LE SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL LE LIVRE. LA ROUMANIE. L ...

254 John nandriŞ
the english traveller Curzon, another acute observer, was escorted
from Metsovo to Meteora in the mid-nineteenth century, and his account is
a testimony to the mimetic and discreet nature of Vlah progress through the
landscape. Any researcher who has worn the fustanella in the mountains
[a small and select band of persons it must be admitted] will know the
freedom of movement it gives, far more than trousers or breeches; as does
the Scottish highlanders’ kilt for example. the fustanella seems to originate
with the overshirt worn by the Dacians on trajan’s column, over trousers
or leggings and with a belt over all, and is broadly of thracian origin. this
has remained characteristic of romanian and Albanian costume. the term
fustă in romanian denotes a female petticoat worn from the waist down,
while fustanela with one ‘l’ in romanian is a short fustă. those of senior
Vlah men are quite long, while the miniskirts of evzones are overstated in
the opposite direction.
the honourable robert Curzon was escorted by Vlahs down into
thessaly from the pindus past Meteora, and he gives a perceptive account
of typical Vlah mimesis and behaviour:
I was struck with the original manner in which our mountain
friends progressed through the country; sometimes they kept
with us, but more usually some of them went on one side of the
road and some on the other, like men beating for game, only that
they made no noise; and on the rare occasions when we met any
traveller trudging along the road or ambling on a long-eared mule,
they were always among the bushes or on the tops of the rocks,
and never showed themselves upon the road. But despite these
vagaries they were always close to us. they were wonderfully
active, for although I trotted or galloped whenever the nature of
the road rendered it practicable, they always kept up with me,
and apparently without exertion or fatigue; and although they
were often out of my sight, I believe I was never out of theirs.
Altogether I was glad we were such friends, for, from what I
saw of them, they and their associates would have proved very
awkward enemies.they were curious wild animals, as slim and
active as cats: their waists were not much more than a foot and a
half in circumference, and they appeared to be able to jump over
anything. their white dresses and short petticoats or fustanellas
gave them much the appearance of a party of young ladies who
had escaped from the ballet of the opera, and were running wild
among the rocks. the thin moccasins of raw hide which they wore