The masks of Europe date back several centuries. Our ancient ancestors seemed to know the power of disguise even before written history. These traditions and links to shamanism could possibly predate all of our knowledge of recorded history. Masks in one form or another can be found in our three most powerful historical eras and cultural areas, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
To access some of our first European skins, we need to visit France. In France, at Trois Freres, caves inhabited by Paleolithic people have hunting scenes painted on the walls showing masked dancers. They are believed to be at least 25,000 years old. The central figure in one of the scenes shows a shaman-like figure wearing the head and antlers of a deer among reindeer, bison, deer, horses, and mountain goats. The link with today’s costume traditions can be established through the use of horns, fur, feathers and the animal forms adopted.
In Greece, the cult of Dionysus used masks to represent the spirits of nature and bestow these spirits on the wearers. Gold sepulchral masks covering the faces of the dead have been excavated at Mycenae. In the Greek theater the actors used masks to represent different characters. This tradition was maintained in the Roman theater. In medieval mysteries masks were used to represent characters. Devil masks and others were used at carnivals, as they are today in Spain, France, Italy, and other countries.
In Britain there are traditional animal masquerades that use various forms of the toy horse as the focus. These will be seen at Lands End, Bwca Lwyd in Wales, Thanet in Kent and between April 30 and May 3 at Minehead in Somerset. Some of these festivals are linked to Morris dances. Morris dancing, in some versions, has an animal-masked fool who entertains onlookers with tricks. The ghost like Mari Lwyd in Glamorganshire contrasts sharply with the other brightly colored traditions. This ghostly toy horse has been linked to the Irish horse festival of Samain, where the ancient Celtic festival is led by a man dressed in white wearing a crude horse’s head.
An unusual event is the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance in Staffordshire. Six pairs of dancers each carry a wooden deer head with a pair of antlers attached. A war horse and other characters support them.
Another variety of masked characters common in British folk festivals is that associated with agricultural cycles. The most notable are the Bury Man, in West Lothian, who wears a hat and balaclava planted with roses, and the Straw-Clad Man who appears in Whitby on the Saturday before Plow Monday. Similar straw-clad figures are also known from Ireland. It is possible that The Green Man of ancient Britain is associated in some way with these celebrations.
Eastern Europe
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland have costume traditions that use animalistic and figurative interpretations of faces.
Horribly masked characters blowing horns and parading through the streets of Hungarian cities like Fejer are not uncommon. This particular festival wears cloth masks with messy beards and frayed eyebrows under billowing felt hats with ribbons. Carved wooden female masks are also used.
Similar festivities can be seen in Maramures, where noisy mid-winter parades are held in common with other towns and villages. Furry devil masks with horns are used here along with some costumes, such as WWII gas masks.
In Poland, Turon is another winter festival celebrated by villagers in various areas. The festival is named after Turon, a fantastical creature from mythology, now shown as a toy horse with the wearer’s body covered in cloth. The revelry of the villagers takes them from house to house singing Christmas carols and receiving refreshments. Other masks depicting bears, goats, and wolves are common.
Bulgarian New Year festivities also have similar animal masks. An agricultural festival dates back to ancient Thrace. On the first Sunday before Lent, large groups of men dressed as domestic and wild animals noisily jump through the streets to scare away the old year and the forces of evil. Cloth masks are made of fur, hemp, and feathers with small metal disks decorating them. Other masqueraders wear masks with horns to represent oxen.
In Greece similar festivities can be seen in Thrace with the Kalogheroi dance.
Other notable European areas are Schemenlaufen at Imst in Austria, where frightening masks and loud bells are used to drive away evil spirits. Italy has several rural masquerades and is famous for the Commedia Dell Arte, where Harlequin and the jester Pulcinella originated. There are also the Venetian masquerade carnivals dating back to the 17th century, with links to earlier times. In Spain, penitents wear conical hoods during Holy Week and the Moorish dance represents the battle between Moors and Christians. The Moorish has influenced festivals in other areas, especially those involving sword dances.
Inspired by Masks the Art of Expression ed. John Mack ISBN 0-7141-2530-X and other sources that I have read and internalized long ago.
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