The Alka of Sinj (Sinjska alka)
The Alka of Sinj is a chivalric game symbolically connected with the liberation of Sinj – a small town in the hinterland of Split and in the surrounding area known as Sinjska Krajina - from Turkish rule in 1715. Alka is a name for the tournament and the target. The alkars (competitors) on horses, riding in gallop must hit the target (alka) – a ring of wrought iron hanging above the racetrack, with a kind of spear. Alka is composed of two concentric circles interconnected so that they divide the outer ring space in three parts; the space one hits brings different scores. All competitors have two tries while the third race is reserved only for the best. In the competition there are minimum eleven and maximum seventeen alkars. The organiser of the activities and in charge for passing down the alka tradition is the Chivalric Society of the Alka of Sinj. The alkars are differentiated by function and honour which determines also their place in the festive procession of alkars which takes the precisely determined route to arrive to the racetrack: the commander called duke (vojvoda), competitors led by the commander called alaj-čauš, alkar- squires headed by harambaša, the escort composed of alkars who do not participate in the competition but have honour distinctions of barjaktar (the bearer of the flag), duke's assistant, squire etc. Alkars wear old and richly decorated clothing differentiated by colours and decoration and have ancient weapons; it is considered that such kind of clothing was worn by members of higher class. Alkar squires wear clothes as was typical for the peasants from Cetina Region, complemented with ancient weapons.
Alka takes place every year on Sunday in the first third of August. However, the preparation of alkars and their families and the people from the whole Cetina Region start months earlier. They are preceded by competitions aimed to local community: two days before the main competition – bara and a day before – čoja. Alka is an event aimed primarily at guests and friends and is connected with showing hospitality and preparation and eating of traditional dishes. A long tradition of competitions and the infiltration of the values of alka in everyday life resulted some decades ago in the establishment of a new tradition - alka competitions for children. Because of its great importance for the local and national community the Alka of Sinj was included into the UNESCO- Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
A yearly carnival procession of Bell Ringers from Kastav
The Bell Ringers of Kastav Region were entered into the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Kastav is a smaller territorial, historical, cultural and administrative region encompassing the hinterland of Opatija and today's municipalities Kastav, Matulji and Viškovo. The bell ringers are in costumes dressed or masked participants of carnival processions which take place in winter period until the last carnival day - a Tuesday before the Ash Wednesday. In the processions only men take part, wearing masks on their heads, dressed in white-blue t-shirts, white trousers and caped with sheep-skin with fur turned outside and fixed round the waist with the belt on which one to three tied bells hang. Moving in special and various ways which demand physical strength and endurance, they produce deafening noise with their bells, wherefrom the name for these carnival characters was derived: bell ringers. According to their look and way they move there are three types of bell ringers: bell ringers with zoomorphic mask and one big bell, bell ringers with flower masks on their heads and three bells and bell ringers with head masks made of paper tapes in various colours and with three bells. They have differently shaped and decorated wooden bats in their hands which they use in movement and dance. About ten groups of bell ringers in the Kastav Region have their traditional routes with the goal to pass through their own and neighbouring villages where they are welcomed with food and drink by their hosts. In these carnival customs of bell ringers evident is the old magical fertility ritual, preserved until our days, which still today has an important social function and meaning. The bell ringers’ processions imply various forms of social behaviour in connection with special relationships between the hosts and the bell ringers, preparation, serving and consuming of ritual food, dancing and giving toasts. Also, in history and in modern life the bell ringers play special cohesive roles within community but also in the whole Kastav Region. Tradition is passed down and kept alive by including children, future tradition bearers, into the bell ringers’ processions.
Traditional singing and playing (bećarac) in regions of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem
Bećarac is the best known and most widespread traditional, vocal and instrumental musical form in the region of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem which serves to establish communication, express one's thoughts and feelings which cannot be expressed in everyday, decent conversation. It is rarely performed without instrumental accompaniment. It is assumed that this way of singing originates from the so called “nightly singing of men” which was noted at the end of the 19th century. The name of this musical form became customary around the middle of the 20th century and originates from the word bećar, of Turkish origin, referring to a merry person, young boy, single person, usually a bachelor, inclined to life without obligations and with lot of fun. On a melody pattern ten-syllable double verses are sung, often with love and lascivious, erotic themes, but also themes that describe everyday life and events; in these songs the accent is on one’s own virtues, capabilities, beauty, wealthiness in contrast to other persons or communities, on which occasion quite often the mocking, defiance and spite are expressed. It is often performed by oversinging of two or more singers accompanied by instruments – in older times by pipes and tamburitzas and recently by tamburitsa bands or even mixed violin, accordion and tamburitza bands. The singer usually sings the first verse or part of the verse which presents a kind of meaningful thesis and then the second verse - which is often a humorous antithesis to the first verse, is sung by all singers. Appreciated singers are those with strong, enduring voice who are familiar with the old repertoire of ten-syllable double verses, who are creative and can quickly improvise, combine and invent new verses during the performance, who can create a theme by referring to persons which are present or the context of the performance on the spot. This kind of singing (bećarac) is very popular also today and performed on various merry occasions, especially on wedding celebrations. It is an indispensable repertoire part of many folklore and musical associations which perform it often and with pleasure on various occasions. Bećarac is performed also by many stage artists and because of its popularity the word bećarac is also used to name various dishes and cakes of the manifestation. Croatian artist Zlatko Bourek it used it in 1966 as the theme for an animation movie. Bećarac from the region of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem was entered into the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2011.
Dalmatian a cappella choir singing (Klape)
A cappella choir singing is a specific way of singing in a group (klapa), characteristic for Dalmatia and Croatia. It is considered that this kind of singing developed about the middle of the 19th century in Dalmatian towns. It was influenced by Gregorian choral, church folk and Glagolitic singing Mediterranean – particularly Italian music and singing and other factors. Klapa singing is singing in three or four voices without instrumental accompaniment and with recognisable movement of melody lines, harmony and text content. The texts of the songs cover a wide variety of themes from everyday life such as love, nature and family. The authors of texts and melodies are unknown. Modern composers often take verses of renowned Croatian poets. There is a difference between traditional (folk), festival and modern singing groups (klape). Traditional folk klapa is a non-formal group of singers which gathers spontaneously and sings on various occasions: before and during work and after work in evening hours in taverns or in front of houses. The appearance of a large number of singing groups and the spreading of klapa-singing throughout the region was influenced by the Dalmatian Klapa Festival in Omiš which was founded in 1967. Along with political, social and cultural changes in the 90-ies of the 20th century the klapa singing has changed considerably. This kind of singing became very popular and many groups were formed so that it resulted in a real “klapa movement”. Next to Dalmatia the centres of klapa singing become also Zagreb and Rijeka. Women vocal groups also joined the klapa singing - their tradition arising from the women’s folk singing. The large number of klapa choirs has led to a recognisable style, genre, repertoire and performance nourished in fourteen centres of klapa singing. From the 1960-ies the klapa singing becomes one of the symbols of Dalmatian and Mediterranean and then also Croatian identity. Because of the importance klapa singing has for Croatian culture, it was entered into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.
D.Sc. Tihana Petrović Leš
