Hello all, Croatia is a rather small country, but has an amazing number and variety of Folk Costumes. The basic difference between Croatians, Serbs and Bosniaks is nominally religion. Croatians are Roman Catholic, Serbs are Byzantine Orthodox, and Bosniaks are Muslim. Other differences are strictly local. There is no correspondence between a map of the three nationalities with the political borders, the various dialects, the various types of costumes, cultural zones, etc. Today, of course, many people have a deep seated sense of nationality, so it has become a part of their personal identity. The Pannonian zone is comprised of the lowland areas of eastern Croatia, as well as northern Bosnia and Vojvodina. The costumes of this zone bear far more resemblance to each other than they do to other parts of any of these three countries. Compare these two photos, the first is of a Serbian man from Slavonia, the second of a Croatian man from Slavonia. The two sashes each have the stripes ordered according to the appropriate national flag, but that is the only significant difference. On a map of Croatia, the Pannonian zone makes up the eastern half of the country, from the narrow waist. I will be referring to the costumes according to their traditional cultural areas, which do not match current political divisions; this map above shows their approximate locations. These areas are often bounded by geographical features. I will cover the areas roughly from west to east. This map will be of some help, although many of the villages mentioned are not shown. It may be helpful to open Google maps and look up the villages as they are mentioned. I need to stress that while I will include many costumes, this presentation is NOT exhaustive. 1. POKUPLJE This area is in the western part of pannonian Croatia and basically consists of the basin of the Kupa river, which rises in the Dinaric mountains and passes Karlovac on its way east to drain into the Sava river. From west to east: Western group: Karlovac Draganić Songs and dances from this region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QogQpvgBAR0 Rečica Eastern group Kupinec Bratina Costume parade in Bratina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72tpiP9Cwa0 Jamnica The pleats typical of this costume make the entire outfit come alive when doing the typical Croatian shake dances. A commercial showing some dancing from Jamnica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzysdQL-x2Y A medley of songs and dances from Pokuplje, showing three of the costumes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM8Ffv-3qGQ 2. PRIGORJE This term means 'the land this side of the mountain'. The mountain referred to is the highland region just north of the city of Zagreb. This region consists of the foothills south of the mountains and includes the Zagreb area. Again, from west to east: Jastrebarsko Samobor Local dance group from Samobor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td4VmzAi2ws Zagreb area Sesvete 3. ZAGORJE This term means 'the land beyond the mountain'. This region consists of the land from the highlands just north of Zagreb to the Slovenian border and the Drava river. Again, roughly from west to east: Kumrovec This area is in the northwest corner of Zagorje. Local dance group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSB83uVO06M Kupljenovo, Zaprešić and Bistra form a coherent costume region in the southwest corner of Zagorje. The differences between the costumes are small. Bedjna is in north central Zagorje. Jalžabet is in eastern Zagorje, not far from the ciy of Varaždin. Songs and dances of Zagorje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OFqIxRDOc 4. MEDJIMURJE This region consists of the triangular part of Croatia which lies north of the Drava river and borders on both Slovenia [Prekmurje] and Hungary. Songs and dances of Medjimurje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xaI8Mv16nA 5. PODRAVINA This region lies in the lowlands along the Drava river where it forms the Hungarian border as far east as the city of Virovitica. A stage presentation of wedding traditions and dances of Podravina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNOpJwg9CA4 6. BILOGORA This region consists of the highlands just south of the Drava river basin. Local dance group from Bilogora https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5h5SK4DLSk 7. Banovina or Banije This area lies in the southwestern corner of this region, next to Kordun and Bosnia. In Luščani and nearby areas, a distinct costume has been retained. It resembles Bosnian costumes more than that of other parts of Croatia, and includes a back apron with long fringes that are more typical of Vlach costumes found much further east. Here is a performing group doing dances from this region. Notice that the movements emphasize the fringes on the back apron. Some of the younger dances are wearing a newer style of costume more influenced by nearby Pannonian costumes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of4TNZfkWk0&list=RDMM&start_radio=1 Another group from this region. This one is less professional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0vmdfpZhmk 8. POSAVINA The regions of Moslavina, Turopolje and parts of Banovina have been so influenced by the costume of Posavina that I will present them as one region. This is the most famous and the most spectacular costume of Croatia. Posavina consists of the Sava river basin, especially the area south of the city of Sisak. The other three regions lie east, north and west of Posavina, and while they have retained some particular regional costumes, very often what is seen is just a variant of the Posavina costume with its extensive embroidery. The embroidery is of three types, geometric, floral, and white-on-white, including openwork. As I have already gone on long enough, I will end this article with this costume, and continue with the regions further east in another posting. The national ensemble Lado presenting Posavina songs and dances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN4RjpmOuS4 Thank you for reading, I hope that you have found this interesting. I will have to write 3 more articles to finish this overview of Croatia. The facebook page 'Croatian National Costumes' is an extremely valuable resource which I have relied on heavily in the writing of this series of articles. https://www.facebook.com/CroatianTraditionalCostumes Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. I also choreograph and teach folk dance. Roman K. email [email protected]
Discounts available when buying 3 or more items in one shopping trip - please e-mail for a coupon code. Note that international shipping will be less that the posted amount when buying multiple items. Foreign buyers are encouraged to send an e-mail for an exact quote. Book Title: Traditional Female Headgear in Croatian Folk Costume Author: Marijana Gusic Language: English Published: Zagreb, Croatia - year unknown Condition: Good Condition - tears to folio cover; faint stain to bottom corner of several text pages; plates in excellent condition Format & Size: Softcover - 13.5" x 18.5"; 50 pages Description: Very rare publication about women's folk headdresses in Croatia. The book is actually a set of twelve 4-page loose large "leaflets" about regional headdresses with a loose color plate in the center of each leaflet showing the regional costume. It is complete and exactly as published. Please note the very large size of this book (XL folio size) - this is not a small pamphlet! There are 12 regions covered with diagrams, illustrations and of course the fabulous color images. The book was published by the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb and is long out of print. A highly recommended addition to your folk costume library! A note regarding condition: All of the costumes and textiles that I sell are vintage and have typically seen decades of use resulting in expected wear and tear that add to the history and authenticity of each piece. In case of above-average wear, I will mention any significant damages and heavy signs of use. Depending on the age, materials, and condition, I often hand-wash more durable, colorfast cotton and linen textiles, but embellished garments, heavier wool pieces or items made from silk or fine fabrics are sold in the original, unwashed condition. Small holes or stains, missing sequins/beads, worn trim, and other marks related to standard wear are common and do not detract from the value of most pieces. Please keep in mind that a vintage textile or garment in very good condition might still show signs of use, storage and age. Not sure about the condition? Need more photos? Sure! Etsy allows up to 10 photos online, but I often have more images available so please send an e-mail request for more. I am located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA) and local shoppers are invited to view or try on items in person before buying. Many other garments are available so please don't hesitate to email your specific requests. For consulting services in ethnographic textile care, collection management, storage, exhibition, and preservation, search the web for ELLIS ISLAND VINTAGE. Anything else? Please ask. I stand behind every item I sell and want you to be happy with your purchase. Thank you for visiting my shop!
Learn about the variety of beautiful and traditional Croatian folk costumes. See pictures of traditional folk dress of Croatian men and women.
Hello all, Today I will continue my discussion of the costumes of Croatia with the Dinaric or Mountain zone. This zone consists of...
Traditional Croatian folk dress of the island of Pag. Hrvatski nošnji otoka Paga. Croatian national costumes. Balkan folk dresses.
Learn about the variety of beautiful and traditional Croatian folk costumes. See pictures of traditional folk dress of Croatian men and women.
Hello all, Today I will continue my discussion of the costumes of Croatia with the Dinaric or Mountain zone. This zone consists of the mountainous regions just inland from the coast. It also includes large areas of Bosnia, Hercegovina and Montenegro. Here is our map again. We are now venturing into the western arm of Croatia. Again, the traditional regions are listed. In my last post I mentioned pockets of Croatians living in Serbia, so I should mention here that some part of the inhabitants of Mountainous Croatia are Serbs. Here is a very coarse map of the distribution of nationalities in the former Yugoslavia. Remember that this does not show a very fine detail of distribution, many small groups are left out. Also many areas have mixed population, which this map does not show. I will cover the various regions from north to south. 1. GORSKI KOTAR This is the mountainous region east of the Istrian peninsula and just south of the Slovene border. It consists of the inland portion of Gorski Kotar county and the western part of Karlovac county. The culture here is closer to that of Slovenia than to the balkans. Jelenje Delnice The following costumes are those used on stage by the Croatian national ensemble Lado. They seem to be from the Delnice area. Dances from Gorski Kotar Lado; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaYNqkmUg0c Local group from Delnice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSCLHGD37ic Dances from Jelenje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-VJo8va-Sk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOuHIaEDZfk 2. KORDUN This is the relatively lowlying region which is mostly in Karlovac county, east of Gorski Kotar and west of the narrow waist of Croatia. The two major cities are Ogulin in the north, and Slunj in the south. In many ways this area is transitional between the Pannonian and Dinaric zones. Again, from north to south; Ogulin This is often considered to be a transitional area, but I will include it with Kordun. Tounj Slunj Lađevačko Selište The red Dalmatian cap first makes its appearance here. Rakovica Songs and dances from Kordun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhF4MpuNvk4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RZU5f95fQ4 3. LIKA Lika is the highland region highlighted on this map, which is transitional between the northern regions and the mountains of Dalmatia. The costume in the photo at the head of the article is from Lika. Songs and dances of Lika A concert of Croatian Dance, the Lika set starts at 8:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP5eAABGYS0 local groups; Uhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aocvuZ6Zt1w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AGwQf4NZz0 4. DALMATIA roughly from north to south. Bukovica Ravni Kotari This is the inland part of the Zadar peninsula. Dances and songs from Ravni Kotari. Some of the girls are wearing coastal costumes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PliD8vd7iII Songs from Benkovac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj0mjc3Bzdk Knin Miljevci Vrlika Songs and dances from Vrlika https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_o_oSiCxRs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_uAm9dKWtU Sinj A glimpse of the Alka, the tournament held at Sinj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWXH182TpPk Songs and dances from Sinj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBdkz79IuwI Imotski Songs and dances from Imotski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta7iHyoDosw Metković Songs and dances from Neretva valley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGXe7lfvLLc Neum There are very similar costumes found just over the border in Croatian communities in West Hercegovina Songs and dances from this area https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB3Yu5iiB4Q The dinaric zone continues into Montenegro, Some consider the two costumes of the Dubrovnik area to be Dinaric, others hold them to be Adriatic. I shall cover them with the Adriatic costumes. This is a fascinating region costumewise. Thank you for reading. I hope that you have found this interesting and informative. This is a link to the facebook page 'Croatian Traditional Costumes', which is very informative and a great source of good quality photos. https://www.facebook.com/CroatianTraditionalCostumes Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. I also choreograph and teach folk dance. Roman K. Feel free to contact me at this email address. [email protected]
Hello all, This is the last of the four articles of my overview of Croatian Costume. Today I am covering the Adriatic zone, which consists of the islands and a narrow strip of the coast of the Adriatic Sea. This may possibly be the smallest zone in terms of land area, but is extremely rich in culture and costume. I will again cover this region from north to south. 1. Istria Istria is the peninsula in the extreme northeast of Croatia, with the northern edge shared by Slovenia and Italy. It is an ethnically mixed area, with Croatians, Slovenes, Italians, Vlachs, Morlaks and Istriots. Chakavian, Croatian, Italian, Venetian, Slovene, Vlach [Istro-Romanian] and Istriot are all still spoken on the peninsula. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istria Most of the costumes which I have seen are linked with localities rather than ethnicities. I am sure that there is a great deal of information which I have only seen bits and pieces of. Here are some images of the costume of Medulin, the most commonly seen costume of Istria. Istria and some of the islands have retained some very ancient modal forms of music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsQ0ERchBLA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCxmAFy2CHU http://www.smrikve.com/istria/books/smrikve/istrian-music/page-2/ 2. Hrvatsko Primorje, The Croatian littoral, this is the coast from the Istrian peninsula to the Zadar peninsula, around Kvarner bay. These costumes are from the northern part of the coast, called Liburnijski Kras, near the town of Opatija. Dances from this region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtsG_Jv-1Hc This image is labelled Kvarner, so it must be from somewhere on this coast. In form and construction, if not in color, it is very similar to the famous costume from the area around Novi Vinodolski. . 3. The northern islands. Otok is the Croatian word for island. Otok Krk This is not an abbreviation, r is treated as a vowel in the Croatian language. I have already done a pair of in-depth articles on this costume. http://folkcostume.blogspot.com/2011/10/adriatic-costume-of-island-of-krk.html http://folkcostume.blogspot.com/2011/10/mens-costume-of-island-of-krk-dalmatia.html Dances and songs from Baška, Otok Krk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPfJRSIVaKo Otok Rab Dance from Otok Rab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOnW8axJ4XA Otok Cres The following costumes are from Orlec on the island of Cres. Singers in the Liburnijski Kras costume, Dancers in Cres costume enter at 1:50 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IJbVk_pRgE Otok Susak Dances from Susak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkX1D8pPYLc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwPSEf1xq2M Otok Silba Dances from Silba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fdN5qkaLZg Otok Olib A series of home movies from Olib, showing the costume in some scenes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXTUDptSnD0 Otok Pag Dances from Pag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDAumyWQ_Ag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1mYg8wYhec 4. Zadar Peninsula and northern Dalmatian coast. Some communities have kept their unique local costumes. In this area, Dinaric elements can be mixed with the littoral zone elements. Novigrad Ražanac This costume looks to me like the young person's costume has been lost and all are now wearing what used to be the older women's outfit. The dances and songs from this area are often performed, however. Dances from Ražanac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8m7pDRPzfA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgzkDgsIFcs Vrsi Nin Privlaka Zadar country costume Zadar city costume Otok Ugljan Otok Iž Otok Pašman This seems to be a song concert on Pašman, but they seem to be wearing jackets over the costume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2i7exk-lqo Sveti Filip i Jakov Pakoštane Otok Murter Songs and dances from Murter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHNB5YrHMmo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ayJ7pMrdxk Otok Zlarin Šibenik Country costume City Costume Primošten 5. Southern Dalmatian coast and Islands. This includes the area around Split and south. Split The city costume of Split is very famous, and I have already written an in depth article about it. http://folkcostume.blogspot.com/2011/12/gradska-nosnja-town-costume-of-split.html Dances from Split https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuMoZzuBN9E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-wgz6urrAw Omiš Otok Brač Dances from Brač https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXow5PI3LOg Otok Hvar Dances from Hvar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_28gTYBXs Makarska Orebić This is a town on the Pelješac peninsula. Otok Korčula This island also is the home of a ritual men's sword dance, the Kumpanjija, which is done in older costumes. Dances from Korčula https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT6x7EVXtQw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihMaL4XyZII A glimpse of the Kumpanjija. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi0aJq5Sq14 Otok Lastovo The men are dressed in the carnival costume called pokladar, which is used for another ritual sword dance. The Poklad of Lastovo on stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEfTnenNdc Otok Mljet Dubrovačko Primorje This is the coastal region north of the city of Dubrovnik, the home of the famous dance Lindjo. The image at the head of this article is from this region. The Lindjo a very pretty video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N77W-YV1AoU a video showing normal people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFm3OS9h0ns Dubrovnik Konavle Čilipi This is the costume of the coast south of Dubrovnik. I have also done an in depth article on this costume. The men's costume is essentially the same as the previous one. http://folkcostume.blogspot.com/2011/10/costume-of-dubrovnik-county-konavlje.html Dances from this region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke7oglHhJus Boka Kotorska The bay of Kotor is in Montenegro just beyond the southern tip of the Croatian border. There is a Croatian presence in this bay, and the costume is of the Adriatic zone. Songs and dances from Boka Kotorska Good costumes, but the video is a bit murky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSLmsdHvcQ4 Good dancing, but the women did not close their bodices, and are not wearing petticoats. Sloppy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA6g3aSH-hg Good video. The men come on doing the local Mariner's Guild line dance. This is a port, and the men are traditionally sailors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJsOvuG5Y50 Well, I admit that this ended up being longer than I had expected. Thank you for reading. I hope that you still found it interesting and informative. You likely noticed that many islands and coastal areas were omitted. This is because I have little or no information as to those areas. I would love to learn more if anyone knows any good sources. This is the facebook page 'Croatian Traditional Costumes', which is a fantastic resource on the subject and a source of very good quality photographs https://www.facebook.com/CroatianTraditionalCostumes Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. Roman K. email: [email protected]
Learn about the variety of beautiful and traditional Croatian folk costumes. See pictures of traditional folk dress of Croatian men and women.
Hello all, Today i am going to talk about the costume and embroidery of Zagrebačko Prigorje, in Croatia. Croatia is known to its inhabitants as Hrvatksa. For history and more information on Croatia see this article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia Croatia has an incredible variety of folk costumes. Ethnographers consider Croatia to cover three distict ethnographic zones, the Pannonian, in the eastern plains, the Dinaric, in the mountains inland from the coast, and the Adriatic or Littoral, on the islands and the coast itself. The people are mostly Croatian or Serbian, with small minorities of Italians, Vlachs, and Romance-speaking Dalmatians in Istria. Three major dialect families are spoken, one of which, the Shto dialect, is also spoken in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Hercegovina. The Kaj dialect was traditionally spoken in the country and hills around Zagreb, and the Cha dialect is spoken on the coast, especially around the city of Dubrovnik. The costumes of the three ethnographic zones are very different from one another. Here is a map of Croatia showing roughly the exent of the three zones. Note that the zones actually extend farther beyond the borders of Croatia, but that is not the scope of this map. The Pannonian zone is shown by green hatching, the Dinaric by brown, the Adriatic or Littoral in violet, and this map shows the influence of the Alpine zone along the border with Slovenia in yellow. The region i am covering today, Prigorje, is found just outside the capitol of Zagreb and is marked on this map. The Prigorje costume is one of two which are commonly considered to represent Croatia as a whole. The other is the extremely beautifully embroidered Posavina costume. Here are some representations of the Prigorje costume taken from various sources. This costume is extremely popular with Croatian Folk Groups. This photo is of a bridal couple, hence the extra frou-frou on the woman's outfit. You can see that this costume is quite distinct. I have no information about foundation garments, but the first visible garment of the woman's costume to be put on is a linen blouse, known in this region as oplece. It is very short in back, but rather longer in front. Here is the cut. There is a band of woven ornament or cross-stitch embroidery down each side of the opening, which is pinned shut. There is another piece of cloth with either embroidery or woven ornament sewn on crosswise at or close to the lower edge of the vertical ornament. Here is a closeup. In this case, the vertical ornament as well as the neckband is woven, and the horizontal is embroidered. The vertical ornament is often [regrettabley, in my opinon] covered by a bow made of Czech ribbon, as in this photo. The cuffs are also covered with either woven or embroidered ornament, and the lower sleeves are 'smocked', and embroidery is also done over them, the same sort of cross-stitch design which is done on the other parts of the blouse. Over the blouse a sort of linen jumper is worn, known as the rubača. This laces closed over the front of the blouse, as you can see above. Here is the cut. The skirt is smock-gathered into the bodice, and the bodice itself has embroidered or woven ornament along the bottom edge with the same sort of designs. Here are a couple of examples. Over this is worn a sort of cloth belt, called pas. The purpose of this is to gather the fullness of the rubača into the waist. The pas is made of a length of linen with a slightly wider length of heavier wool sewn over it. Here is the cut. Over this is worn the apron proper, which in this region is called fertun. It is made of two fields of linen sewn together. There is a band about an inch or so wide of ornament towards the lower edge. This is usually woven in, but is occasionally embroidered. Over the apron a kerchief is worn, usually folded diagonally, but sometimes lengthwise. It is preferably of silk. Most commonly it is red, but can also be yellow or blue. This is always worn with this costume. A matching kerchief is often worn on the head. Here are a couple of images showing this. See also the other photos in the posting. White knitted knee socks are worn, usually with a texture knitted into them. The 'popcorn' knit is very popular. I have just found a blog by a Croatian woman named Ruzmarinka who seems to be from one of these villages, Shestine. Here is her exposition on some of the stocking designs. http://ruzmarinke.blogspot.com/2010/09/mustre-za-sestinske-carape.html Red garters are worn above the calves, with red ribbon bows just showing below the hem of the rubača. The feet are covered with moccasin type footwear, called opanci. In this region, the uppers are woven with supple narrow strips of leather, some of which are dyed red and blue. This style of opanci are only worn in this region. You will notice that a couple of the photos show high lace-up shoes instead. Tihs is less common. This type of footwear is still made, and one can see them hanging on souvenir stands all over Croatia, like bunches of fruit or strings of onions. They are very popular with tourists. As you will notice if you look at the various images, A necklace with multiple stings of coral is often worn with this outfit. Short lengths of Czech ribbon are often attached in bunches around the neck, and can often be seen over the shoulders. There is a short sheepskin vest worn with this costume, called kožulec. The fleece is turned over onto the right side around the edges. It is ornamented with loops of cord on the front, and leather applique in many colors on the back. Here is the cut and a couple of closeups. As you can see, unmarried girls wore their hair in braids which hung loose, in this case with short bunches of Czech ribbon attached to the ends. Married women also wore their hair in braids which were attached to a rectangular frame at the back of the head, which imparted a particular shape to the headress. This was then covered with a kerchief which was tied either under the chin or at the nape of the neck. A linen cap or a type of linen hood similar to the Italian Tovaglia were also worn. The man's costume is based on a linen shirt with the basic east Croatian cut. It has the same vertical and horizontal bands of woven or embroidered ornament as the woman's. The collar is sometimes done in white on white surface stitching or other embroidery. Here is the cut. In summer, simple linen pants are worn, similar to those over a wide area of Pannonia. In this region they are tucked into black boots. In winter wool pants with braid and a flap in font are worn, but these are seldom seen. Here is the cut of the basic linen pants. The two partial shapes at the bottom are not part of these pants. There is a cloth vest, called Lajbek,which is also highly ornamented with braid and studs, and often with embroidery as well. It is relatively larger than the women's. There is almost always a hook shaped ornament on the front, and the back varies quite a bit. The edges and the lapels are highly ornamented with braid. It has cords in the front which are tied into complex flat knots resembling those of east Asia. Here is the cut and a couple of closeups of the vest. As you can see, the men's costume is completed with a wide leather belt which has a flap that covers the buckles, a small round felt hat, and a jacket. The jacket is called Surka, and is very similar to jackets worn in parts of the Dinaric Mountains and the Carpathians, noteably in Vrlika, Zakopane and the Hutsul area. It is made of very heavy homespun wool, and is often worn draped over the shoulders in all of these areas. It is typically made of natural dark wool, and trimmed with braid, although not as heavily as the vest. See the various photos in this posting. Here is the cut and a couple of closeups of the jacket. Apparantly, the people in this region feel that the costume is not complete without the red umbrella with stripes around the edge. Thank you for reading, and i hope that you have found this interesting and perhaps inspiring. Here are a couple of websites i found with more informatiion: The second one is by Ruzmarinka. I have given links to several of the pages of her blog, which is in Croatian. Hvala lepa Ruzmarinko!! At this one you can buy Croatian Costume Pieces. http://cromall.com/traditional_clothing.php Ruzmarinka writes about her village costume in general: http://ruzmarinke.blogspot.com/2010/09/sestinska-narodna-nosnja.html Ruzmarinka shows in detail how to make and embroidery a rubača, including the openwork in the bottom of the front two seams. http://ruzmarinke.blogspot.com/2010/10/zenska-nosnja.html Ruzmarinka shows off the embroidery she made for a man's shirt. http://ruzmarinke.blogspot.com/2010/10/muska-sestinska-nosnja.html And finally, two videos, This one is by Ruzmarinka, a bunch of photos, including ones of her, set to quite schmaltzy music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hxd_YWCCeM And this one is of the famous Prigorje dance suite by the performing group Lado. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-QmzqO5js Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. Roman K. mailto:[email protected] Source Material: Nerina Eckhel, 'Narodna Nosnja Prigorja', Zagreb, 1984 Ivankovic & Sumenic, 'Croatian National Costumes', Zagreb, 2001 Vladimir Kirin, 'Narodne Nosnje Jugoslavije - Hrvatska', Zagreb, 1986 Mary Gostelow, 'The Complete International Book of Embroidery', New York, 1977 Ribaric/Szenczi, 'Vezak Vezla - Croatian Folk Embroidery', Zagreb, 1973 Jelka Ribaric et al, 'The Folk Costumes of Croatia', Zagreb, 1975 Vjekoslav Majer et al, 'Zagreb and its Surroundings',Zagreb, 1975 Walter Kolar, 'Croatians - Costumes they Wear', Pittsburgh, 1975 Nikola Pantelic, 'Traditional Arts and Crafts in Yugoslavia', Belgrade, 1984 Vladimir Salopek, 'Folk Costumes and Dances of Yugoslavia, Zagreb, 1987 Postcards in personal collection National Geographic Magazine
Hello all, Today I will continue my discussion of the costumes of Croatia with the Dinaric or Mountain zone. This zone consists of...
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Learn about the variety of beautiful and traditional Croatian folk costumes. See pictures of traditional folk dress of Croatian men and women.
Hello all, Croatia is a rather small country, but has an amazing number and variety of Folk Costumes. The basic difference between Croatians, Serbs and Bosniaks is nominally religion. Croatians are Roman Catholic, Serbs are Byzantine Orthodox, and Bosniaks are Muslim. Other differences are strictly local. There is no correspondence between a map of the three nationalities with the political borders, the various dialects, the various types of costumes, cultural zones, etc. Today, of course, many people have a deep seated sense of nationality, so it has become a part of their personal identity. The Pannonian zone is comprised of the lowland areas of eastern Croatia, as well as northern Bosnia and Vojvodina. The costumes of this zone bear far more resemblance to each other than they do to other parts of any of these three countries. Compare these two photos, the first is of a Serbian man from Slavonia, the second of a Croatian man from Slavonia. The two sashes each have the stripes ordered according to the appropriate national flag, but that is the only significant difference. On a map of Croatia, the Pannonian zone makes up the eastern half of the country, from the narrow waist. I will be referring to the costumes according to their traditional cultural areas, which do not match current political divisions; this map above shows their approximate locations. These areas are often bounded by geographical features. I will cover the areas roughly from west to east. This map will be of some help, although many of the villages mentioned are not shown. It may be helpful to open Google maps and look up the villages as they are mentioned. I need to stress that while I will include many costumes, this presentation is NOT exhaustive. 1. POKUPLJE This area is in the western part of pannonian Croatia and basically consists of the basin of the Kupa river, which rises in the Dinaric mountains and passes Karlovac on its way east to drain into the Sava river. From west to east: Western group: Karlovac Draganić Songs and dances from this region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QogQpvgBAR0 Rečica Eastern group Kupinec Bratina Costume parade in Bratina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72tpiP9Cwa0 Jamnica The pleats typical of this costume make the entire outfit come alive when doing the typical Croatian shake dances. A commercial showing some dancing from Jamnica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzysdQL-x2Y A medley of songs and dances from Pokuplje, showing three of the costumes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM8Ffv-3qGQ 2. PRIGORJE This term means 'the land this side of the mountain'. The mountain referred to is the highland region just north of the city of Zagreb. This region consists of the foothills south of the mountains and includes the Zagreb area. Again, from west to east: Jastrebarsko Samobor Local dance group from Samobor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td4VmzAi2ws Zagreb area Sesvete 3. ZAGORJE This term means 'the land beyond the mountain'. This region consists of the land from the highlands just north of Zagreb to the Slovenian border and the Drava river. Again, roughly from west to east: Kumrovec This area is in the northwest corner of Zagorje. Local dance group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSB83uVO06M Kupljenovo, Zaprešić and Bistra form a coherent costume region in the southwest corner of Zagorje. The differences between the costumes are small. Bedjna is in north central Zagorje. Jalžabet is in eastern Zagorje, not far from the ciy of Varaždin. Songs and dances of Zagorje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OFqIxRDOc 4. MEDJIMURJE This region consists of the triangular part of Croatia which lies north of the Drava river and borders on both Slovenia [Prekmurje] and Hungary. Songs and dances of Medjimurje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xaI8Mv16nA 5. PODRAVINA This region lies in the lowlands along the Drava river where it forms the Hungarian border as far east as the city of Virovitica. A stage presentation of wedding traditions and dances of Podravina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNOpJwg9CA4 6. BILOGORA This region consists of the highlands just south of the Drava river basin. Local dance group from Bilogora https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5h5SK4DLSk 7. Banovina or Banije This area lies in the southwestern corner of this region, next to Kordun and Bosnia. In Luščani and nearby areas, a distinct costume has been retained. It resembles Bosnian costumes more than that of other parts of Croatia, and includes a back apron with long fringes that are more typical of Vlach costumes found much further east. Here is a performing group doing dances from this region. Notice that the movements emphasize the fringes on the back apron. Some of the younger dances are wearing a newer style of costume more influenced by nearby Pannonian costumes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of4TNZfkWk0&list=RDMM&start_radio=1 Another group from this region. This one is less professional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0vmdfpZhmk 8. POSAVINA The regions of Moslavina, Turopolje and parts of Banovina have been so influenced by the costume of Posavina that I will present them as one region. This is the most famous and the most spectacular costume of Croatia. Posavina consists of the Sava river basin, especially the area south of the city of Sisak. The other three regions lie east, north and west of Posavina, and while they have retained some particular regional costumes, very often what is seen is just a variant of the Posavina costume with its extensive embroidery. The embroidery is of three types, geometric, floral, and white-on-white, including openwork. As I have already gone on long enough, I will end this article with this costume, and continue with the regions further east in another posting. The national ensemble Lado presenting Posavina songs and dances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN4RjpmOuS4 Thank you for reading, I hope that you have found this interesting. I will have to write 3 more articles to finish this overview of Croatia. The facebook page 'Croatian National Costumes' is an extremely valuable resource which I have relied on heavily in the writing of this series of articles. https://www.facebook.com/CroatianTraditionalCostumes Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. I also choreograph and teach folk dance. Roman K. email [email protected]
Hello all, Croatia is a rather small country, but has an amazing number and variety of Folk Costumes. The basic difference between Croatians, Serbs and Bosniaks is nominally religion. Croatians are Roman Catholic, Serbs are Byzantine Orthodox, and Bosniaks are Muslim. Other differences are strictly local. There is no correspondence between a map of the three nationalities with the political borders, the various dialects, the various types of costumes, cultural zones, etc. Today, of course, many people have a deep seated sense of nationality, so it has become a part of their personal identity. The Pannonian zone is comprised of the lowland areas of eastern Croatia, as well as northern Bosnia and Vojvodina. The costumes of this zone bear far more resemblance to each other than they do to other parts of any of these three countries. Compare these two photos, the first is of a Serbian man from Slavonia, the second of a Croatian man from Slavonia. The two sashes each have the stripes ordered according to the appropriate national flag, but that is the only significant difference. On a map of Croatia, the Pannonian zone makes up the eastern half of the country, from the narrow waist. I will be referring to the costumes according to their traditional cultural areas, which do not match current political divisions; this map above shows their approximate locations. These areas are often bounded by geographical features. I will cover the areas roughly from west to east. This map will be of some help, although many of the villages mentioned are not shown. It may be helpful to open Google maps and look up the villages as they are mentioned. I need to stress that while I will include many costumes, this presentation is NOT exhaustive. 1. POKUPLJE This area is in the western part of pannonian Croatia and basically consists of the basin of the Kupa river, which rises in the Dinaric mountains and passes Karlovac on its way east to drain into the Sava river. From west to east: Western group: Karlovac Draganić Songs and dances from this region https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QogQpvgBAR0 Rečica Eastern group Kupinec Bratina Costume parade in Bratina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72tpiP9Cwa0 Jamnica The pleats typical of this costume make the entire outfit come alive when doing the typical Croatian shake dances. A commercial showing some dancing from Jamnica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzysdQL-x2Y A medley of songs and dances from Pokuplje, showing three of the costumes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM8Ffv-3qGQ 2. PRIGORJE This term means 'the land this side of the mountain'. The mountain referred to is the highland region just north of the city of Zagreb. This region consists of the foothills south of the mountains and includes the Zagreb area. Again, from west to east: Jastrebarsko Samobor Local dance group from Samobor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td4VmzAi2ws Zagreb area Sesvete 3. ZAGORJE This term means 'the land beyond the mountain'. This region consists of the land from the highlands just north of Zagreb to the Slovenian border and the Drava river. Again, roughly from west to east: Kumrovec This area is in the northwest corner of Zagorje. Local dance group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSB83uVO06M Kupljenovo, Zaprešić and Bistra form a coherent costume region in the southwest corner of Zagorje. The differences between the costumes are small. Bedjna is in north central Zagorje. Jalžabet is in eastern Zagorje, not far from the ciy of Varaždin. Songs and dances of Zagorje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OFqIxRDOc 4. MEDJIMURJE This region consists of the triangular part of Croatia which lies north of the Drava river and borders on both Slovenia [Prekmurje] and Hungary. Songs and dances of Medjimurje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xaI8Mv16nA 5. PODRAVINA This region lies in the lowlands along the Drava river where it forms the Hungarian border as far east as the city of Virovitica. A stage presentation of wedding traditions and dances of Podravina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNOpJwg9CA4 6. BILOGORA This region consists of the highlands just south of the Drava river basin. Local dance group from Bilogora https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5h5SK4DLSk 7. Banovina or Banije This area lies in the southwestern corner of this region, next to Kordun and Bosnia. In Luščani and nearby areas, a distinct costume has been retained. It resembles Bosnian costumes more than that of other parts of Croatia, and includes a back apron with long fringes that are more typical of Vlach costumes found much further east. Here is a performing group doing dances from this region. Notice that the movements emphasize the fringes on the back apron. Some of the younger dances are wearing a newer style of costume more influenced by nearby Pannonian costumes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of4TNZfkWk0&list=RDMM&start_radio=1 Another group from this region. This one is less professional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0vmdfpZhmk 8. POSAVINA The regions of Moslavina, Turopolje and parts of Banovina have been so influenced by the costume of Posavina that I will present them as one region. This is the most famous and the most spectacular costume of Croatia. Posavina consists of the Sava river basin, especially the area south of the city of Sisak. The other three regions lie east, north and west of Posavina, and while they have retained some particular regional costumes, very often what is seen is just a variant of the Posavina costume with its extensive embroidery. The embroidery is of three types, geometric, floral, and white-on-white, including openwork. As I have already gone on long enough, I will end this article with this costume, and continue with the regions further east in another posting. The national ensemble Lado presenting Posavina songs and dances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN4RjpmOuS4 Thank you for reading, I hope that you have found this interesting. I will have to write 3 more articles to finish this overview of Croatia. The facebook page 'Croatian National Costumes' is an extremely valuable resource which I have relied on heavily in the writing of this series of articles. https://www.facebook.com/CroatianTraditionalCostumes Feel free to contact me with requests for research. I hope to eventually cover all of Europe and the Former Russian Empire/Soviet Union. I also gratefully accept tips on source materials which i may not have. I also accept commissions to research/design, sew, and/or embroider costumes or other items for groups or individuals. I also choreograph and teach folk dance. Roman K. email [email protected]
