The origin of Mamuthones is unknown. They have been in Mamoiada (Sardigna, Italy) as long as anyone remembers; it is likely that the town itself has taken its name from them. Now, they are a symbol of Mamoiada’s identity.
The Mamuthone legacy is shrouded in secrecy and there is little documented evidence on their origins, but there is evidence that Mamuthones have been involved in some sort of ritual from the beginnings of the Nuraghic Age (early Sardinian culture) from the 18th century BC (earlier than the Bronze Age) to the 2nd century AD.
In Sardinia, the Carnival of the Mamuthones is a pre-Christian traditional ritual dating back more than 2,000 years. Monstrous characters boast thick hair, black faces and are burdened with the weight of 60 pounds of cattle bells hanging around their body. Still today, they frighten babies, old men and Granmas as they rhythmically stomp and grunt through villages, yet this tradition thousands of years old goes on...