Beardless Man

The ceremony is performed by a group of actors whose main figures are a kuseh (beardless or thinly bearded man), a bride, and an antagonist.  They all wear special costumes and are joined by a band of musicians (usually a drum and surna [flute] players). Followed by children, they go to visit the houses of the village, performing a dance in front of each house. The dance is a dramatic representation of the death and resurrec tion of the kuseh. The head of each household donates some food, which is shared and eaten by the members of the group.

A variant is Kuseh and Nagaldi This is performed on the 4lst morning of winter. Kuseh wears a felt coat, hangs bells around his legs and arms powders his face with flour, covers his head with a goatskin, and wears a wide belt on which are sewn many bells. On his head he ties two bushes to form a pair of ‘horns,’ and from his waist he hangs an axe. ln his hand he carries a long stick. The second character is Kuseh’s bride, a young boy disguised as a girl, who wears a long robe, artificial breasts, rouge and mascara. She also wears bells on her wrists and neck.  

Turkish-speaking peoples call the ceremony ‘Ne qaldeh,’ and name the first character ‘Male Kuseh ` and the bride “Female Kuseh.’ [ln Pars] Kuseh wears a dress made of felt and walks on stilts, with bells hung about his neck and wearing two horns on his head.   This ceremony as performed _on the fourth Tuesday night preceeding the vernal equinox (March .21 ) which is called the New Year. Among the Turks living in the Caspian sea region, Kuseh wears a coat inside out and has a tail attached to his back.  His face is covered with a mask and his head as ornamented with a high cap to which bells are attached. The second character its doctor aim wears a fantastic dress, a hat inside out, a mask on his face,  he also carries a stick m has hand.