The role of movement in the Džolomari ritual of North Macedonia

Abstract

The Džolomari (Џоломари), or Džamalari (Џамалари), are masked pagan performers of the Kavadarci region in North Macedonia, traditionally active during the winter season to expel evil spirits and ensure fertility, health, and prosperity. The performers’ rhythmic and coordinated movements are considered the central point of this ritual, which gives the ceremony its structure and symbolic meaning. The present study examines the Džolomari ritual through these embodied actions, showing how movement transforms the ritual into a living form of dance. Fieldwork in the villages of Begnište and Rasava included participant observation and interviews with performers and residents, documenting not only the physical movements but also their cultural significance. The performers’ repeated jumps, rightward circles, bell-shaking, and symbolic fertility gestures are passed down through generations and recognized as essential to the ritual. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from dance anthropology, techniques of the body, symbolic anthropology, and performance theory, the present study shows that the ritual’s meaning emerges through the body rather than through words. Movement creates unity, expresses cultural values such as renewal and protection, and turns the village itself into a performance space. The Džolomari ritual can therefore be regarded as a ritual dance, in which rhythmic, symbolic, and structured movement tells a story of social, spiritual, and cultural continuity.

Keywords

Džolomari / Ritual / Cultural heritage / Fertility / Movements

References

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