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La Scurdata, or
Ufficio delle tenebre, was an old and suggestive ritual of the Holy Week,
by now disappeared.
The name Scurdata literally means obscurity (obscuritate), but in the
common language it became Chaos, Uproar.
Once, during the Holy Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the crosses on the
altars and the window-panes were covered by purple drapes, and the infernal
uproar was made with the traditional wooden instruments, such as (tretacche,
racanèlle,
tippettappe,
racanóne,
palette, etc.)
but only after the extinguishments of the lights that illuminated the
Church.
This tradition wanted people to relive the moments of the Passion and Death
of Jesus Christ.
Nowadays, among the population of Toro is still in use the sentences Pe la
scurdate! and Na vota l'anne vè 'a scurdate (Once a year the Scurdata comes)
that is the same as saying in Latin Semel in anno licet insanire, Once a
year we can go mad. |
