A Drunken Kurent

grown-ups

The kurent* character inspired many Slovenian authors, but in Forstnerič’s poetry it does not feature as a Shrovetide carnival or as a folk motif. Instead, it is presented as a mystical and demonic being. Partljič’s adaptation includes a description of kurent’s arrival which actually starts with people’s expectation. On one hand, they rejoice at the coming of the spring and the recurring awakening of nature and the world, on the other, they feel terror as kurent reveals their seemingly hidden desires, impulses and instincts and reminds them of their ephemerality.

*Kurent is a traditional pagan Shrovetide carnival costume from the North-West region of Slovenia. It consists of sheep's skin covering the body and face, with horns on the head and large cow bells around the belt. It represents a character that scares away winter and cold weather and welcomes spring and plentiful harvest, it is a commonly used figure in literature and visual art.

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