What draws us to the circle? In the hushed stillness of Măgura Ilvei, under the heavy cloak of snow and sky, there’s a ruckus that breaks the winter’s grip—a thundering, raw celebration of life itself. The Jocul Caprei isn’t just performed; it’s unleashed. A circle forms, its participants masked and menacing, their măști grotesque, each one a hand-crafted nightmare of leering eyes and crooked grins. They face inward, toward a single point where chaos churns—a Capra, wild and untamed, its body of coarne (horns) and pături (woven blankets) lurching and convulsing as if the spirit of some ancient god were trapped inside. The dancers wield toiege (wooden staffs) that clatter like bones on the frozen earth, their strigături—half-shouted invocations, half-feral cries—splitting the silence. This isn’t folklore tidily repackaged for polite applause. This is a howl into the void, a ritual older than written words, pagan to its core and utterly unrepentant. The Capra—the goat—embodies life’s unruly, uncontainable force, a spirit of mischief and survival. Its dance, performed in this circle of masked revelers, is both chaotic and strangely deliberate. The goats twist, jump, and stamp in rhythm, their movement not merely performance but communion. It’s raw energy directed inward, a momentary collapse of time where modernity dissolves, leaving only snow, fire, and the wild, human need to remember. And at the center of the circle? That’s the question, isn’t it? The focus is everything and nothing. A symbol, maybe, of abundance or fertility. Or perhaps something darker: a reminder of the razor-thin line between life and death, chaos and order. The masks leer, the staffs crack against the ice, and the chants climb higher. It’s visceral, unnerving, beautiful in its madness. Tell me, when you step into the circle, what would you find staring back at you? Video by @valy_stretea [Romanian Folklore, Capra Dance, Ritual Circles, Măgura Ilvei, Grotesque Masks, Strigături Meaning, Ancestral Rituals, Capra Symbolism, Village Life] #romania #travel #wintertraditions - @romania