Traditional Ethnographic Characters

Kopjaši

The Spearmen

The spearman from Markovci at Ptujsko polje is not a genuine carnival figure. In fact his place is at a peasant’s wedding where he attends the groom and the bride, at the same time, due to his resourcefulness, he amuses and entertains all attending guests. In 1960 a group of spearmen led the first carnival procession in Ptuj. Wearing their best black suits, a decorated hat and black boots, the spearmen danced tossing their spears, decorated with multi-colour ribbons, high up into the air. Since then they became an indispensable element of Kurentovanje and the local carnival processions.