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April 3, 2016

The Pagan Festivals of Sardinia

Europe Cultural Traveler Stories

Join in on Intriguing and Ancient Island Celebrations

Sardinia was surprisingly green, with unspoiled landscapes, great food, and unforgettable hospitality. The friendly Sardinian people reached out and made us feel welcome on their island. Although we had no language in common, Sardinians were somehow able to make themselves understood and communicate with us.

We visited a variety of ancient pagan festivals: Gavoi’s Sortilla de Tumbarinos, Perda Pinta’s Mamuthones Festival, Montiferru’s Carrela è Nanti, and the carnivals in Sartiglia and Ovodda, each with their own taste and traditions. I can’t say I enjoyed one more than another as they were all different and fantastic. Our Trip Leaders, Stefano and Sebastiano went out of their way to make sure we saw everything in true detail and so we didn’t miss a thing!

A group of six people, four men and two women, standing closely together indoors in a dimly-lit, rustic room in Sardinia, smiling at the camera. Some are holding small white cups, perhaps sharing stories from local Pagan festivals.
Our first lunch was spent with Sardinian shepherds.
In a restaurant setting reminiscent of Pagan Festivals in Sardinia, a server presents a large platter of assorted seafood, including crabs, clams, and prawns, mixed with rice and garnished with herbs.
Our first lunch, yum.
A man applies black paint to a woman's face, while another person with a painted face looks on. In the background, someone appears to be smiling. The scene evokes the rich Sardinian traditions often seen during pagan festivals in Sardinia. Indoor, casual setting.
In Gavoi, Stefano and Sebas convinced us to paint our faces to camouflage us for the Sortillia de Tumbarinos festival. Here I am getting my face painted.
Two men with painted faces play drums on a cobblestone street in Sardinia, against a stone wall, dressed in brown and black jackets with black hats. The rhythmic beats are reminiscent of ancient Pagan Festivals, echoing through the historic town.
At the festival, we heard drums from all around, the heart penetrating sound made it impossible not to rush to the street and try to capture all that was going on. The whole town came dressed in black with black faces: children, young and old, men and women playing drums, flutes and triangles while gathering in the center of town to celebrate the last day of Lent. The festivities went on until late in the night, truly exiting.
A person dressed in black stands in front of an old, weathered door and stone wall in Sardinia, holding the door handle, perhaps recalling ancient Pagan Festivals.
This photo was taken by my fellow traveler, Paulette Hurdlik, of our local guide in Gavoi, Valeria Sanna.
A person wearing a masquerade costume and mask is riding a dark horse on a cobblestone street, with colorful buildings in the background, as if parading through the vibrant traditions of Sardinia's Pagan Festivals.
In Santu Lussurgiu, horseback riders and neighbors strolled through the charming town celebrating the Festival of Carrela è Nanti. The festival consisted of many riders who, in teams of two or three, galloped through the narrow central street of the old town as they tried to decapitate two leather chickens, demonstrating bravery and tremendous riding skills. The riders looked like knights from medieval times.
A child dressed in a colorful costume sits on a windowsill, with a woman in a black jacket and hat nearby, reminiscent of the vibrant Pagan Festivals in Sardinia. Confetti is scattered around.
After the festival in Santu Lussurgiu was over, this lucky child got to keep the leather chickens.

Great tour, greater guides, exquisite food, wonderful experience!

-Photos and text by WT adventurer Olga Pokorny, Pagan Festivals of Sardinia

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