Brancoveni Olt Romania

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The true history of Brancoveni Monastery

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In 1494, when it was remade by nobleman Craiovesti, the monastery had existed for a long time whit monastic life. the oldest certifying document is deed of gift since 1583; Nicolae Iorga, the greatest historian of our country, reminded of a paper from 1508 which is lost now.

In 1570 lady Calea, the great grandmother of Matei Basarab, built an wooden church, on the spot of the present chapel.

After the ruler Matei Basarab had recovered whit the water of the Healing Spring (which it is still rising), he built the bell tower (a defensive tower), the princely cellars and houses and the defensive walls in front of the great church. He remade the monastery between 1643-1640. Since that time till now the Healing Spring has been cured many people who prayed whit faith to the Mother of our Lord.

The ruler Constantin Brancoveanu rebuilt the church in 1699 and the chapel in 1700, on spot of the ancient churches. The church has the festival the Dormition of the Mother of God. The doors are from oak wood and the doorframe whit vegetal ornaments is from marble. They were carved by an italian master, Giorgio Levino Passena. In the pronaos of the great church are buried Stanca Brancoveanu, Constantin`s Brancoveanu mother, his father Papa Brancoveanu and his grandfather Preda. In the porch are buried the abbot Theodosie Trapesintios, the priest Gheorghe and the priest Radu Sapca, who participated at the revolution from 1848. He was the last abbot of the Brancoveni Monastery, who died in 1876, at 86 years old.

The church was renovated and repainted in 1842 by the abbot Theodosie, after the earthquake from 1837 which demolished the tower of the pronaos and a part of the last floor of bell Tower. The picture was made again in neobyzantine style by Nicolae Polcovnicu and Matei Catulescu. It was restored between 1993-1998.

The small church was used as Infirmary church, by ill monks and wounded men during the wars. The picture is original and very valuable, realized between 1700-1702, an expressive fresco, in byzantine style. It was painted by the masters of Hurezi School, directed by Constantinos, a greek artist.

After the secularization of the monastic estates from 1864 this community remained without livelihoods and from 1880 there were monks, but in church the Divine Liturgy was officiated by priests every Sunday and feast day.  Cells were then used as a lunatic asylum.

The monastic life was resumed in 1950. Then was brought the icon of the Mother of God, copy of the miraculous Icon from Dalhauti, a copy of Luca`s Evangelist icon too. As a result of 410 decree from 1959 the nuns were drived away by the communist ruling and again an asylum d welled in the monastery. Later the asylum was removed and the establishment fell into ruin.

In 1985 the monastery came back to life. The church and cells were restored. The cellars and princely houses made by Matei Basarab shelter today Monastery`s Museum. Princely cellars conserved the original arches and today shelter religious pieces brought from monasteries and churches of Bucharest demolished by communist ruling. In Princely houses a fresco painted in 1989 represents the martyrdom of Saint Constantin Brancoveanu and his sons killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.

The all family was arrested by Turks and jailed in Constantinopol, the men in Edicule Prison and the woman in Fornetta prison. Saint Constantin was tortured for 4 months for determine him to pass by orthodox faith in Christ to Moslem religion. He heartened his sons in front of death. He told them not to abjure their faith only for some years of life in this world. Even they lost everything, they had not to lose their souls for eternity. Their holy relics are buried in New Saint George`s Church from Bucharest. For their prays to You, God, have mercy on us!

This article is taken wholly from the pamphlet “Holy Monastery Brancoveni” (small tourist guide) and was reviewed here by Iulian Ionica.  The pictures are made by Palangeanu Daniela in June 2010 (Thanks!).

If you want to know the position of the monastery Brancoveni use this link to Google Maps and enter the following GPS coordinates: 44.303694,24.305831 (+44° 18′ 13.30″, +24° 18′ 20.99″). Please visit Brancoveanu Monastery!

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Calusul from Brancoveni, Olt

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Calusul from Brancoveni.

The first appearance of calusul dance modern testimonies of Brancoveni are from First World War period.

After 1924, one active formation of adults calusari, in an organized manner, which in the days of  Pentecost, on Saturday evening, when the oath by Calusarii which aims to not let habit, and until Tuesday evening when a hidden ceremony viewers, they “buried calusul”.

Every year, they go from house to house bringing people, with garlic, salt and wormwood always present in their saddlebag, bringing luck, prosperity.

Calusarii of Brancoveni, today proudly bears the symbol of their uniqueness, the wool of sheep red caps, decorated and worn with pride romanian tricolor.

Just like today when kids “steal calusul” on the elderly, as the area bounded by the villages Marghieni, Ociogi, and Valeni Brancoveni to receive Calusarii, it`s a greath honor, in your yard to play “Forest”, “The lu `Mitre”, “Great Maldaru”, “encountered”, “lashed”, “Maldaru foreman” and “Sarba calus”, finishing with Romanian dances that get everyone they want to go well all year.

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Calusul on the Wiki

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Căluşari (Romanian pronunciation: [kəluˈʃarʲ]) is the Romanian word for participants in rituals the căluş, nowadays mainly found in Southern Romania. The word may also be found spelt as căluşarii (Romanian for “the căluşari”; the title of the article is in the indefinite form, whereas căluşarii is the definite form), căluşeri, căluş, căluşel, and also (due to the lack of diacritics in the English alphabet) calusari, calushari, caluseri, calusheri, etc. The tradition is also played by the Vlachs (Romanians) of Serbia and Bulgaria, and hence was introduced into the folklore of Bulgaria under the same name, spelled “Kalushar”/”Kalushari”.

Origins

The dance is thought to be derived from a pre-Christian fertility ritual and spring rite, and is said to bring luck, health and happiness to the villages in which it is danced. Others maintain that it is rooted in the ancient Indo-European worship of horse. It is quite possible that various traditions became mixed in the course of history. For example, căluşari are also supposed to have healing powers.

The oldest records are the musical notations of Ioan Căianu (17th century), and its mentioning in Dimitrie Cantemir`s Descriptio Moldaviae (1714).

Etymology

The generally accepted derivation of Căluş is from the old Latin double form “collusium, collusii”, meaning both “a dance group” and “a secret society”, however other derivations have been proposed. The Romanian word căluş also means “a small piece of wood placed in the mouth to prevent talking”, and derivation from this word has some support from the presence of the mute figure in some groups, and the ritual silence that used to be observed by the entire group. Others see căluş as a diminutive of cal “horse”, in turn derived from the Latin caballus, and point to the horse’s mythical associations with fertility and war, as well as the imitation of horses found in certain Căluş dances, although these dances do not currently play a principle role in the ritual. Another theory is that it derives from “Coli-Salii”, the Roman priests dedicated to the worship of Mars.[1]

Description

The căluş is a male group dance, although there are records of traditions from Oltenia region that included 1-2 young girls, now obsolete.

Dancers wear white trousers and white tunics, with brightly coloured ribbons streaming from their hats. Bells are attached to their ankles, and dances include the use of sticks held upright whilst dancing, or pointing at the ground as a prop.

Like many morris dances, in many traditions căluşari dancers include a fool, known as the “nebun”, or “mute”.

The dance includes the following elements.

  • The starting figure of walking (plimbări), or a basic step, in a circle moving counter clockwise.
  • More complex figures (mişcare) performed in place between walking steps.
  • Figures are formed from combinations of elements, often have a beginning-middle-end structure

If you want to read more please go to the page source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calusari .

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