Tocca carriere…Note preliminari su una ricerca etnografica sulle Carresi del Basso Molise,

The paper summarizes observations about an ethnography that we are developing in Basso Molise (Italy), focused around a group of ceremonials involving oxen and horses by local communities (Procession of Saint Pardo in Larino, Carresi – oxen-chariots races – in San Martino in Pensilis, Portocannone and Ururi). The research began three years ago, through direct observation of the communities of practice involved in the ceremonials, their organization of capillary activities and of the widespread relationships of local associations and relative families. In the last decades a strong attack to these rituals was carried out to these ceremonials by animal rights movements in the area and at a National scale. Thus, observation and ethnography have focused on human-animal relationships in the space of the ritual practice and specific controversies aroused by this controversy. We documented specifically respect and care taking that communities are giving to animals, the symbiotic link among them aimed at optimizing the racing performance and the ritual efficacy of ceremonials as well. In this paper, particularly, we are centering our attention on representations of the animals by the men and the women of the local associations and on the intimate bond between them. Starting from the recent debate on human-animal relationships, but also on oxen and cow cultural and symbolic value in rural and pastoral societies of South-Central Italy, we try to outline some elements of reflection useful for valorization of inter-species dialogue and their value for local communities.