"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[Humppa]

@Fausto: We here in Bavaria / Austria have the same tradition, with the guys at these strange clothes... we call them "Perchten" or "Raunachtshexen"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Chr...tions#Perchten

There are communities around which carve that masks in their spare times. They usually come before christmas in the so called "Raunacht". That guy on the pic called "Krampus" - when I was a kid my grandparents and mum and dad told me "when you are a bad boy, the Krampus will come, and take you with him into the deep dark woods behind the house". We were frightened of this guys. As you can believe. - Great memories of my own great childhood -

Nowadays, it makes fun watching them at night, when the kids get afraid of them. Having some hot applewine and a fried sausage with a roll.

Thank you for showing it off.

BTW: That tradition is not so far away from each other, just the alps are between. Maybe that´s from the same origin.

Kind regards
Andi

[quattromori]

Andi,
interesting to see something similar in Bavaria. I don't think they're the same tradition...I'm more prone to thinking that from similar backgrounds come similar things.
Although it's an island, most Sardinian culture is from the innerland (shepherds mostly), field, animal breeding (sheeps, but also pigs, cows, and so on), so even masks and folklore comes from that. The other mask in the first set of pictures, instead, has a deeper and darker background and, still today, they are quite scary. There's also a variant (same name, another village) which reproduces some sort of Dionisiac ritual...yes, anthropology is a fascinating topic...

Fausto

[Humppa]

Hi Fausto...

I don´t think, that´s the same tradition, too. Maybe the same origin. But we don´t know what was going on before the christian time. During Romans and so on... You´re right, anthropolgy is a great topic.

Just wanted to share this here.

These "Perchten" are still very popular here, in the alps and the land where I live. I´ve seen them already in Salzburg and even in Landshut.
They look a little different than the masks from these in Sardinia.

Never mind... your post just brought me back to my own childhood, when mum told me at the age of six years "Andi, stop throwing stones at birds or the Krampus will come. Put you in his woven bag and take you to the deep dark woods behind the house..." and so on... what a great childhood.
For sure, we were frightened. One of my friends caught the idea of carrying a pocket knife, so that that bag could have been cut open. I remember it really clearly right now.

When we weren´t good guys, on December 6th (St. Nikolaus) Nikolaus came and had the Krampus with him. We were frightened being taken to the woods. But we were never taken to the woods. Nowadays those stories are great and full of nice remembering.

Kind regards
Andi

[quattromori]

Nice story Andi.
As for our "scary masks"...well I guess many kids are scared by any of our masks, but there is one that still scares me somehow. I don't know how to explain it, but everytime I hear the rhythmic sound of the bells announcing the Mamuthones in any parade, I feel like some sort of darkness is coming.



It may be a very cultural thing: I commented many people (Sardinians) about that, and it seems it's pretty common.
It's like they represent an ancient dark era, and they bring it to life every time they walk by.
I will look for some youtube video to see if you understand what I mean.
Probably not, since they're not part of your traditions and roots. But I like to share it anyway.

Fausto

[Humppa]

Hi Fausto!

I believe that this must be some kind of mysterious. I hope I can see some of these guys in action.

Kind regards
Andi

[quattromori]

Seeing them live is a bit different, but here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-3MDFddu0I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dreoi21NZ80

Fausto

[Humppa]

Hi Fausto!

Thank you for the vids! Really impressing seeing such a great tradition. The sound of the bells is some kind of ground-deep and full of rythm. Really impressing. It´s great seeing even children taking part of that. It must take a long time getting the rythm. I think I need to go the Sardinia when these men/women/children are walking.

I really love that vids. The scenes, when it´s to see how long it may take to get the costumes on are really nice, though I don´t understand a word.

It has nothing to do with our "Perchten" only the costumes and masks have something like the same.

Here is a "Krampuslauf" in Salzburg, Austria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PZyEerbTQc

Not really the same and there is no such rythm, but as you can imagine, always great fun

Kind regads
Andi

[sitflyer]

Fausto, those Vids were fascinating!
Same with your link Andi!
Thanx Guys

[Gevonovich]

Andi and Fausto
Thanks for sharing gentleman!! Very thought provoking.

[Humppa]

Thank yo guys!

But I think, that the guys from Sardinia have more of celebrating something serious. The have a very great apperiance.

The guys from Bavaria are more for fun, I think. When you see the guys walking and dancing at night - drinking hot apple wine and eating a metre sausage in a big roll... I hope you know what I mean

Kind regards

[quattromori]

Fausto, those Vids were fascinating!
Same with your link Andi!
Thanx Guys

Andi and Fausto
Thanks for sharing gentleman!! Very thought provoking.

Glad you enjoyed them guys.
Andi, I'm not sure that you are right. I assume that these kind of "masked" traditions are always born as something "serious"; it's just that, in time, some of them swift more into the "carnival" side, and others keep their "ancient" roots stronger.
Believe me, Mamuthones do not keep from drinking red wine for sure (even though under the whole sheep coat it must be awfully hot even without alcohol); what I can tell you for sure, is that no matter what they do now, they still have something of their old oscure times.
My island has a long (meaning, centuries' old) history of foreign populations occupying the coastal areas, and none of them managed to really invade the inner land (most of them didn't even try). This past somehow fed the sense of pride, closure (to "foreigners"), loyalty and bond to our traditions, which is, as you can imagine, much stronger in the inner parts of the island. I will try to see if I can find a decent videos of the mamuthones from Samugheo (same name, somehow similar dress, but from another village). They reproduce some sort of Dionisiac rite where the central figure celebrates in frenzy, then dies and is born again. As you can guess, not a rite born a few years ago...
Anyway, I'm glad that some of you enjoy this kind of things, and I'm glad Andi joined in for some comparison and interesting thoughts. Maybe we will convince some of you to visit the old continent someday. Oh, by the way, the summer season has started here...



Fausto

[Ballenxj]

Seeing them live is a bit different, but here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-3MDFddu0I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dreoi21NZ80

Fausto

Thanks for sharing these videos with us Fausto. I couldn't help but looking further into these Mamuthones and found more about them here.
http://www.gonomad.com/features/0904...amuthones.html
-Bruce

[OzarkCreekWalker]

Fausto: Beautiful picture. I would love to visit someday.


I went to an antique shop. Pretty decent knife selection: a new-in-box 34OT, Old Timer lockbacks, Sharpfingers, tons of old scout knives of the crimped on scales sort, an old Keen Kutter barlow, and many tiny little penknives. Spotted a demo knife at the reasonable price of $90. Couldn't help but laugh...

Picked up a cane pole. I've never fished with one but I'm really excited. I can tell you of many, many situations where I wished I had one. I don't quite know if I can call myself and Ozark fisherman if I have never used a cane pole! After all, I am the OzarkCreekWalker. I do, in fact, fish many, many small creeks and rivers in pursuit of the mighty smallmouth. I like catfish and panfish too. I also think gar are fascinating fish and certainly not trash. I could talk about fishing for hours but back to the cane pole: I think it's about time to simplify. I've got all kinds of reels rods, lures, and gizmos. But I've always caught more fish on simpler setups. I catch far more bass on rubber worms than any other fisherman-catcher. This week I think I'll get down to the river with my cane pole in hand and Case knife in pocket and catch me some dinner. Maybe even cook it up right on the sandbar. Can't think of a all that much more enjoyable and satisfying than that. Gotta stop as much as you can and enjoy life. It's not about which knife in your pocket, but about what you do with it.

[richstag]

Gents,

Grab a welding mask and get out and see Venus passing the sun.

My brother just texted me to go out. Of course, out of town, no scopes, no cameras but found a piece of printer paper, old made in the USSR binos and an iphone. A little teamwork and we got this shot.

[Railsplitter]

That's pretty cool, Kevin!

[richstag]

Thanks Rick! I am glad you enjoyed it

[Robert.B]

Great shot! I couldnt see it through the darkest welding lens but I took this when it was passing lol

[richstag]

Thanks Rob, that's a cool shot too that you got!

[silenthunterstudios]

Who's making their way to Blade this weekend? I would really like to be able to afford to even bid on the Tony Bose jack up for auction.

[Robert.B]

No blade for me since 2004 I've been trying to get there and still havent...when my finances are more stable from immigrating here I will be definitely going, hopefully meet some people from here (not so much to buy knives).