunga coda a treccia.
Oggigiorno la vestizione è meno macchinosa e viene utilizzato un costume ricoperto di corda, ma la gnoccolata, il rituale della festa rimangono pressocchè uguali.
Vestito in un luogo nascosto l'Orso di Segale, sedotto dai canti provenienti dalla piazza centrale intonati dal Cantori dell'Orso, inizia le sue scorribande in paese fino a quando, a fatica, viene catturato ed incatenato dal domatore, mentre i Perulier, ragazzini vestiti di stracci e dal volto annerito di fuliggine, lo circondano e rumoreggiano battendo del vecchio pentolame.
Inizia così il corteo per le vie di Valdieri, con i Frà, finti frati, che declamano satire contro gli abitanti e richiedono questue di casa in casa, i suonatori che accompagnano e l'Orso che ringhia alla folla in cerca di cibo e tenta la fuga mettendo a dura prova il domatore.
Alla fine l'Orso di Segale viene domato da una ragazza, che impersonifica la Quaresima, con cui balla decretando la fine degli scherzi e del Carnevale dell'Orso di Segale. Il ritorno della bella stagione è vicino.
Tra la confusione della piazza, però l'Orso di Segale, scappa e scompare mentre inizia a bruciare il Ciciu, un fantoccio di paglia di segale, per segnare la fine cruenta del carnevale.
La tradizione del Carnevale dell'Orso di Segale di Valdieri è stata riportata in vita nel 2004 dopo 40 anni di interruzione grazie all'interazione tra il Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime e l'Ecomuseo della Segale con la popolazione locale.
L'appuntamento con il Carnevale dell'Orso di Segale è, di solito l'ultima domenica del carnevale. Per conoscere le date consultate il sito dell'Ecomuseo della Segale.
Se siete incuriositi dai carnevali alpini della Provincia di Cuneo sulle nostre pagine trovate informazioni anche sulla Baio di Sampeyre e sulla Beò de Blins di Bellino, località della Valle Varaita.
The Rye Bear Carnival in Valdieri
Over the centuries, the Carnival period has always been a time of transgression, of excesses and mockery against the powers.
In the mountain valleys, however, these celebrations are full of symbolism, they evoke ancient propitiatory rites, celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring, but also serve to keep away ancient fears typical of mountain men such as predators or wild man. The Alpine Carnivals are a combination of sacred and profane, of history and legend.
Several locations in the valleys of the Granda Province have maintained or revived the traditional alpine carnivals and one of them is Valdieri with the Rye Bear Carnival.
The bear is present in the celebrations of various places in Italy as a symbol of the spring awakening.
The origins of Rye Bear Carnival is lost in the mists of time and thanks to Euclide Milano's studies and the memories of the elderly, it was possible to reconstruct its organization as it was at the beginning of the twentieth century when there was the election of the Abbà, the public distribution of potato gnocchi, the cutting of the head of a rooster or a cat, the death of Carnival and the arrival of the Lent.
The day of San Martino, 11 November, a time when sowing ended, the winter hibernation began. The Bear of Rye rested in his "barmo" until he woke up in the night between Sant'Orso and Candlemas (1-2 February). According to a tradition spread throughout Europe, the imminent seasonality is established on this night. If the Bear comes out of hibernation and sees the sky illuminated by the full moon, old moon, then he returns to lethargy because winter will last for 40 days, while if the sky is dark because the moon is hidden, new moon, spring is at doors.
The making of the Bear mask was elaborate, the man in charge was wrapped in long ropes of twisted rye straw and the exposed parts of the body were blackened with burnt cork. The dress was completed by a large hat, always in rope, and by a long braided tail.
Today the dressing is less cumbersome and is used a costume covered with rope, but the "gnoccolata", the ritual of the celebration remain almost the same.
Dressed in a hidden place, the Bear of Rye, seduced by the songs from the central square intoned by the Cantors of the Bear, begins its raids in the village until, with difficulty, it is captured and chained by the tamer, while the Perulier, children dressed in rags and with a face blackened with soot, surround and rumble it beating some old cookware.
Thus began the procession through the streets of Valdieri, with the Frà, fake friars, who declare satire against the inhabitants and ask for house-to-house quests, the musicians accompany them and the Bear who growls at the crowd in search of food and tries to escape by severely testing the tamer.
At the end the Rye Bear is tamed by a girl, who personifies the Lent, who dances with it, decreeing the end of the jokes and the end of the Rye Bear Carnival . The return of the warm season is near.
Taking advantage of the confusion in the square, however, the Bear of Rye escapes and disappears while the Ciciu, a rye straw puppet, begins to burn, to mark the bloody end of the carnival.
The tradition of Rye Bear Carnival in Valdieri was brought back to life in 2004 after 40 years of interruption thanks to the interaction between the Maritime Alps Natural Park and the Rye Ecomuseum with the local population.
The appointment with the Rye Bear Carnival is usually the last Sunday of the carnival. To know the dates, consult the Rye Ecomuseum website.
If you are intrigued by the Alpine carnivals in the Cuneo Province, on our website you will also find information about the Sampeyre Baio and the Beò de Blins in Bellino, towns in Varaita Valley.
Over the centuries, the Carnival period has always been a time of transgression, of excesses and mockery against the powers.
In the mountain valleys, however, these celebrations are full of symbolism, they evoke ancient propitiatory rites, celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring, but also serve to keep away ancient fears typical of mountain men such as predators or wild man. The Alpine Carnivals are a combination of sacred and profane, of history and legend.
Several locations in the valleys of the Granda Province have maintained or revived the traditional alpine carnivals and one of them is Valdieri with the Rye Bear Carnival.
The bear is present in the celebrations of various places in Italy as a symbol of the spring awakening.
The origins of Rye Bear Carnival is lost in the mists of time and thanks to Euclide Milano's studies and the memories of the elderly, it was possible to reconstruct its organization as it was at the beginning of the twentieth century when there was the election of the Abbà, the public distribution of potato gnocchi, the cutting of the head of a rooster or a cat, the death of Carnival and the arrival of the Lent.
The day of San Martino, 11 November, a time when sowing ended, the winter hibernation began. The Bear of Rye rested in his "barmo" until he woke up in the night between Sant'Orso and Candlemas (1-2 February). According to a tradition spread throughout Europe, the imminent seasonality is established on this night. If the Bear comes out of hibernation and sees the sky illuminated by the full moon, old moon, then he returns to lethargy because winter will last for 40 days, while if the sky is dark because the moon is hidden, new moon, spring is at doors.
The making of the Bear mask was elaborate, the man in charge was wrapped in long ropes of twisted rye straw and the exposed parts of the body were blackened with burnt cork. The dress was completed by a large hat, always in rope, and by a long braided tail.
Today the dressing is less cumbersome and is used a costume covered with rope, but the "gnoccolata", the ritual of the celebration remain almost the same.
Dressed in a hidden place, the Bear of Rye, seduced by the songs from the central square intoned by the Cantors of the Bear, begins its raids in the village until, with difficulty, it is captured and chained by the tamer, while the Perulier, children dressed in rags and with a face blackened with soot, surround and rumble it beating some old cookware.
Thus began the procession through the streets of Valdieri, with the Frà, fake friars, who declare satire against the inhabitants and ask for house-to-house quests, the musicians accompany them and the Bear who growls at the crowd in search of food and tries to escape by severely testing the tamer.
At the end the Rye Bear is tamed by a girl, who personifies the Lent, who dances with it, decreeing the end of the jokes and the end of the Rye Bear Carnival . The return of the warm season is near.
Taking advantage of the confusion in the square, however, the Bear of Rye escapes and disappears while the Ciciu, a rye straw puppet, begins to burn, to mark the bloody end of the carnival.
The tradition of Rye Bear Carnival in Valdieri was brought back to life in 2004 after 40 years of interruption thanks to the interaction between the Maritime Alps Natural Park and the Rye Ecomuseum with the local population.
The appointment with the Rye Bear Carnival is usually the last Sunday of the carnival. To know the dates, consult the Rye Ecomuseum website.
If you are intrigued by the Alpine carnivals in the Cuneo Province, on our website you will also find information about the Sampeyre Baio and the Beò de Blins in Bellino, towns in Varaita Valley.
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