Lazarim...XIX, a photo from Viseu, North

Photographer's Note

The reading of the will is one of the most important moments of the festival for the locals. From a balcony in the main square of the village, a boy and a girl - the compadre and the comadre, symbolized by the two dolls- read some funny poems that are critics to every single boy and girl of the village. She critics each boy and he critics each girl. According to the will, each one of the critiqued persons symbolically gets a part of the body of a donkey -just for fun, because the donkey will stay alive. After that, there is a little parade to the treshing floor where the two dolls are burnt.

Carnival in Lazarim is still very authentic. Here, on Tuesday, the caretos - people wearing a mask like this one and also costumes- come to the street to show their originality. These masks are sculpted on alder wood, by a few artisans in the village. It takes many hours to do a mask like this one. Each participant has a new mask every year because there is a contest for the best masks and also for the best caretos. The masks may have horns, moustache, snakes...

There are several villages in the north of Portugal and also in Spain where these celebrations with masks take place. According to some studies, they have their origins in the Celtic cults and they are closely related to the winter solstice and also to fertility.

ikeharel, kasianowak, ourania, danos, kordinator has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

kasianowak (17662) 2015-03-02 11:25

Hi Ana
You captured this festival in the dramatic way it deserves. Great dynamic action shot!
Thank you for sharing the interesting note too.
Best wishes
Kasia

ourania (51103) 2015-03-02 11:36

Hello Ana,
I like this suggestive picture very much, it depicts the end of the rituals and celebrations and should exude a melancholic mood but the warm, dancing flames add a sense of cheerfulness. Flames and smoke are subtle and natural, details are clear and at the same time you captured a beautiful, homogeneous blue in the sky. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

danos (110407) 2015-03-02 12:17

Ola Ana,
and the end of the parade of the Carnival the dolls are burnt as the same customes taking place in Greece too.Excellent the details of the scene with the informative note to completes perfect the Carnival in Lazarin.

Regards,Danos

holmertz (101890) 2015-03-02 12:41

Hello Ana,
This is a very well taken photo from the end of the carnival. I find it rather fascinating, but it could possibly scare children. It is a very suggestive photo, like something out of a horror movie. It is very well exposed, capturing the fire perfectly.
Kind regards,
Gert

EstudioChispa (2182) 2015-03-02 13:49

Wonderfully evocative image, Ana!
Best regards,
Russ Ham
Estudio Chispa
Austin, Texas
La Paz, BCS, M茅xico

emka (157280) 2015-03-02 15:09

Hello Ana, Very interesting series from this amazing festival. The burning of the mask looks dramatic and a bit scary.

WArm regrads Malgo

ACL1978 (7511) 2015-03-02 18:30

Hello Ana! A beautiful photo from Carnival in Lazarim - hopefully soon I will post some shots from Carnival in Panama which I recently saw. Very different than what I see from your shots in Portugal. This one is great, focusing on the detail of the burning mask. Outstanding fire photography, from the flames themselves to the tiny, barely visible sparks at bottom. Thanks!

Andrew

rbassin (27472) 2015-03-03 0:43

hello Ana
une bonne id閑 de photo, bel effet de cette sc鑞e de carnaval en feu.
Amicalement
Roland

Matyas (0) 2015-03-03 1:47

Ola Ana! Interesting idea. Very interesting shot and note. Superb brightness and colours. Good point of view. Fine background. Marvelous contrast. Well done!

ikeharel (112393) 2015-03-03 9:08

Ola Ana,
This sight reminds me the "burning-man" festival in the Nevada desert, but on a local scale.
Flames shown well against the darkening sky.
Photojob well done, and not by double meaning ...
Bravo,
Ike

kordinator (8738) 2015-03-04 0:31

Dear Ana
Well captured the history of the festival in the text but also the beautiful photography.
Unusual, extraordinary, very original photo work.
Nice fire effect.
Fantastic colors.
Great composition in vertical format.
Warm regards
Sa歛

dekanski (9255) 2015-03-04 10:27

Hi Ana,

I see you again visited Lazarim. Lots of good photos! But, or I am tired of the same motifs, or really - photos are not so interesting (or you've run out of inspiration or you can not find so good motifs). Or..., too many good photos makes that the individual is less impressive to me!

Of all of the final set, this I like best, though I must admit that as tumbnail looks better than when viewed at full size.

Regards, Sa歛

Silvio1953 (220465) 2015-03-04 11:46

Ciao Ana, suggestive end of carnival, nice scene and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

unclehotshot (4004) 2015-03-04 23:44

Hi Ana
A fine photo: a particular composition. You made a mysterious and strange and beautiful capture. Your note was very usefull, and the photo brings other associated rites to mind... old hethen rites and ceremonies.. we have a burning of the witch in Dk on the evening of the longest day of the year. Even voodoo springs to mind.
Technically the photo is (of course) of top quality.
Cheers Frank

eldancer1 (36343) 2015-03-05 6:31

You did a wonderful job capturing this event during blue hour especially the flame. Good details in spite of the time of the day. And, thank you for the information. Well done, tfs.