New Year's Traditions - The ARNAUTS from Humulesti (Targu Neamt, Moldova, Romania)

The video shows one of the street performances of a group of Arnauts from Humulești, the village of Ion Creanga, now part of the city of Târgu Neamț. However, the folk suite from Humulesti is much wider, including „uratori” (New Years well-wishing waits), masked (gypsy bears) and even an authentic ox cart. The registration is made on the occasion of the traditional New Year's carnival which takes place in Târgu Neamt (Neamț County, Moldova, Romania) usually on January 2 of each year, but now moved two days faster (so 31.12.2021) for reasons of Covid-19 pandemic. The dance of the Arnauts from Humulesti is distinguished by its originality and a complexity.
The word ARNAUT is of Turkish origin and refers to the Albanian population in general, regardless of religion, sometimes with reference to Albanian soldiers in the Turkish army. On the territory of the Romanian Principalities, the term Arnaut has lost its ethnic connotation and refers to the occupational one, the Arnauts being mercenaries of Albanian origin who carried out their military activity in the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Thus, in the final period of the Phanariot rulers, Serbs, Greeks and even Romanians were enlisted as Arnauts. The Arnauts formed army corps in the service of the Phanariot rulers (but also of the boyars) from Wallachia and Moldova, used as bodyguards, posse and guards. They were known for their skill, bravery, and loyalty to the ruler. However, during the revolutionary events of 1821, the Arnauts had an oscillating attitude: they betrayed their Phanariot masters and sided with either the side of Eteria or the side of the movement led by Turdor Vladimirescu, after which some of them even entered in the service of the Turks. After the fall of the Phanariot regime (1822), the army corps made up of Arnauts were disbanded, but for several decades they were seen in the big cities as armed servants of boyars or foreign officials from the two Romanian countries, dressed in rich and multicolored clothing, guns at the waist.
The Arnauts are dressed in folk costumes and wear a floss silk cloth or a napkin on which their beads are fastened, and a red blouse on top. On their heads they have a hat adorned with pieces of mirror and beads. They have white thongs, most of the time a red skirt, a pair of ruffles and a multicolored embellished mace in their hand. Some bands, as we see here, also have a "lady arnaut", probably a funny analogy to the fact that in the Arnaut families the craft of weapons was a family heirloom.
In the Târgu Neamt area there are several groups of Arnauts in Filioara, Agapia, Raucesti, Urecheni, Bariera, Oglinzi, Baltatesti etc. I also saw the people from Humulesti in 2016: • Tradiții de Anul Nou (...
Other groups of arnauts registered on January 2, 2016 are from Raucești - • Tradiții de Anul Nou (... , Valea Seaca - • Tradiții de Anul Nou (... , Bariera Târgu Neamt - • Tradiții de Anul Nou (... , Timisesti - • Tradiții de Anul Nou (... , Blebea - www.youtube.com/ watch? v = IsS1-KLoX0g, and on January 2, 2020 those from Topolita - • Arnăuții din Topolița ... and from Bariera - www.youtube.co... aTcljD5k-xw

[@cadojccccgghhv4623]

Beautiful old Albanians 🇦🇱

[@LucianIonescu]

In the video there are no real Albanians but only a vague memory of the Arnauts (and not necessarily Albanian) mercenaries from two centuries ago. Please read the explanatory texts as well as the subtitles that accompany all these videos (subtitles must be enabled in the settings).

[@YuriYuri-ys4xe]

@@LucianIonescu nu stiai ca albanezi zic ca Alexandru Macedon era Albanez sau italia a fost a lor

[@YuriYuri-ys4xe]

Sono romeni che fa un ttaditione di arnauți vechea

[@LucianIonescu]

@@YuriYuri-ys4xe Please read the explanatory text

[@LucianIonescu]

@@YuriYuri-ys4xe I didn't know this. But I'm not surprised. As far as I know, there are three peoples who believe that civilization began with their ancestors: the Albanians, the Greeks and, of course, the Romanians.

[@cadojccccgghhv4623]

Do they still speak Albanian language?

[@LucianIonescu]

Not. Not at all. The Arnauts in the picture are just a representation of those Albanians.

[@cadojccccgghhv4623]

@@LucianIonescu thank you 🙏. The ARNAUTS of Ukraine they still speak Albanian after 500 years

[@LucianIonescu]

@@cadojccccgghhv4623 Thank you. Your information is very interesting. On the territory of Romania, the Arnauts lived in the service of the rulers and the great boyars of Moldova and Wallachia, only during the period of the Phanariot rulers (1711/1716 - 1821), they being of Greek origin.

[@YuriYuri-ys4xe]

Nu sunt albanezi, doar fac o traditia veche a arnautilor nu albanezilor de astazi

[@YuriYuri-ys4xe]

​@@cadojccccgghhv4623nu cred ca vorbesc albaneza arnauți din ukraina