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Perchten-1
Perchten-1
primabarbara


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Collection: Perchten
Date Uploaded: Jan 12, 2017

Viewed: 111
Comments: 4
Favorites: 0

 Perchten are figures from the tradition of rural regions in the Alps (Austria, Switzerland, Southern Germany and Northern Italy). They are emerging in the cold nights between Christmas and January 6th and used to monitor the diet, cleanliness and work regulations on the farms for these days. Because they come in groups, wearing costumes made of goatskin or sheepskin, fearsome wooden masks and huge bells to make a lot of noise they are quite blood-curdling.

Nowadays this old tradition still can be found around Christmas in some towns and villages where I live. Tried to show you what was happening at a performance with this essay. It is difficult to get decent pictures though because Perchten only emerge in the dark and they won’t stand still!

The day I made these pictures there were quite a few children watching so after the procession the performers took off their masks to avoid nightmares and to show that there are only “regular humans” beneath the disguise. Some offered to have pictures taken with them . I thought this is a lovely idea - I liked that part of the performance even more than the scary dance.

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AuthorThread
 01/17/2017 06:11:33 PM
Wow, they don't fool around with any cute little elves or reindeer do they? Those are fantastic costumes. This beautiful set of photographs has been a perfect introduction to perchten.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/17/2017 04:47:44 PM
How fascinating to see this annual tradition still is being followed. Quite scary indeed!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/17/2017 12:46:00 PM
Absolutely amazing!
I knew about this happening somewhere in Calabria, but not as artistic.
You managed to convey the atmosphere and soak us in it.
It would be somehow unfair to point to specific images because the entire collection is a great story telling but I found very touching the images where the characters were revealing their true identity #10 - #14 . After facing nightmarish figures we get to loving and somehow sheepish physiognomies.
The first and last images are very powerful.

Is there a way to make them more similar in dimension? They might benefit from it so we will not have to scroll up and down to see that whole image.

Looking forward for more of your collections Barbara!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2017 12:24:58 PM
DPC at its best, sharing images and stories from around the world. Your photographs and text opened my eyes to another place and what seems like another time. What I enjoy most is the villages participation. A local celebration where the performers know many of the families watching. A young child’s first visit which ends with the beasts revealing their true identity. A lovely and genuine tradition that I hope continues.

Very nice collection of photographs and I understand the difficulties shooting under these conditions. Something I always forget to do is set the camera to boost mode.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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