About the Cover Illustration

The figure on the cover of Spring Dynamic Modules in Action is an “Alkar” from the small town of Sinj in Croatia. The Alka is an equestrian tournament held in Sinj every first Sunday in August since 1715, commemorating the definitive victory of the region over the invasions of the Ottoman Empire. Alka is also the name of the object used in the tournament, which is made of concentric iron rings connected with three bars, and hung on a rope above the race track. Over a course of three rounds, the ceremonially dressed contestants, called alkars, ride their horses down the track at full gallop and attempt to thread the central ring of the alka with their spears. Points are scored depending on precision and which part of the alka the contestant pins. The victor is celebrated as a bold hero and knight.

The illustration is from a recent reproduction of a book of Croatian dress customs, Characterization and Description of Southwestern Wende, Illyrians and Slavs, by Balthasar Hacquet, originally published around 1800. The illustrations were obtained from a helpful librarian at the Ethnographic Museum in Split, Croatia, located in the Roman core of the medieval center of the town, amid the ruins of Emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace built circa AD 304.