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Traditional ethnographic characters
Beware, the Devil Is Coming
The devil is responsible for the smooth and undisturbed procession of Kurents. He wears red or black overalls made of fabric. He covers his head with a cap made from sheepskin, to which horns, a pointed nose and a long red tongue are attached. A net is thrown across his back to catch souls, and he holds a pitchfork in his hands.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) added door-to-door rounds of Kurents/Korants to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. Entry on Unesco’s list is certainly extremely important, not only for preserving the regional ethnographic heritage, but also for raising Ptuj’s international profile. Nowhere else in Slovenia or wider you will find such a diversity of traditional folk carnival characters, however Kurent still occupies the central role among them. The fact that the biggest open event in the country (Kurentovanje) is named after this character speaks for itself.