Prehistoric traditions in Ottana

Every weekend in September, October and November there's something called Autumn in Barbagia in the inland of Sardinia. Practically there's a kind of festival with open courtyards moving around in the old villages in the heart of the island. Last Sunday we took the opportunity to visit Ottana, not too far away from home. We strolled the village visiting people’s homes and yards to taste local food and vine, look at handcraft and listen to music. In the evening their groups of traditional masks Boes and Merdules gathered to parade the streets.

These mask traditions are something very special that you find all over Sardinia, and it heritages from prehistoric times. Usually, you see them mostly during carnival times in February. In Ottana, men get dressed in lambskins and hand-carved wooden masks picturing old deformed men and bulls with belts of big bells over the chests. They're acting in front of you showing the bulls being tamed by the human hand, alluding to the death and rebirth of the agricultural season. It's a very strong and powerful experience to see them. My girls did get a bit afraid of course, but later found a small bull-friend which helped them to overcome their fright!