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Malta - Culture 

The Maltese Islands are a group of small, barren rocks, jutting out of the middle of the dark blue Mediterranean Sea. In these conditions, they would have been relegated to the footnotes of history. Yet, ever since the archipelago was first colonised thousands of years ago, they have never been far from the centre of events and have often played a crucial role in the making of history. Their strategic situation in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea makes up for all the lack of resources that nature endowed the rest of the globe.

Malta, the largest island, and her sister islands of Gozo, Comino, Filfla and other very small islands, are strategically placed in the narrow channel joining the eastern and the western basins of the Mediterranean, or if you like, a bridge between Southern Europe and North Africa, or between Western Europe and the Middle East. This had landed the Maltese Islands right in the middle of the most important historic events: the wars between Rome and Carthage, the rise of Islam, the Crusades, the wars between Christians and Moslems, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the rise and fall of the British Empire, the fight for democracy against Fascism and Nazism, the Cold War, the rise of a United Europe and the challenges of the Third Millennium.

The Maltese Windmill is in structure and layout similar to that of the Balearic Islands.  This association is not surprising, as it was the Majorcan Grandmaster Cottoner who encouraged their construction.  The windmill consists of a central tower around which a number of rooms form the rectangular base of the windmill itself.  These rooms served as the storage area and the living quarters of the family operating the windmill.  The grinding apparatus lies in the upper part of the circular tower.

The windmill at Hal-Qormi has been out of use for a number of years and can still be located near the Mriehel bypass.  A similar windmill, found at Tax-Xarolla in Zurrieq, has been restored and may be seen in operation during favourable weather.

Various monuments from the prehistory of several countries have part or whole of their structure, significantly oriented towards a predetermined direction.  It would thus be no surprise if the same possibility were proposed for the prehistoric edifices of the Maltese islands. The possibility for an intentional orientation of the Temples is supported by the fact that the alignment of most of the Temples' main axis points towards the southeast, with a number of Temples having a more specific orientation.

Among the various hypotheses to explain for the orientation of Temples, the astronomical alignment of the Southern Temple at Mnajdra can claim to embrace one of the most spectacular phenomena of all Maltese Prehistory.
 
Interest by the local prehistoric folk in the heavens, can be shown by a number of artefacts dating back to the Temple culture. The most outstanding of these, is a slab of globigerina limestone found at the temple of Tal-Qadi. Broken at a number of sides, it still preserves the incised image of a crescent moon with that of a number of stars, within segments formed by lines radiating from a ( now missing ) centre. This is not the only artefact on which stars are represented - a decorated sherd found at Hagar Qim, illustrates a figure that has on more than one occasion been interpreted as a solar wheel. The group of five holes to the eastern end of the Tarxien Temple facade, has been interpreted by Zammit to be the representation of an as yet unknown constellation.

All this evidence coming from the temples themselves, indicates that the people of the time had a fascination with the skies to the point that they included a representing symbol of the skies in areas of cult. This supports the view that specific celestial bodies could have been used as a reference point on which Temples would be oriented.
 

The most spectacular suggestion of meaningful orientation of the megalithic remains arises from the fact that the axis of southern temple at Mnajdra, dated to the early Tarxien phase, is pointing to the East.  This means that the Temple's axis is aligned with the position of the sun at the equinox.  Determination of the equinoxes is unfeasible unless the Temple people had a means of measuring time.  The position of the sun at the equinox would however be determinable by the bisection of the arc produced by the winter and summer solstices on the horizon.

A number of stones found within and around the Mnajdra Temple could have been used to orientate this monument. Two megaliths in the temple itself could have been used for the initial establishment of the equinox, and later served as yearly indicators of the solstices. Also a megalith to the east of the temple could have been instrumental in establishing the winter solstice.

Determination of the sun’s position at the beginning of the seasons is obtained by the interplay between the projection of the sun’s rays through the trilithon entrance and the inner aspect of the outer pair of apses of the temple.

A visitor to Mnajdra would note that a pair of pit-decorated megaliths at the eastern side of the passage found between the outer and inner pair of apses.

At the Winter Solstice, the sun’s rays are reduced to a narrow beam as they enter the Temple’s entrance.  These rays on entering the temple produce an image of the solar disc on the outer edge of the northern decorated megalith.  On the other hand, at the Summer solstice, the sun’s rays come from a different direction (see picture above) and fall on the outer edge, but now, of the southern decorated megalith. In both the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun’s rays are parallel to the sides of the entrance and thus the amount of light entering the temple is maximal, bathing the temple’s rear altar in sunlight.  For the ritualise inside the Temple, the sun appears to stand on the hill slope opposite the main passage.

These observations have turned this Temple into the first and earliest known calendar in stone.

Despite the fact that over sixty parishes celebrate their festa in summer, a number of smaller feasts centred on countryside chapels are also organised. This tradition has been rekindled in the past decades probably due to increase awareness of local identity of the villagers.

In each of these chapel festas one always finds the same basic elements. Humble decorations adorn the chapel and its immediate surroundings, while the local amateur pyrotechnicians provide some fireworks. 'Traditional' folk music is played and when not available a stereo player provides an equivalent atmosphere. No procession is usually organised for such occasions, the only religious function usually being provided by a mass. A little fair is also organised serving as a social activity for the villagers present.

If you ever happen to be around on a quiet summer evening and you notice some fireworks coming from a decorated countryside chapel, do stop for a moment - you will never forget the experience.

Like all other countries with a long tradition of interaction among people, Malta has a rich element of folk life. Some Maltese traditions are closely related to Catholic Mediterranean folklore, however, there are several aspects, which work either independently from organized religion, and sometimes even counter to the religious beliefs. The folk music and singing tradition of Malta is a good example of Maltese Folklore not associated with Christianity. There have been various attempts to capture folk life in publications and museums, but as any modern folklorist will tell you, folklore is best preserved in living traditions.

According to Joseph Cassar Pullicino, Malta's well-known folklorist, the Maltese festa in its present form emerged in the course of the 19th century as the result of the fusion of the various currents of existing tradition.

In the 18th century the festa was only a small affair. Its rustic character, more often than not through the generosity of some local benefactor, took the shape generally of the distribution of bread, ring-cakes, almonds, wine and fruit among the people attending the religious ceremonies or of food or money to the poor of the village. By the 18th century some sort of illumination by firewood and oil lamps had crept in and we read of small mortars being fired at Birkirkara on St. Helen's Day in 1738.

The festa season lasts roughly from May to September, the months into which most of the village and town festas have been crammed. This ensures that the weather will not undo the work and preparations of a whole year.

Traditional festas have kept up with inflation, becoming more lavish even though costs have spiralled. No fewer than 90 festas are celebrated every year in Malta's towns and villages, nearly all of them in summer. Half the numbers are dedicated to Our Lady.

Old and new customs have been conveniently merged to ensure that festas do not fade out with the passage of time.

Festas are the battle of the bulge for many! Mobile kiosks, which used to sell hot-dogs and ice cream today also sell burgers and kebabs. The chip friers and the "mqaret" makers are here. "Mqaret" are delicious pastry stuffed with a concoction of dates. There is popcorn and candy floss and Matterhorns of ice-cream. There is also food whose conception and execution are a dark mystery to all save the cook who created it.

Nougat is culturally bound to the Maltese festa. There is the white nougat with almonds or peanuts and the brown and harder variety made for Neolithic teeth. The wooden nougat stalls are decorated and the nougat wrapped in different coloured foil.

Some village feats have kept their particular characteristics. The parish of St. Helen in Birkirkara, for instance, remains the only one to brave the August sun by holding its procession in the morning. At Mgarr an auction is held among those wishing to carry the statue of Santa Marija, the job going to the highest bidders. At St. Julian, hunters on the roof of the church fire a salute as the procession comes out of the church, St. Julian having been a hunter himself. If you happen to be around don't take fright for only coloured ribbons come out of the gun barrel.

On the day of the festa the Maltese wish their saints a happy birthday. This is done with éclat and at a high pitch and with astonishing ardour. There is much pealing of bells, noisy petards and splendid fireworks. On this day the church looks at its very best. Outside it is all lit up while inside many of its treasures are exhibited. There are stupendous flower arrangements, rich damasks, silver candelabra, and the smell of incense. Richly embroidered church vestments are used for the solemn High Mass. It is fitting backdrop to what happens outside.

The streets are illuminated. There is bunting, papier-mache angels, and decorated columns along the streets. Women wear carats of dowry gold and everyone spends money and looks as if they are about to stage a scene in some soap opera.

There is always a band or two trying in the face of considerable difficulties to play a secular air from some opera, or a march written by a Maltese composer.

The festa is a theatrical performance at its best. Everyone has a role to play and plays it if not to perfection at least with panache. As in life itself there are compromises on the day of the festa: spirituality mixed with popular taste, devotional images and secular goings-on, baroque imagery and down-to-earth rivalry, pageantry, and pettiness. All harmless and touching because of its very simplicity. If the saints are really watching they must be at least smiling on their birthdays.

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