Folk costumes of Croatia
The folk costume of the Croatians is the costume (clothing) worn by the Croats in their traditional settlement areas inside and outside the Croatian border . Its appearance reflects the cultural peculiarities of the settlement areas and the social position of the owner.
Within the relatively small Croatian settlement area there is an unusually large variety of different folk costumes. In addition, folk music and folklore are inextricably linked to the costume and lifestyle of the settlement areas.
history
The Venetian Lion and the Turks
Until the second half of the 19th century, the costume was characteristic of the entire rural population. This type of clothing was also used by the urban population who earned their living from agriculture.
In the middle of the 19th century, however, the picture began to change in this broad section of the population. The men gradually neglect their folk costumes and with the female costumes more and more commercially available fabrics appear, later also increasingly stronger influences of urban clothing on traditional garments. These changes arise as a logical consequence of the social and political performance of the " Moreška " (Battle of Heroes) on the island of Korčula and the events in the world after the revolutionary upheavals that Europe saw at the end of the 18th and first half of the 19th century. Century, which also had a major impact on the territory of Croatia.
The Venetian great power is overthrown and with it the order on most of the Croatian coastal area, which was under the power of the Venetian lion for several decades. On the other hand, the Turkish power , which still lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, is losing its influence, so that the areas bordering the Ottoman Empire are starting to live more freely and carefree. 1848 it comes in Croatia for the abolition of serfdom . Large masses of the rural population free themselves from their closed living conditions in which they lived and worked for centuries and from their submission to the feudal lords.
Turning away from old traditions
After the abolition of serfdom , the large family cooperatives also collapse . The cooperatives once had tens and even over a hundred roommates. All activities were organized and shared among the numerous members according to strict rules anchored in tradition .
In such a way of life, the female members were responsible for the preparation of the clothes of all roommates. The robe was generally made in the self-sufficient community, only a few additional parts were purchased. The women took care of the cultivation, production and processing of the textile raw materials, their processing, dyeing, the weaving of linen, cloth and silk fabrics and finally also of sewing and decorating the clothes for all residents of the house.
Housewives could no longer cope with this important task after the collapse of the family cooperatives. They no longer had the time and energy to take on this task in addition to the other domestic and economic chores. Therefore one can say that with the collapse of the family cooperatives the wearing of the folk costume was inevitably doomed to extinction.
This, of course, was not the only reason. Other reasons are, for example, the consequences of technological progress. The traffic connections and contact with the outside world outside the close family circle became faster and easier. The textile industry developed, which also brought about an upswing for the businesses, which in turn attract more and more buyers in the rural areas.
It is also understandable that the folk costume does not experience its final phase in the entire territory of Croatia at the same time. Decay is the earliest noticeable in the coastal area of Croatia. The men usually leave the costume very quickly, while the female costumes usually go through some transitional phases and last much longer in daily life, in some specific areas and on some islands even to this day.
Wherever the costume is still worn, it has mostly lost its purity and originality, the beauty of the execution and the variety of forms. It is mainly worn by older people, which means that it is only used in its most modest variants and that it is usually already equipped with newer, urban elements.
The costume and its social environment
The costume of the population of a certain area behaves like a living organism, adapted to the social environment in which it is located. It fits into the picture of the area, it reveals the main economic sectors, from it one reads the climatic conditions, on it one sees the wealth of the broad community, without reference to the ownership structure of the individual.
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But the folk costume also hides the traces of those historical events that were essential for the area in the past and that left their mark on the appearance of the costume. Ultimately, the costume is the image of the skill, the artistic understanding and the creative scope of the people who have found a medium in this requisite for life through which they can speak from the depths of their self, so that they can speak in their own way and with his language expresses the pursuit of beauty. Three factors, the natural environment, cultural-historical influences and the own creative drive of the respective people are always present in the design of the folk clothing, and therefore the costume represents one of the most complex achievements of the creativity of the population.
But the garment that the people shaped through the centuries has a deeper meaning in addition to its practical purpose and the more or less artistic meaning that emerges. Namely that unreal, magical, to which the practical and artistic component is often subordinate. The type of clothing in the circle of the closed rural middle is mainly still determined by traditional, centuries-old rules to which the people strictly adhered and which were seldom abandoned.
Due to these traditionally handed down and prescribed rules, the costume also gains social importance. It becomes a sign of the individual's social status in the local community.
Every phase of life, every event and every significant change in life from childhood to girlhood, the duration of the engagement and marriage, the honeymoon, the achievement of motherhood, old age and widowhood - all of this can be done on a given holiday Read the intended and specific garb and also the ceremonial costume, which is essential for individual customs. Then we become more or less aware of how much wealth of different types, species and subspecies we can see in folk clothing and that this treasure trove of folk culture is an inexhaustible treasure trove, the value of which must first be discovered, learned and understood.
Costumes of the Croatian settlement areas
Roughly speaking, the costumes can be divided into three different regions based on their different parts and their similarity in appearance. The geographical features shown in the following areas shaped and still shape the appearance of the respective traditional costumes:
Pannonian Plain (Slavonia, Baranja)
This area is known for its mostly low-lying plains with fertile soil and traditional costumes from the Slavonian Drava plain, unclear oak forests that are soaked with the water of the lakes, swamps and rivers. This unclear plain is only raised a little by individual mountains and hills.
Such an area is practically predetermined for agriculture, so that arable farming developed as the main branch of the economy. Up until now, the earth was tilled with the help of oxen that pulled the plow. All kinds of grains grow on this fertile earth, as well as corn, potatoes, cabbage, beets and other soil products.
Man raised large cattle here, which he needed to cultivate the land and from which he used the milk and meat. In addition to cattle, pigs were an important part of the population's diet, especially in the lower, wooded areas, where they were bred in large packs and were also released into the woods in autumn to feed on acorns.
Therefore the population in the north of Croatia did not feel any scarcity in general and lived to some extent in prosperity. This fact also affects the costume, which is richer and more varied where there is greater abundance. But the diligence and the work in the production of the garments also had an effect on the appearance. (Young woman from Slavonski Brod)
Just as the diet of the population generally depended on the fruits of the earth, the raw materials for clothing were mainly made from vegetable fibers - from linen and hemp. The men's and women's costumes of this area were worn as normal garments practically all year round. The robes were not cut, but the straight halves of the linen were put together and sewn together at the hem. The edges were then folded into smaller or larger solid wads.
Main parts of men's costume (Slavonia)
- a: shirt (košulja "rubača, rubina")
- b, c: trousers made of linen (platnene "gaće")
- d: camisole, jacket, gilet, waistcoat ("prsluk, lajbek")
Parts of the women's costume (Slavonia and Baranja)
- a1: Dress (košulja “rubina, odnjica”) from the front
- a2: same from behind
- b, c, d: divided garment
- b: Women's shirt (peasant woman's shirt, armpit dress) (“veliki oplećak”) - large
- c: Women's shirt (peasant woman's shirt, armpit dress) ("mali oplećak") - small
- d: lap, apron ("rubina, skuti krila")
Dinaric mountain region (Lika, Herzegovina)
The area of the Dinaric mountain region extends from the northwest to the southeast of Croatia and also includes most of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro . The typical signs of an elongated karst area can be found: bare limestone cliffs, valleys, caves, steeply sloping rivers, as well as rivers with short courses that suddenly disappear underground and reappear elsewhere before they flow again into a river or the sea . In the sinkholes , river areas and karst fields , the red earth settled , washed off the steep mountain peaks. These are the only areas that can be used to grow at least a few crops such as cereals, cabbage, peas, onions, corn and potatoes.
The entire area of the Dinaric Mountains was covered with dense forests a long time ago, which man used, consumed and destroyed more and more over the centuries, so that today some parts are completely bare and only the bright rocks stand out. This fact also contributed to the many sheep and goats that were the most important living beings for the population in this area. Without these animals, survival in this area would have been impossible. Sheep breeding dates back to the ancient Illyrians and all other peoples in this area had to forcibly adapt to this way of life in order to survive.
Even if the majority of the population no longer leads this nomadic or semi-nomadic life, you can see that there is not exactly a need for a cozy home. Most of the budget is just improvised in some way. But that's why the clothes are very well made with exceptionally fine decorations, lots of jewelry and weapons. The old Latin saying “omnia mea mecum porto” (“I carry everything with me”) could be used for the population and their way of life .
It is understandable that the sheep-breeding population of this area primarily used the raw material that was most available to them, and that was wool, for the preparation of their clothing. In textile production, lambswool or sheep's wool was used, while goose hair was used for sacks and sheets that were necessary for economic work.
Parts of the men's costume
- a: shirt (košulja)
- b: pants (hlače, "benevreci")
- c: camisole, gilet, waistcoat (prsluk, "krožet")
- d: camisole, gilet, waistcoat (prsluk, "jačerma")
- e: jacket (kaput, "trlagan, kanparan, koret")
Parts of the women's costume
- a: Linen dress (platnena "košulja"), composed of:
- a1: women's shirt (peasant woman's shirt, armpit dress) (“oplećka”) and
- a2: lap ("krila, skuta")
- b: wool apron (vunena "pregača")
- c: smock (over the dress) (gornje sukneno Ruho "aljina, suknja, modrina, bilača")
- d: skirt (over the dress) (gornje sukneno Ruho "sadak, zobun")
Adriatic coastal and island region (Istria, Dalmatia)
The Adriatic area hugs the Dinaric so there is no difference between them in the configuration and composition of the soil. Nor can a definite boundary be drawn between these two areas. The Adriatic area is only called the narrow coastal strip, which usually plunges steeply down into the blue of the sea, and of course the thousands of islands that accompany the eastern Adriatic like a dense ring .
The area with a mild, short winter and a long, hot summer attracted many people to settle here. However, there are only a few areas that can be worked on, so that man created the fields himself, with inexhaustible diligence and his own sweat, without the help of any surrogate animals, as these are unsuitable for such a terrain.
You were happy when you could grow a little grain for your daily bread. Mainly the typical Mediterranean plants such as olives, grapes and figs were used to feed. Here, too, the most important animal was the sheep. Everything else had to be bought, so that here trade with the most distant areas along the population of Konavle in the summer garb (southern Dalmatia) of the Mediterranean developed. Because of the constant attacks by foreign peoples, such as the Venetians or the Ottomans, people withdrew to the most distant islands, to the mountain peaks and the most hidden corners of the coast. One lived in constant fear of assaults and tried to protect oneself as well as possible and to save one's bare life. Only when you consider all of this can you understand the different appearances on the costumes.
The costumes in this area were generally influenced by those of other Mediterranean peoples, such as the Ottomans, and the fabrics are lighter.
Parts of the male costume (island of Krk)
- a: shirt (košulja "stomanja")
- b: pants (hlače "brageše")
- c: camisole, gilet, waistcoat (prsluk "koret")
- d: jacket (broken "alja")
Parts of the women's costume (Istria)
- a: linen dress (platnena "košulja, stomanja")
- b1: Upper garment (gornje Ruho “modrna” na “skas”) from southern Istria
- b2: Detailed view of the upper garment from behind
- c: Upper skirt (gornje sukneno Ruho suknja, "gogran, modrna na kline")
European comparison
The Croatian costumes differ very clearly from the Slovenian , Austrian , German or Swiss costumes. While the local costumes are characteristic of the Alpine region , a relatively clear cultural cut is made here on the Slovenian-Croatian border. Suddenly the striking white, combined with completely differently designed robes, dominates the picture.
Lederhosen , long socks up to the knees or the typical hats of alpine costumes do not exist in Croatian men's costumes. Women also dress completely differently. If one again compares the Croatian costumes with those of other peoples of Europe, one notices their Slavic ancestry very clearly, thus also the similarity in appearance to costumes from Hungary , Poland , the Czech Republic or Slovakia .
gallery
Baranja (Northeast Croatia)
Vrlika (Southern Croatia)
Šestine (suburb of Zagreb )
Neum (Herzegovina)
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See also
literature
- Jelka Radauš-Ribarić: Narodne nošnje Hrvatske [The national costumes of Croatia] . Spektar, Zagreb 1975.