Căluş – between ritual and national symbol

With an introduction by Owe Ronström

Abstract

This article, by the Romanian ethnochorelogist Anca Giurchescu, examines Căluş, a Romanian protection, healing, and fertility ritual traditionally performed during Orthodox Pentecost, a liminal moment marking transitions between seasons, worlds, and states of being. Central to the ritual are dance and music, through which its core actions are enacted. During the twentieth century, Căluş underwent a process of de-ritualization as it was transferred from its traditional context to staged folklore performances. Although many Căluş groups differentiate clearly between ritual and stage environments, elements of belief in the ritual’s supernatural efficacy sometimes persist even in theatricalized forms.

The article’s second part analyzes findings from a 1993 fieldwork experiment in Optaşi-Măgura, Oltenia, where dance scholars documented the ritual’s phases and observed numerous transformations, including adaptations, simplifications, expansions, and innovations. The experiment had several consequences: participating villages consolidated their status as authentic custodians of the tradition, and in 1999 a local ensemble was invited to perform at the Smithsonian Festival in Washington, D.C., further elevating the ritual’s international profile. These developments contributed to the inscription of Căluş on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

The introduction, written by Swedish ethnologist and ethnomusicologist Owe Ronström, outlines the work and legacy of the late Romanian ethnochoreologist Anca Giurchescu and provides context for the fieldwork experiment that underpins the article’s second part, as well as for the film on Căluş that accompanies the article.