Ethnological Museum Collection of Škoromati

Straight from hell, it would seem, this creature has come lumbering forth. A terrifying figure cloaked in black, cinched with a chain from which hang the skins of dead animals, a lantern, and a bell—and we know well for whom that bell tolls. His face and hands are smeared with ash, while atop his head sits a feathered cap crowned with a stuffed bird of prey. And as if that were not enough to send shivers down our spines and drive us to flee, he carries enormous tongs, which he bangs together to unleash an infernal racket.

This is the Tongs Bearer—and he has not come alone. Meet the Škoromati, the banishers of winter and heralds of spring, among the wildest carnival figures in Slovenia. Here is the Bell Ringer, who must spend the entire day running back and forth, ringing his bell as loudly as he can. Here are the Poberini, the Ash Bearer, the Green One, the Fat One, and many others.
The Škoromati are among Europe's most remarkable surviving carnival traditions. They stand as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Ilirska Bistrica and its history stretching back thousands of years.

The oldest living carnival tradition in this part of Europe was once celebrated across a wide area, from Friuli to northern Istria. The masked figures are divided into the "good" and the "bad," led by Kleščar, the Guardian of the Night. Today, the Škoromati tradition lives on in the villages of the Brkini Hills and the Podgrad Valley, while the Škoromati themselves remain the most distinctive—and the wildest—part of the carnival parade through the streets of Ilirska Bistrica.
Organised groups can visit the ethnological museum's collection of Škoromati in the village of Podgrad by prior arrangement.

Kontakt: +386 (0)40 78 71 78 or info@tic-ilbistrica.si

Price
Ticket: 4,00 €/person

Price valid from 10 April 2024. 4. 2024

For more information, see REFERENCES.