Alpine winter masquerades, also known as carnival masquerades, may be regarded as one of the most complex phenomena within the field of study of cultural anthropology and folklore. In the Italian alpine chain some of them have been brought to a new life two decades ago after a long period of decline; since then, alpine winter masquerades have been the focus of a great interest by cultural anthropologists, theatre performers and other intellectuals. In some cases bringing a winter masquerade to new life has proved to be successful; in others, after a first, “reborn” performance, some celebrations abruptly stopped. My paper aims to explore issues of ritual continuity and ritual failure through a specific case-study, that of the carnival masquerade in Salbertrand, an alpine settlement of 485 inhabitants in the upper part of the Val di Susa, in the Italian western alpine chain.
Ritual continuity and “Failed Rituals” in a Winter Masquerade in the Italian Alps
ZOLA, Lia Emilia
2011-01-01
Abstract
Alpine winter masquerades, also known as carnival masquerades, may be regarded as one of the most complex phenomena within the field of study of cultural anthropology and folklore. In the Italian alpine chain some of them have been brought to a new life two decades ago after a long period of decline; since then, alpine winter masquerades have been the focus of a great interest by cultural anthropologists, theatre performers and other intellectuals. In some cases bringing a winter masquerade to new life has proved to be successful; in others, after a first, “reborn” performance, some celebrations abruptly stopped. My paper aims to explore issues of ritual continuity and ritual failure through a specific case-study, that of the carnival masquerade in Salbertrand, an alpine settlement of 485 inhabitants in the upper part of the Val di Susa, in the Italian western alpine chain.
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