Original scientific paper
A historical and ethnographic analysis of the baraban customs in the officium tenebrae in the vigilies of Triduum sacrum before the liturgical reforms of Holy week, and its potential revitalization in contemporary culture and liturgical practice.
Dragan Nimac
Abstract
The author of the article has scientifically worked out the custom of baraban which has, until now, only been marginally investigated; he has also studied its relation to the Christian prayer of officium tenebrae (in Croatian Jutrenja) during the three days before Easter, which had been practiced in Croatian regions for the most part until the beginning of the 1970s. The ritual consisted of singing the psalms, blowing out candles and making noise, that is baraban, and the entire ritual process had rules even written in liturgical books. Numerous ethnographic records and story teller testimonies have shown that the custom had a rich terminological and ethimological background, including the multiple definitions of certain terms. The ritual used to, with its primarily spiritual and religious elements, presents the agony of Jesus’ death in a theatrical way and in the same time it was simultaneously, perhaps more unconsciously, a protest against the choice of Barabbas, a hard-line evil criminal, in the place of Jesus, consequently a remonstration against the evil and injustice in the society. Social, cultural and political changes influenced the practice of celebrating the ritual, which can be seen in the differences between Croatia’s north and south. During the course of history and over several centuries, the custom of flogging and making racket, the so-called baraban, had lost its originality and authentic meaning, and today is only known as a past folklore custom and entertainment element. The article can be of use to all those who wish to perform a more detailed investigation, or revive this custom at the local level.
Keywords
baraban; flogging of Barabbas; Triduum sacrum; officium tenebrae; singing of the psalms; blowing out the candles
Hrčak ID:
59469
URI
Publication date:
30.8.2010.
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