How winter was driven out and spring was summoned in Georgia

In the 1970s, a documentary film was made in Georgia about a holiday that simultaneously resembles Maslenitsa, ancient mysteries, and a carnival with magical meaning. We will watch this archival footage and analyze it together with an ethnographer. In the lecture, we will discuss: ◽️the holiday of Berikoba-Keenoba itself — a spring ritual at the intersection of winter and spring; ◽️the symbolism of characters: who the berikis, the king, Keen, and Queen Kekna are, and what their roles are; ◽️magic, fertility, and ancient beliefs about death and the rebirth of nature. The screening and lecture will be conducted by Giorgi Mamarashvili — PhD in anthropology, research associate at the National Museum of Georgia.