Kukeri: Ritual Performances in Bulgaria
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KUKERI: RITUAL PERFORMANCES IN BULGARIA by KALINA BAKALOVA (Under the Direction of Freda Scott Giles) ABSTRACT The masked performances of Kukeri have survived from pre-Christian times and are still performed in multiple villages all over Bulgaria by men and women covered in goat skins and monstrous masks who, during the Winter months as well as around the Lenten season, chase the evil spirits away. The group of goat-skinned figures is followed by “funny men” dressed like women who stage satirical scenes commenting on current social issues such as presidential elections or price inflation. This dissertation analyzes the subject of Kukeri from the theoretical prism of performance studies and examines it as a performance incorporating theatrical elements such as improvisation, costumes and sets. In addition to analyzing the performance elements of Kukeri, I examine the practices as a site for constructing and performing nationality, ethnicity and patriotism. Kukeri includes the stock characters of the two major religious groups currently present on the territory of Bulgaria—Muslims and Christians. I argue that the performances, contrary to widely spread scholarly affirmations and popular beliefs, do not belong exclusively to the Bulgarian-Christian segments of the population. In addition, I investigate the performances as a site for constructing patriotism and nationality by also researching the process of “legitimatizing” Kukeri under Communism and reviewing the reconstructed Kukeri performances held at the official festivals away from their original village contexts and reframed according to the Party’s policy of staging and simulating the folk traditions of the people. I also focus exclusively on the satirical scenes staged by the “funny men” groups and study them as sites of popular culture, political protest and social satire. From a cultural studies point of view, the Kukeri “funny men” scenes present an astute critique of the contemporary Bulgarian political situation. INDEX WORDS: Kukeri, Koukeri, Kuker, Bulgaria, Bulgarian, Masked performances, Ritual, Folklore, Carnival, Balkans, Mumming, Mummers, Popular theatre, Street theatre, Political satire KUKERI: RITUAL PERFORMANCES IN BULGARIA by KALINA BAKALOVA B.A., Lyon College, 2001 M.F.A., Temple University, 2004 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2009 © 2009 Kalina Bakalova All Rights Reserved KUKERI: RITUAL PRACTICES IN BULGARIA by KALINA BAKALOVA Major Professor: Freda Scott Giles Committee: David Saltz Charles Eidsvik Dorothy Figueira Asen Kirin Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2009 iv DEDICATION To Liliana Bakalova v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of my committee members—Freda Scott Giles, David Saltz, Charles Eidsvik, Dorothy Figueira and Asen Kirin—for their support. I would also like to thank my sister—Gergana Bakalova—for helping me locate informants, my father—Panayot Bakalov—for helping me with library research, and my husband—Ivailo Savov—for assisting me during my last field research trip. Most of all, I am grateful to all of the Kukeri participants who shared with me their stories, food and shelter. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 Literature Review......................................................................................................3 Theories about the Origin of Kukeri .........................................................................8 Methodology of Dissertation...................................................................................12 Chapter Outline .......................................................................................................15 2 PERFORMING KUKERI: RITUAL, CARNIVAL, OR THEATRE .........................18 Kukeri as Ritual.......................................................................................................18 Kukeri as Carnival at Regional, National and International Festivals ....................25 Kukeri as Theatre ....................................................................................................33 Conclusion...............................................................................................................45 3 KUKERI AND COMMUNITY ARTS UNDER SOCIALISM ..................................49 Political Turn Toward Patriotic Art.........................................................................50 Community Arts Centers and Folk Festivals ..........................................................53 The Scholar as a Festival Jury Member ..................................................................72 Kukeri Festivals and the Legacy of the Socialist Era..............................................75 Conclusion...............................................................................................................78 vii 4 KUKERI: NEGOTIATING IDENTITY AND TRADITION ...................................83 Negotiating Heritage, Identity and Conflict............................................................85 Socialism, National Identity and Policy towards the Muslim Population on the Territory of Bulgaria .........................................................................................89 Political Discourse and Embodied Practices of the Muslim Population on the Territory of Bulgaria .........................................................................................97 Kukeri and Masked Rituals among the Turkish Population of Turkey.................100 Kukeri Practices among the Turkish Population of Bulgaria................................102 Masked Celebrations among the Bulgarian Muslims............................................106 Conclusion.............................................................................................................113 5 “FUNNY MEN SCENES” ........................................................................................118 Mummer’s Humor.................................................................................................120 “Funny Men” Scenes and Popular Culture............................................................126 “Funny Men” Scenes and Political Satire .............................................................130 “Funny Men” Scenes and the Sexual Explicitness of Carnival.............................137 “Funny Men” Scenes and the Bulgarian Identity..................................................142 Conclusion.............................................................................................................145 6 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................149 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................155 APPENDICES A MAP OF BULGARIA ...............................................................................................169 B MAP OF BANSKO REGION ...................................................................................170 C MAP OF BLAGOEVGRAD-BANSKO REGION ...................................................171 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: Kukeri Festival in Razlog. 2007. ...................................................................................46 Figure 2: Kukeri Festival in Varvara. 2007. ..................................................................................47 Figure 3: Bansko Kukeri Group in Sofia. 2007. ...........................................................................48 Figure 4: Kukeri Participants of Dubene. Date Unknown. ...........................................................80 Figure 5: Kukeri Participants of Dubene. 1980s............................................................................81 Figure 6: Kukeri Participants of Eleshnitsa on Labor Day. 1980s. ..............................................82 Figure 7: Woman of the Village of Ribnovo. 2008. ...................................................................115 Figure 8: Circumcision Day in Ribnovo. 2005. ..........................................................................116 Figure 8: Circumcision Day in Ribnovo. 2005. ..........................................................................117 Figure 10: Kukeri Day in Varvara. 2007. ...................................................................................147 Figure 11: Kukeri Day in Varvara. Azis and Kitaetsa. 2007. .....................................................148 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The ritual of Kukeri has survived from pagan times and is still performed in multiple villages all over Bulgaria. Although extremely popular within the territory of Bulgaria, the ritual is virtually unknown to the field of Western theatre studies. In recent years, the field of theatre has become increasingly interested in non-scripted events and the Kukeri practices provide a valuable case study that enhances our understanding of folk and street performances as preserved in the oral tradition. The