“Màscär” – The Mask

The “Màscär” is an authentic expression of rural culture

In order to disguise itself well, the “Màscär” is not only limited to costume but involves the whole person, from the way he walks, to the swinging and dragging gait, to the falsetto voice, and his posture.
Unlike the Dancers, the “Màscär” can appear on the streets even after the Epiphany, on Mondays and Thursdays before Carnival.
While the dancers during the two days of Carnival rejoice with their “aristocratic” performance, the streets of the village are invaded by dozens and dozens of people dressed up in the bagosso style.

Even the costumes worn by these masks come from their fathers but, unlike those of the dancers, they do not have special “decorations”.

THE “CEVIÖL”

The male costume called “ceviöl” consists of the heavy moleskin dress, mostly black or brown worn by the ancestors. It includes knee length trousers with square flap and two buttons; a white shirt without collar; “crözèt“, short waistcoat open at the front; white stockings or gaiters of the same fabric as the dress, fastened laterally with a row of covered buttons.
On the feet there are the “sgàlbär“, traditional shoes made of hard leather and wood with spikes producing a characteristic sound that is the background noise of the carnival, emphasized by frequently “scraping” the road while walking.
The face is covered by a mask, the head by a hat or a handkerchief.

THE “VÈCIÄ”

The female costume called “vèciä” consists of a long dress, with or without sleeves, made of a dark coarse striped cloth which, like the “gédä” (apron) was hand-woven on the loom. 
The dress is completed by a white shirt, long panties and a large handkerchief with a floral pattern and a woollen shawl. The ‘shawl’ can either cover the head or be worn on the shoulders and fastened at the ends at the front, under the ‘gédä’.
On the women’s feet there are the sgàlbär and stockings, white for the unmarried women, red for the married women and purple for the elderly women.