The reason why Ottana’s carnival is so esclusive, is the presence of the ancient and tipical masks of “sos merdules” and “sos boes”.
In occasion of the recurrent religious event of Sant’Antonio Abate (16th January) the traditional masks of the carnival of Ottana, so generally called, as said, “Merdules”, they show themselves in the ”prima ‘essia”, that’s their first appearance of the year. In front of a big fire (called, in sardinian language “s’ogulone”), after some religious rituals “sos merdules” begin with the carnival’s representations.
“Sos Boes” wear white sheep’s skin covers and put on the face “Sas Carazzas”, wood masks with bull’s head shape with horns of different length; such masks, woodcarved, show a star on the frontal part and two leaves along the cheeks. They also wear bells called “sonazzos” for the equivalent of 40/45 chilograms hanged on a cuir belt put on the shoulder.
“Sos Merdules”, identifying themselves with the man, wear, on the contrary, white or black wood masks often deformed, meaning the daily fatigue of life. On the shoulders they carry “sa taschedda”, a sort of backsack that in the past sheperds and peasants used to carry their own food to the lands. The figure of the “Merdule” by his own ritual and mith represents the neverending struggle between man and animal, aimed to establish the supremacy of the first on the second. Sometimes they threw themselves on the ground, performing a sort of rebellion to the orders of “sos merdules” whom follow the sequence of groups in masks, carrying in the hands “sa socca”, a sort of rope of cuir or a stick, used to keep them under control and put them under their own dominion.
From web site:
www.merdulesbezzos.org
www.carnevaleottana.it
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