Păliile
Fire walk with us
This is part of a yearlong series on the second edition of Colière, the Euclidian Non-Isochronous Rhythms card deck. Each card is a pretext to gloss over one item of Romanian mythology, anthropomorphize it, all aimed at easier visualizing and audiating one particular rhythm.
Today it’s about “Păliile”.
The month of July was named Cuptor (Oven). It’s obvious why. Just after mid July we have the feast of the great Sântilie, the popular name of St. Ilie (Elijah). we will get to him later this hot month. But now, as a teaser, I brought up his sisters, Păliile or Pârliile, celebrated just one day after his great feast. Or is it before? July 19 or 21.
Hot chicks. Their name sounds a bit like Ilie, and also like the verb a pârli (to scorch). The Scorcher Girls. There is no need for them to exist now that we have Sântilie, Elijah, this Christian Helios that burns stuff on a whim. But still they persist more as a shadow of what they once were, before this man came and took charge. They now play second fiddle, sent into the background, a backing group for this literal up-coming star showing up center stage. Think of the Funky Bunch. Yes, the ones that backed up Marky Mark, of course. The only bunch worth mentioning.
Anyway, the reason they are still around, they act as a second chance to get to the Big Scortcher Sântilie. People hold their feast to prevent fire, lightning, hot weather damaging crops. Păliile seem more reasonable than the big guy. Besides, if there is a way to multiply the chances of success, why not? The more, the merrier!
Let’s hope they will hang on, even if Sântilie pursues an acting career and forgets all about them.
Following the fire theme for these short rhythms, this is ROGVS (Pyre) in Coliere V1. Six steps, five punches. E(5,6). ROGVS (Pyre) is in the “natural” family marked by the crescents, its complement is in the “artificial” family marked by the cog, that lone beat, in this case SEPVLCRVM (Tomb). We will get to the new face of SEPVLCRVM next month. Suffice is to say Păliile stick to this convention, as many of the new cards do, even if not visible anymore on the design. They are natural forces, on the edge of this half of the chart, let’s say the feminine principle half, where all the dense ones are.
And-The-Fun-ky-Bunch!
1-2-3-4-5!