Joc de pomană dance for commemorating the dead in Svinița and beyond
This paper concentrates on the joc de pomană in Svinița that formed one of the focal points of the May 2013 fieldwork by the visiting researchers from the ICTM Sub-Study Group on Field Research Theory and Methods. My broader concern is with rituals for commemorating the dead that include dance and music. The aim for this paper is to identify the elements that make up the joc de pomană ritual in Svinița, and investigate whether these appear in other rituals for commemorating the dead, pomană mortului, in a wider area extending over adjacent areas of southwest Romania, Serbian Banat, northeast Serbia and northwest and central northern Bulgaria that may or may not be connected to those practiced in Svinița. In order to do this, I draw on observations made during the Easter 2013 fieldwork in Svinița, an extensive analysis of videos of events in this area posted on YouTube, conversations with other researchers and local choreographers, and a review of the available literature including academic articles and media references.
