“Paparuda” or “the rain caller” is a Romanian rain ritual of pagan origin performed in times of severe drought. The ritual sometimes involves a wooden or a clay human shaped doll, that is made by young girls and is decorated with flowers. The girls carry the doll through the village and sing the “Paparuda” song, as people throw water from the river on them. After that, the doll is put on a tray with the flowers and candles around it, and is set free on the river.
Photographs created during R.I.V.E.R. (Representing the Identities and the Voices of the European Riverains), project financed by EC under the 2007 Culture Programme
The others participants besides me (Madalina Paunica) were: Justyna Aulak, Valerio Pallotta, Marcella Dragan, Beata Jarmuz, Matteo Giacchella, Lavinia Musat, Justyna Jakobowska, Sabina Trifilo, Aranka Ravai, Elisa Mattiacci, and Maciej Bohdanowicz.
