Between ritual and theatre: the ‘walking wood’ in the Carnival of Satriano di Lucania

Abstract

The article focuses on the Carnival of Satriano di Lucania (Basilicata, Italy), a tradition that has undergone a process of renovation leading to the revitalization of a festive dimension with a strong anthropological value. The analysis focuses on the ritual and performative aspects of the tradition, as well as on the behavioural modes and the sensory and perceptual variations it triggers in its participants. For this purpose, qualitative research methods were applied, including discursive interviews and participant observation. The findings show that the revitalization of the festive tradition, for the inhabitants of Satriano, has not only represented a means of reconstructing a sense of community and asserting a collective identity, but also the restoration of a liminal, shared dimension in which to experience extraordinary perceptual patterns. Beyond offering a documentary perspective that accounts for the developments and inherent mutability of the tradition, the study also assesses the potential of applying methodological tools from theatre anthropology to the investigation of popular performative phenomena. In conclusion, the research highlights a widespread social need to rediscover spaces of rituality where it is possible to experience a different quality of presence, grounded in corporeality, relationality, and participation.