Muntinadas

The Muntinadas (plural, Rhaeto-Romanic in the idiom Sutsilvan , to be translated roughly as “mountain passages”) denote a centuries-old custom in the village of Trin at the beginning of the Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden .

procedure

The tradition has similarities with the Engadine Chalandamarz festival, as described in the picture book Schellenursli . However, the Muntinadas differ from the Engadine spring and winter drive-out festival in the autumn season in which they take place: their date is October 9th.

On this day, the Trins village youth - previously only the male - move through the village parts Vitg (= village), Digg and Mulin in the order determined by the size of the bells they carry, and then go to the Maiensassen . From there, on October 10th, the cattle are driven from the Alps. In the past, the meeting point for the returning shepherd boys was Fastatg, a forest pasture above the village. Nowadays young people meet at Sursch .

background

Social

From October 11th, the Trins cattle were allowed to freely grass the meadows everywhere. It was the common rulings , from which those who insisted on private ownership of their land had to buy themselves out. The principle of community management had practical reasons, since the land ownership on Trins territory was very fragmented and difficult to determine. Possibly the Muntinadas served to show a social ranking in a playful and civilized form, before two days later this no longer applied in grazing law until October 20. The largest bells were owned by three families, demonstrating their social rank.

Belief in ghosts

In addition, the custom is also rooted in the belief in ghosts of the old days. The tinkling of the bells and the three rounds of the village wells were supposed to drive the evil spirits, especially the water spirits, out of Trin before the cattle were back in the village and had to hibernate.

New beginning

After the custom had visibly been forgotten with the modernization of agriculture, a new beginning took place in October 2014, in which the majority of the young people and farmers of Trins participated.

literature

• Virginia Ritter: The boy with the biggest bell was allowed to lead the others. In: Bündner Tagblatt of October 2, 2014.