Talk:Arkan (dance)

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[edit] Romanian Influence

I'm not averse to adding shared characteristics, but I have never read of any Romanian derivation of this dance. There are unsubstantiated stories of Trypillian derivation, but along with other scholars, I dismiss those because they are unprovable. Where can I find some research showing otherwise? Anca Giurchescu?--tufkaa 00:00, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

But it`s not a "derivation". It`s the same dance. To be honest, I lived with the impression that the Arcan is a romanian dance, found only in Romania. However, it`s no surprise the Hutsuls have it, considering their origins. (if you don`t know what I mean see the articles: Vlachs, Hutsuls, Gorals, Moravian Wallachia).

Let me tell you something about the dance in Romania: It`s a initiatic dance, danced only by good-to-marry young boys, dressed in traditional costumes (by the way, the costume is also, clearly, of Romanian origins). It`s called arcan, or also lat, pripon, meaning lasso/tether. The action of participating in the dance is sometimes also called a lua cu forta (to take with force), or a arcani (to lasso). The reason for this apparent "violent" character of the dance (tether, to take with force, etc) is simple: as I sayd, the dance is a initiatic one, by which boys (children) becomed part of the marriable young men. The "established" men would take with force (better sayd, with a ritualistic force) the "non-established" ones to the hora, to dance this variation of the Hora (there are several types of Hora, each meaning something different. A hora can be only for men, women or both, only for the old people/young people, married/unammried, etc). The dance was acompanied by specific shoutings, like this one:

Arcaneaua, brâul verde,
Vai, ca bine i se sede,
I se sede cui se sede,
Codrului cu frunza verde.
        

meaning (aproximatly):

"Arkan, green belt,
Oh, it suits him well,
It suits to whome it suits,
To the green-leafed forests"

The "green belt" is a kind of belt used by the men to identify themselves as such, as men passed from adolescence, to the "marryable" ones. A man like who has danced the Arcan is sometimes called arcanit ("arkaned"), bun de oi ("good for sheeps" - that is: good to be a sheepherd), bun de insurat ("good to be married").

Almost forgot, some info: In 1908, a Romanian dance group danced the Arcan in Viena, and in 1937 at London, both times having won prisez from the organisers for their performance. Also, to prove exactly how old the dance is in Romania (borrowed or native, doesn`t matter) is the fact that at the Humor Monastery, bulit in 1530, there is a fresco which shows Arcan dancers, accompanied by a lautar.

And here`s some external links the notes of some Romanian dances, Arcanul included, Pictures of the "Arcan Dance Group" greier 10:59, 15 May 2006 (UTC)