“Let’s give back to the villages what belongs to the villages.” - Transmission of the Hungarian folk song as an intangible cultural heritage in the Tápió region

The folk music research of the Tápió region in Pest County, as an ethnographic landscape, began in the early 1800s. As a result of the continuous work of folk music researchers, over the past 225 years, more than 1,500 local folk songs have been documented in 21 settlements of the region. The settlement folk songs of more than 400 local singers have been recorded, which is the unique intangible cultural heritage of the region. Songs related to local customs, folk games, lamentations, songs of notable days, old-style folk songs, new-style folk songs, and contemporary "nóta" works documented by the 60 folk music researchers. By the 21st century, only a few people in the settlements, the oldest, sang local folk songs. Saving local folk songs, having the oldest people sing them, and getting to know the complete documentation, collections, and recordings in scientific institutions became an important task. In 2009, Dr. József Terék, a native of the Tápió region, undertook the task of following in the footsteps of

Hungarian string band tradition

The Hungarian string band tradition is one of the country’s defining ensembles and one of the most common representatives of folk music culture. The basic fiddle-viola-bass line-up takes many forms across regions and eras and can be expanded to include additional string players or reed instruments. Up until the middle of the twentieth century, string bands provided music for village parties, family and village festivities, agricultural events and religious and public holidays. Today, they play a crucial role in stage performances, local festivities such as dances, and urban táncház (“dance-house” or folk dance parties). A group’s repertoire can include thousands of melodies, which village musicians play entirely from memory. In addition to memory-based oral transmission, melodies are now also acquired in formal educational settings using written transcriptions and audio-visual documentation. Because Hungarian string bands have always adapted to the social context, the melodies, lyrics, playing style and reper

Táncház method: a Hungarian model for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage

The Táncház (‘dance-house’) model of teaching folk dance and music combines traditional forms of acquisition with modern pedagogical and academic methods. Participants acquire dance knowledge from experienced members or tradition bearers by direct observation and imitation, to the accompaniment of live music, while using their own individual level of creativity to develop their competence and dancing ability. The dancing is complemented by singing instruction, handicraft activities and ethnographic presentations. Anyone regardless of age, competence or prior exposure can become an active participant. The aim is to establish a value-based, community-building, entertaining yet educational form of recreational activity through the practice and transmission of intangible cultural heritage. Táncház methods are also utilized in art schools and all levels of education, and influence folk dance and music performance. An annual National Táncház Festival and Fair constitutes the largest meeting of bearers, mediators an

Csárdás dance tradition

The csárdás is a Hungarian dance that is performed by couples consisting of a man and a woman, or, in some regions, of two women. Multiple couples participate in the dance at the same time, forming one large or several smaller circles. Each region has its own themes, gestures and figures, which are improvised according to well-known, established rules and patterns. The csárdás is a universal favourite in both village and urban dance traditions, and is performed during weddings, community events, folk dance events and on stage. It is often accompanied by a string band consisting of violins, violas and double basses. The practitioners are amateur and professional dancers who learn through formal education or folk dances. The csárdás is an expression of the self-organizing and cohesive power of communities. Dancers also sing and must pay attention to their partner as well as to surrounding couples. The partners learn to think jointly as they co-create the dance. The acquired skills can be applied to everyday lif

Dar Maschkar min kloukn and Da Jutalan - The ritual masks of Timau-Tischlbong of Paluzza (UD) - Italy

The archaic masquerade is part of the culture and history of a German-speaking community that settled in 1284 in what is now the Paluzza area.Among the ritual figures of this masquerade is "Dar Maschkar min kloukn," who wears a fur coat reminiscent of the agricultural world. He has fir branches tucked into his hat and between the buttons of his shirt. His face is blackened with soot, which he also uses to smear the faces of those he encounters along the way, as well as grease them with the grease from the rind tied around his waist. He has a cowbell tied to his back, which he rings rhythmically as he moves. This mask does not enter homes and wanders around the village during the day.Another ritual figure of the Timau masquerade is "Da Jutalan," who wears a white dress decorated with colorful handkerchiefs and his face is covered. He travels in a group from house to house, carrying an accordion, where he performs three dances. If he stays, he must identify himself by uncovering his face. His pilgrimage takes p

Rölar, Kheirar and Rikè - The ritual masks of Sauris-Zahre (UD) - Italy

The archaic masquerade is a product of the culture and history of a German-speaking community that settled there around the 13th century. Propitiatory rituals were once repeated several times a week, from Epiphany onward, while today the celebration focuses particularly on the "Night of the Lanterns." The main masks of this rite are the Rölar and the Kheirar.The Rölar wears dark clothing, his face covered in soot, and shouts and shakes the bells around his waist to announce the start of Carnival and drive away evil spirits with their din.The Kheirar, or King of Masks, has his face covered by a wooden mask and in the past would knock on the doors of homes with a broom made of sorghum. Once inside, he would sweep the floor, performing a propitiatory rite to sweep away the burdens of winter and make way for the arrival of spring.Spring is represented in the procession by the "beautiful mask" of the Rikè, whose face is covered by a veil and adorned with bells, which awaken the spirits, and colorful ribbons that o

Ròllate - The ritual masks of Sappada-Plodn (UD) - Italy

The Rollate is a totemic zoomorphic character even if by now he appears more human because of his typical large moustached wooden face. Armed with a broom (and once also accompanied by Clowns), he goes around the streets of the hamlets, rhythmically shaking his large rattle, the rollen that gives him his name. He visits the houses and brings good fortune with his cumbersome presence in fur and the particular and affected use of his voice which is believed to be that of the ancestors. The Sappada Carnival is also distinguished by the fact that it celebrates the period for a greater length over three Sundays dedicated specifically to the peasants, the poor and the gentry.Text by Gianluigi Secco

La Gnaga - The ritual masks of Fornesighe di Val di Zoldo (BL) - Italy

The 'historical' masquerade at Fornesighe is the only remaining one in the Val Zoldana where the elderly still remember others. The figure of the Matazin, who opens the parade accompanied by a fiery black devil, has been dying out in favour of that of the 'gnaga' who is, therefore, the fruit of a recent tradition even if there is evidence of similar characters in Italy, at least in the eighteenth century. It regards the allegory of the 'Old' who makes way for the 'New', namely the Power that passes on to the new adult generation represented by the Conscript who, as such, acquired the rights and obligations arising out of his new social condition28. In practice, the youth seems to be carried in a pannier by an old woman which, in reality, is tacked on later on the front of the figure. Other typical characters in the parade are the Doctor and the Wet nurse with an infant, the Woman from Ampezzo with the Gentleman, the Godfather and the Godmother and the 'Coco' charged with collecting eggs in the customary colle

Olt da Riva - The ritual masks of Rivamonte Agordino (BL) - Italy

The heart of this masquerade are the wooden faces of the handsome and the ugly, which are common throughout the Dolomites, but here they stem from a unique story: in the early 1900s, in the hamlet of La Spia di Rivamonte, Crispino Selle lived. He carved grotesque, disturbing, and highly realistic faces. These soon became known throughout the Agordino valley, and many people began to go see them.In 1947, a group of young people met in a local carpenter's workshop and decided to continue the tradition, following in Crispino's footsteps, creating less frightening, more colorful, and certainly technically inferior faces to Selle's artistic works. In honor of tradition, the masks were called Olt da Riva, and the young people of Rivamonte began wearing them during the Carnival season.In 2020, this masquerade was officially revived for Carnival, again by the town's young people, with more or less recent masks, but always with a traditionalist spirit.Text by Antonio Gheno

Marascons, Laché e Bufon - The ritual masks of Val di Fassa (TN) - Italy

Traditionally, in the Fassa Valley, "the carnival is unleashed" on January 17th, the feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot. The leading masks of the procession are the Laché, the Bufon, and the Marascons, followed and surrounded by masks or faceres (faces) representing beauty and ugliness, the positive and negative aspects of the collective imagination or the most deeply rooted and specific popular imagination of the area. During the carnival, the Laché lead the way for the Marascons, who, with a skipping step, make three counterclockwise turns for good luck. Meanwhile, the Bufon, who is the only mask allowed to speak, acts as a jester, comically embarrassing those present.The masks/faceres are all strictly wooden, unique pieces, usually carved from Swiss pine and painted with oil paints. Some time ago, only a few mask makers were able to consistently and imaginatively produce Ladin carnival masks, but in recent years, thanks to the willingness and sensitivity of some local sculptors or decorators/artists, the sch

Žinghenésta - The ritual masks of Canale d'Agordo (BL) - Italy

On Shrove Tuesday in the Canale d'Agordo area of the Alto Agordino they celebrated the Zinghenésta (Gipsy), an innovative female character of good omen for abundance who appeared in the middle of the second half of the nineteenth century. The other characters in the procession on the other hand seem to be orthodox and original and are completely similar to types found elsewhere (Matiéi, Laché, Paiazi and Puster). Of interest is the final part of the rite when some youths, dressed as murderers, carried out robberies and sacked the houses, but at the end they were released and allowed to keep what they stole. It is highly probable that these would be conscripts whose freedom of action corresponded to a form of recognition that they were the new power force in the community. Also present and well described are masks of the ugly type whose behaviour is similar to those of the Pagliacci and included the Puster, the Spazzacamin and the Ber who beat cowbells and sticks rhythmically to 'call the grass'. Then in the a

Matacink e Laké from Laste and Matazin from sottoguda - The ritual masks of Rocca Pietore (BL)

The Matacink in this area differ substantially because of the form of the tall hat that also identifies the natural area they belong to.The Matacink from Laste travel in pairs with their own Laké who do not wear tall hats and who are also responsible for collecting and offering grappa to those visited. Pairs of characters are formed for every hamlet. The Matacink were able to ask the parents of the girls to let them go to the ball under their own responsibility and in this case refusal was not allowed. The Matazin from Sottoguda also had a retinue of Sfrofignatori (soot throwers) or similar characters who contaminated anyone found outside or in the houses during visits with black, and they were accompanied by a chief mask character who presided over and commanded the dances.Text by Gianluigi Secco

Matazin e Laché - The ritual masks of Selva di Cadore (BL) - Italy

The great masquerades are also remembered in Val Fiorentina and direct recollections of the local Mata have been obtained from old people. Of significance, however, is an old photograph that encapsulates the soul of all the characters mentioned and where we can also see the use of a hat-veil instead of a black or white mask.Text by Gianluigi Secco

Matazin, Laché e Matazère - The ritual masks of Comelico Superiore (BL) - Italy

The group of archaic masks is guided by Matazin and Laché who are equal characters with gaudy (regal) clothes, rich in bright veils and coloured ribbons. They wear a high tube made annually, richly adorned with precious stones, pearls, mirrors and gold which were once collected from the families to whom they were returned at the end of the holiday. They carry the sceptre of their authority in one hand and sweets for the bystanders in the other. They wear sweet-sounding rattles and must stay in motion by walking or dancing together. They leap face to face during the dance and this pairing is their most significant action. The Matazins are accompanied by Clowns who soil the bystanders with ashes and control them with a staff.During the ball in the square, the 'Mata' dance with women among the public as a good omen for fertility and sometimes accept the invitation of some man who yearns even more for luck. The group of old characters travel separately from the rest of the procession with the group of musicians w

The Breath of Tradition: Digital Preservation and Social Transmission of the Bulgarian Gaida

The focus of this candidacy is the Bulgarian bagpipe tradition, specifically the "gaida" – a traditional woodwind instrument that has been a cornerstone of Bulgarian identity for centuries. This element belongs to the domain of "performing arts" and "traditional craftsmanship," as it encompasses not only the mastery of performance but also the specialized knowledge of constructing the instrument and maintaining its authentic repertoire.In Bulgaria, the gaida is more than a musical instrument; it is a symbol of communal life, present in every ritual, celebration, and social gathering. The specific focus of my work is the Strandja bagpipe style, known for its deep, melodic ornamentation and its unique role in the preservation of the folklore of Southeastern Bulgaria.It is important to note that "Bagpipe playing and musical knowledge in Bulgaria" was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025. This heritage is characterized by a complex

Ła Comedia Veneta - The Venetian Comedy

The Venetian Comedy as a cultural means of expression, entertainment, learning and socialization done in the Venetian language as a vehicle and an essential element of the plays.Dating back to the XV century, with high-ranking periods, it is currently a vast phenomenon in Venetian-speaking communities in the Veneto region and where venetophone stable, ample and long-standing communities are present abroad for historical reasons (mainly: Slovenia, Croatia, Brasil).It is studied by Academias (as a performing art and as to the language and culture) and currently very active thanks to hundreds of acting companies, both professional and amateur, with dozens of playwirghts.

The Eel Coast Cultural Heritage

The Eel Coast Cultural Heritage refers to the more than 3000 years old eel fishing tradition in the Southeastern Sweden. At least since the Scandinavian Bronze Age, eel has been fished for its meat and richness of healthy proteins, Omega 3 and D-vitamines. The traditions along the so called Eel Coast between Åhus and Kivik on the East coast of the landscape Scania, Sweden, are collected by the Eel Coast Cultural Heritage NGO and consist of knowlegde of tools, nets, boats, boat houses, craftmanship, mending of nets and tools, the currents and sea, songs, cooking, oral storytelling.

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