PERUNFEST, FESTIVAL ZABORAVLJENIH PRIČA I NARODNIH PREDAJA

PERUNFEST, A FESTIVAL OF FORGOTTEN STORIES AND FOLK TALES

Slijećete li u Međunarodnu zračnu luku Zagreb 9. ili 10. rujna, sletite ravno na krošnju drva svijeta i niz njegovo deblo uronite u svijet zaboravljenih priča i narodnih bajki. Perunfest, festival zaboravljenih priča i narodnih predaja u Donjoj Lomnici, udaljen je tek tri i pol kilometra od ruba zagrebačke sletne piste.

If you happen to land at Zagreb

International Airport on 9th or 10th September, be sure to land directly on top of the Tree of Life, and then climb down its trunk and into the world of forgotten stories, and folk and pagan tales. Perunfest, a festival of forgotten stories and folk tales, is held in the village of Donja Lomnica, which happens to be as little as three and a half kilometres away from the edge of Zagreb’s airstrip.

Turopolje je kulturno-povijesna mikroregija koja se od južnoga prigradskog područja Zagreba, u kojemu se nalazi i Međunarodna zračna luka Zagreb, duž gornjeg toka rijeke Odre, između Save i Vukomeričkih gorica pruža prema Sisku. Ravno je, prekriveno oranicama, dubravama i gustim hrastovim šumama, a jedna od najupečatljivijih njegovih osobitosti jest tradicionalna drvena arhitektura. Prvi osjećaj svakog putnika koji sleti na pistu najveće hrvatske zračne luke djelić sekunde prije nego li ga obuzme onaj razdragani ushit, evo nas, stigli smo, zapravo je dodir Turopolja s podvozjem zrakoplova. Pa zašto onda ne biste bolje upoznali drevnu mitologiju ovoga kraja?

U drevnih naroda štovanje prirode razvilo se prije vjerovanja u božanstva. Kult drveća, primjerice, posljedica je vjerovanja da su ljudi postali od drveta, da po svojoj smrti nastavljaju živjeti u njima ili pak da u njima prebivaju neka viša bića. Kod starih je Slavena tako osobito upečatljivo bilo štovanje hrasta, najsvetijeg od svih stabala, kao os svijeta s korijenjem uronjenim duboko u podzemlje, do duša predaka. Pod njegovim krošnjama u davna vremena obavljali su se razni obredi, vijećalo se na plemenskim sijelima, prinosile su se žrtve, ložila se vječna vatra, živjelo se, veselilo i umiralo. I grane su mu bile svete pa se hrastovo lišće prinosilo bolesnicima kako bi prije ozdravili. Na najvišoj grani sjedio je gromovnik Perun, mitski stvoritelj bakrene brade i vladar svijeta živih, kojemu je drvo hrast bilo i posvećeno. S vrha krošnje stabla života, izniknulog na planinskom vrhuncu, poput Sunca, Perun je promatrao čitav svijet. No nije bio sam jer sveti je hrast udomljavao i dobar dio staroslavenskog panteona. Velesa, boga vode i podzemnog svijeta među svojim korijenjem, božicu Mokoš, gazdaricu

01 Šećući zelenim perivojem oko Kurije ModićBedeković, u prolazu se može razgovarati s Perunom, Velesom, božicom Mokoš, Svarogom, Tintilinima, Mogutima

In the park of the Modić-Bedeković Manor House, you can chat to Perun, Veles, goddess Mokosh, Swarog, Tintilins, and Moguts in passing

02 Na brojnim kreativnim radionicama djeca mogu naučiti kako primjerice izraditi zmajevu sluz, vunene vile, nacrtati zamišljena bića ili ih modelirati u glini i plastelinu

At different creative workshops, children can learn how to, for example, make dragon slime or wool fairies, draw imaginary creatures or model them in clay or play dough

Perunova doma, Perunovu djecu, mladog Jurja i lijepu Maru s obje strane debla, Mogute, smrtnike-čuvare koji štite hrastove gajeve i krajeve oko hrastovih šuma.

I danas u Hrvatskoj postoje krajevi gdje mještani vjeruju da se hrastovo stablo ne smije posjeći, a o vjerovanju u Mogute može se čuti upravo u Turopolju.

Takva je bila mitska slika svijeta starih Slavena, u čijoj kozmologiji velikim dijelom počivaju i korijeni bogate hrvatske folklorne tradicije. A takav je i vizualni identitet Perunfesta, festivala zaboravljenih priča i narodnih predaja koji će se i ovoga rujna, pod umjetničkim čarobnim štapićem njegova autora Zdenka Bašića i kreativnog tima te u organizaciji Muzeja Turopolja, već šesti put zaredom održati u Donjoj Lomnici kraj Velike Gorice. Mogutska šuma, Perunov tron, Velesov lug, coprničko selo, vilinska šuma, Mokošin trg nisu samo drevni toponimi nego i nazivi punktova različitih događanja raštrkanih po sjenovitome, zelenom perivoju atraktivnog povijesnog zdanja Kurije Modić-Bedeković, gdje se ovaj festival održava. Na prošlogodišnjem Perunfestu posjetitelji, posebno oni najmlađi, mogli su tako u dva festivalska dana sudjelovati na raznim kreativnim radionicama te naučiti kako, primjerice, izraditi zmajevu sluz, vunene vile, nacrtati zamišljena bića ili ih modelirati u glini i plastelinu, igrati zaboravljene dječje igre, heklati rukama, isprobati metloboj ili se u Školi letenja prepustiti zračnim akrobacijama. Mogli su i razgledati prikaze jurjevskih običaja Turopolja, izložbu Strašila svojih školskih vršnjaka ili pak završiti skuhani u vještičjem loncu, taman onoliko koliko je potrebno za jedan selfie. Imali su i priliku okušati se u gađanju lukom i strijelom, vrtjeti se u košarama na drvenom vrtuljku,

01 Na Perunfestu mogu se igrati i zaboravljene dječje igre At Perunfest, children can play games of old that may have been forgotten

03 Izložba lutaka autora Zdenka

Bašića i Staše Šahman Nevidinčeki, uklopljena unutar stalnog postava

Kurije Modić-Bedeković

The Nevidinčeki exhibition of dolls by Zdenko Bašić and Staša Šahman was incorporated into the permanent exhibition on display at the ModićBedeković Manor House

03 Bajkoviti ambijent Kurije ModićBedeković i tradicionalna turopoljska drvena arhitektura dodatni su razlozi zbog čega posjetiti Donju Lomnicu

The fairy-tale look of the ModićBedeković Manor House and Turopolje’s traditional wooden architecture are all the more reason to visit the village of Donja Lomnica slušati razne priče iz davnina ili čak ispripovijedati svoje i u prolazu razgovarati sa svim tim Perunima, Velesima, Mokošima, Svarozima, Tintilinima i Mogutima. Cosplay nadahnuće ipak je privilegija odraslih, posebno kada u tome sudjeluju vrhunski hrvatski kostimografi i scenografi poput Staše Šahman, Tajane Štasni i Ivane Bilić. Uz sva ta događanja na velikoj pozornici u parku pratio se i bogat glazbeni program. Zatvaranje festivala ujedno je i njegov vrhunac, praćeno već tradicionalnom procesijom, paljenjem slamnate skulpture Peruna uz vatreni šou na štulama.

Izazov je pričati priču o događaju koji je već sam po sebi more priča. Zaštitni znak Perunfesta svakako je originalnost kao i običaj da svako njegovo izdanje bude posvećeno predstavljanju nekoga drugog bića skrivenog u narodnim pričama. Prošle godine bili su to Nevidinčići, mala, nevidljiva stvorenja o kojima su naši stari pripovijedali generacijama čak i prije dolaska Slavena. Posebno dojmljivo priču o njima predstavili su Zdenko Bašić i Staša Šahman izložbom lutaka Nevidinčeki, uklopljenu unutar stalnog postava Kurije Modić-Bedeković. A tko će biti ovogodišnji Nevidinček vidjet ćemo 9. i 10. rujna ponovo u Donjoj Lomnici. U staroslavenskom obrednom kalendaru ljetu pripada ključno mjesto. Tada su dani najdulji, dozrijevaju plodovi, žanje se žito, općenito se slavi radost, krepost i snaga života. Ovaj turopoljski događaj na spektakularan način obilježuje njegov kraj. Donja Lomnica udaljena je tek tri i pol kilometra od ruba zagrebačke sletne piste. Usput vam je, vidimo se! 

Turopolje is a cultural and historical microregion that stretches from Zagreb’s southern suburbs, which is where Zagreb International Airport is located, then along the upper course of the Odra River, between the Sava River and the Vukomeričke Gorice low mountain range, to the town of Sisak. It is flat, covered with arable fields, bosks, and dense oak forests. One of its most striking features is its traditional wooden architecture. So when you land at Croatia’s largest airport, a mere fraction of a second before that familiar feeling of exhilaration floods over you, just when you think to yourself here we are, we’ve arrived, know that the soil that the aircraft touched upon landing is that of Turopolje. So why not get to know the folk and pagan tales of this region better?

Ancient people worshiped nature before they started worshiping deities. The cult of trees, for instance, emerged as the result of the belief that people come from trees, that after their death they continue to live in them, or that some higher beings reside in them. Worship of the oak tree, the most sacred of all trees, was deeply ingrained in the ancient Slavic people, who believed that the oak tree was the axis of the world whose roots reached the underground where the souls of their ancestors dwelled. In ancient times, under the canopy of oak trees different rituals were performed, tribal council meetings were held, sacrifices were offered, and eternal flames were lit. Under the canopy of oak trees was where people lived, rejoiced, and died. Oak tree branches were believed to be sacred, too. Believing that sacred oak leaves would aid the recovery of the sick, oak leaves were offered to them. At the top of the Tree of Life, there dwelled thunderer Perun, the highest of all gods and creator with a copper beard, and the ruler of the world of the living, to whom the oak tree was dedicated. From the top of the Tree of Life, which sprouted on a mountaintop, Perun watched over the whole world like the Sun does. But he wasn’t alone, because the sacred oak tree housed a good portion of the Old Slavic pantheon, including Veles, the god of earth, waters, and the underworld that dwelled in the roots of the sacred oak tree; the goddess Mokosh, who symbolises Mother Nature and fertility, and who was in charge of the House of Perun; two of Perun’s children, namely, his young son Yarilo on one side of the trunk of the sacred oak tree and his beautiful daughter Mara on the other; and Moguts, mortals who are believed to be the protectors of oak groves and the areas surrounding oak forests. Belief in the sacredness of the oak tree, which deters people from ever cutting it, has survived and continues to the present day in some parts of Croatia. If you’d like to find out more about the Moguts, then head to Turopolje, a region where they’re still revered.

This is how the ancient Slavs saw and represented the world in their myths, in whose cosmology the roots of Croatia’s many folk traditions rest. The visual identity of Perunfest, a festival of forgotten stories and folk tales that will be held this September for the sixth time in a row in the village of Donja Lomnica near the town of Velika Gorica, aligns with this ancient Slavic representation of the world. Organised by the Museum of Turopolje, and artistically run by the festival’s author Zdenko Bašić and his team, Perunfest will introduce you to the Forest of Moguts, Perun’s Throne, Veles’s Grove, the Sorceresses’ Village, the Forest of Fairies, and Mokosh’s Square. These are not just ancient names of geographical localities, but also the names of locations where different festival events will be held scattered around the gardens and park shaded by trees of the charming historic building of the Modić-Bedeković Manor House. At last year’s Perunfest, visitors in general and the youngest in particular could take part in different creative workshops during the

01 Kako izgledaju Nevidinčeki, mala, nevidljiva stvorenja koja žive u pričama naših starih, izložbom lutaka prikazali su njezini autori Zdenko Bašić i Staša Šahman Zdenko Bašić and Staša Šahman’s exhibition of dolls shows what Nevidinčeki − small, invisible creatures that continue to live in the stories of our elders − look like

02 Izložba lutaka Nevidinčeki skladno se uklopila unutar stalnog postava Kurije Modić-Bedeković

The Nevidinčeki exhibition of dolls fits in perfectly with the permanent exhibition on display at the ModićBedeković Manor House

03 Zatvaranje festivala popraćeno je tradicionalnom noćnom procesijom i paljenjem slamnate skulpture Peruna

The closing of the festival is accompanied by a traditional night procession and the burning of a straw effigy of Perun two days of the festival, and learn how to, for instance, make dragon slime and wool fairies, draw imaginary creatures or model them in clay or play dough, play children’s games of old that may have been forgotten, crochet, and try their hand at Quidditch or aerial acrobatics at the School of Flying. They could also find out more about Turopolje’s folk and pagan traditions surrounding the Feast Day of St. George, visit the Scarecrow Exhibition, or end up being brewed in a witch’s cauldron... for the purposes of taking a selfie, of course. Visitors also had the opportunity to try their hand at archery, spin in baskets on a wooden merry-go-round, hear different stories and folk tales of old or tell their own and chat to Perun, Veles, Mokosh, Swarog, Tintilins, and Moguts in passing. Cosplay inspiration is a privilege that adults can enjoy, particularly when top Croatian costume and set designers, such as Staša Šahman, Tajana Štasni, and Ivana Bilić, partake in it. Perunfest also features a rich music programme that accompanies the main events of the festival. The music performances are held on the big stage in the park of the Modić-Bedeković Manor House. The closing of the festival is its highlight, and includes a procession, the burning of a straw effigy of

Perun, and a fire show with stilt walkers. Telling a story about an event which is itself a sea of stories is challenging. The fact that each of the festival’s editions is dedicated to the presentation of one specific creature or deity appearing in Croatian folk tales is what makes Perunfest so original. For instance, last year’s edition was dedicated to nevidinčići, small, invisible creatures that our elders had told stories about for generations even before the arrival of the Slavs. The Nevidinčeki exhibition of dolls by Zdenko Bašić and Staša Šahman, which was incorporated into the permanent exhibition on display at the Modić-Bedeković Manor House, tells the story of these creatures particularly impressively. To find out which creature or deity this year’s edition of Perunfest is dedicated to, head to the village of Donja Lomnica on 9th and 10th September. In the Old Slavic calendar of pagan rituals and practices, summers were believed to be special. It is in summer that the days are the longest, that fruits ripen, that grains are harvested, and that the joy, virtuousness, and force of life are celebrated. Turopolje’s Perunfest marks the end of summer in a spectacular fashion. The village of Donja Lomnica is as little as three and a half kilometres away from the edge of Zagreb’s airstrip. It’s within easy reach, so see you there! 