Zaviranje kola

Easter in Bela Krajina

Be a part of the traditional event on Easter Monday. It is an old combination of dances, songs, and dance games in Slovenia, that entered into the register of intangible cultural heritage and declared an intangible heritage of national importance.

The purpose of the event is to present a folk custom entitled Metliško Obredje - Zaviranje Kola, which was already described in 1888 in the newspaper Ljubljanski Zvon by Ivan Navratil from Bela krajina. In the 1930s, France Marolt took an interest in the dance-ritual events during Easter in Metlika: “The base of the ceremony Metliško Obredje are ancient, authentic Kolo dances connected with ceremonial games”.

It was danced every year on Vuzem, Easter Monday, under the open sky in Pungart near the church of St. Martina and since 1992 at the square Trg Svobode, part of the historic city center of Metlika. The performance Metliško Obredje (Zaviranje Kola) is danced without music. Zaviranje Kola is composed of dances: Metliško Kolo and games: Rešetca, Al je kaj trden ta vaš must, Robčeci, Kurji boj, and Turn. Given that Ivan Navratil (1888) and France Marolt (1936) recorded the same songs or their variants, we can say that the lyrics sung at Metliško Kolo have been unchanged for 130 years, but they were undoubtedly danced much earlier.

The dance games on Vuzem derive from the tradition of celebrating Easter Monday, which was dedicated to gifting, Easter egg games, and dancing. In the early afternoon locals and visitors gather on the square in anticipation to see the folklore members in their traditional white garbs.
Children’s games take place before the dances. The vocal leader, Vojarinka, invites folklore members into a circle, and the dance games begin. The first game is Metliško kolo, composed of four parts, accompanied by participants singing: an invitation to the circle, followed by winding into a snail shape, unwinding into a snake, and concluding with all participants going at a fast pace under the bridge formed by the last two dancers.
The next dance game is Al’ je kaj trden ta vaš must. One row represents the lords the opposite row represents the serfs. The latter once a year through lyrics tell their lords what they think about them. The lords answer them. In the end, the row of serfs run under the bridge, made by the row of lords. After the serfs form a row for the game Rešetca. This is a common wedding game involving taking and giving. The row represents a mother who, at the request of the Vojarinka and a male lead gives away the son or the daughter while singing. The game is played until all daughters and sons are given away.
The end is lively as the visitors are included. Only the visitors need to buy themselves back. The following game is Petelinji or Kurji boj that only the male members perform. The lighter performers are on the shoulders of stronger performers and fight with other pairs. The game lasts until one pair remains.
Turn is the next game. A group of men (typically 8) in two columns of three carry two performers on their shoulders. The group and the rest of the members are accompanied by the marching band from the event grounds. At the end, Metliško kolo is repeated in which all visitors can participate.