Genitsari & Boules: A Journey Through Time / Genitsari & Boules: Putovanje kroz vreme

Анђела Петровски
5 hours ago
3 min read

In Naoussa, in northern Greece, every year during the Carnival period, the custom of ‘Genitsari and Boules’ is revived — a tradition deeply rooted in time, connecting antiquity with the modern identity of the city. This custom, which has remained unchanged for centuries, has its origins in Dionysian worship, where disguises, masks, and ritual dances were an integral part of celebrations of nature and rebirth.

However, the tradition gained new historical significance during the Ottoman period. In 1706, after the bloody resistance of the people of Naoussa against forced child-taking and the execution of the Sultan’s envoy, the Ottomans launched a fierce retaliation, exterminating a large portion of the population. The following year, instead of a typical memorial service, the youth of Naoussa — disguised as charioteers and covered with wax masks — walked through the city, reviving historical memory and honoring the dead.

Today, the custom remains alive and strong, preserving the strictness and respect that have characterized it for centuries. The central figure of the procession is the Genitsaros, wearing the fustanella, silver jewelry, and the pala (sword). Next to him stands the Boula, a man dressed in female attire, covered with a wax “face” decorated with tulle and flowers. The procession is accompanied by children, while the rhythms of bagpipes and zournas give life to the ritual dance moving through the streets, drawing crowds of spectators.

This custom is not just a re-enactment, nor merely another carnival event. It is a bridge between past and present, a living organism that evolves without losing its essence. It is memory, identity, and resistance. And as long as the youth of Naoussa continue to wear the “face” and dance to the rhythm of the zourna, the custom will remain an inseparable part of the soul of the city.

Photo & text by: Nikolas Parissis - link here

Bio: Nikolas Parissis is a photographer and visual storyteller from Thessaloniki. His work focuses on identity, community, and the connection between people and their environments.

U Nausi, na severu Grčke, svake godine tokom karnevalskog perioda oživljava se običaj „Genitsari i Boule“ — tradicija duboko ukorenjena u vremenu, koja spaja antičko nasleđe sa savremenim identitetom grada. Ovaj običaj, koji je vekovima ostao gotovo nepromenjen, potiče iz dionisijskih obreda, gde su prerušavanje, maske i ritualni plesovi bili sastavni deo proslava prirode i ponovnog rađanja.

Tokom otomanskog perioda, tradicija je dobila dodatnu istorijsku težinu. Godine 1706, posle krvavog otpora stanovnika Naouse protiv prinudnog odvođenja dece i pogubljenja sultanovog izaslanika, Osmanlije su pokrenule žestoku odmazdu i gotovo uništile veliki deo populacije. Sledeće godine, umesto uobičajenog pomena, mladi Naouse — prerušeni u kočijaše i sa voštanim maskama — prošetali su gradom, obnavljajući istorijsko sećanje i odajući počast poginulima.

Danas običaj i dalje živi snažno, zadržavajući stroga pravila i duboko poštovanje koje ga prate vekovima. Centralna figura povorke je Genitsaros, u fustaneli, sa srebrnim nakitom i palom. Uz njega je Bula, muškarac obučen u žensku nošnju, sa voštanim „licem“ ukrašenim tilom i cvećem. Povorku prate deca, dok ritmovi zurli i gajdi daju život ritualnom plesu koji prolazi ulicama i okuplja posmatrače.

Ovaj običaj nije samo rekonstrukcija niti karnevalska atrakcija. To je most između prošlosti i sadašnjosti, živo kulturno tkivo koje se menja, ali ne gubi suštinu. To je sećanje, identitet i otpor.I sve dok mladi Naouse nastavljaju da nose „lice“ i igraju u ritmu zurle, običaj ostaje neodvojivi deo duše grada.