Short description:

The karikás ostor is one of the outstanding values of Hungarian folklore, an indispensable part of shepherd culture and shepherd art. In the families of most shepherds, this craft is passed down from generation to generation, from father to son, and the making of the instruments is part of the complete mastery of the shepherding skills. This beautiful whip was not only a herding tool for herdsmen, but also a symbol of their identity, a coat of arms which depended on special care to ensure its beauty. To make their whips more swift and flexible, the cattlemen used to add a ring to the whips, so it gave them the name karikás. The shepherds of the lowlands mainly use the hooped whip, while those of the Transdanubian and Upper Hungarian regions use the longer-handled, heavy whip. Although shepherds used to call their whips by various words, today all shepherds' whips are known as karikás.