Aida; Thank you for sharing this excellent explanation of the Carnival tradition! Rosina > Ash Wednesday.. End of Mardi gras.. > > The Mardi Gras Carnival has ended, and Lent has begun. These crazy days > of the "Mummenschanz" (Carnival) are an ancient celebration of scaring > Father Winter away. Everybody wore masks and costumes and for many days > there was partying, balls, dances, playing tricks on one another and > "letting of steam".. I still remember that they buried the "Blasl" in our > Egerland, my home. > > The "Blasl," is probably a nickname for Blasius and I really > don't know the connection, because that same type of - maybe "specter" or > clown - is known as "Hockeditz" in Germany. This Hockeditz however is not > buried, like our Blasl, but he is burned. You will now ask: How does > that thing look? Well, it is an effigy of a man in old clothes stuffed > with straw. The Egerlander Blasl is a priced possession of the entire > village. He is tied to an old chair which is then suspended under the > rafters of the tallest building in the village. This clown rules over the > last few days of Mardi gras. Actually on January 1st the Mayor of each > town had to hand over the symbolic key of his town to the "Reign of Fools" > represented by an elected King and Queen for that season. It was a great > honor! While they represented the "rulers," old Basil under the rafters > was the season's "spirit". I remember that the worst that could happen to > a village was when another village sto! > le good old Blasl from their rafters! This was quite plainly an abduction, > and it would cost everyone a pretty penny and many barrels of beer to get > him back.. and they HAD to have him back, because Blasl needed to be > buried in the ground at the end of Mardi Gras. Not only were all the > Carnival activities at an end at Midnight on Fat Tuesday, but the > congregation walked with Blasl down to the creek, or river, or if worse > came to worst to the village's goose pond. There the men would cut holes > into the ice and all the men would reach for their wallets and the women > for their satchels, kneel down in the snow and "wash out their money > burses" to signify that there was no more money to spend on drink. This > done and back on wobbly knees, there would be "roasts" of village members > and provided a chance to voice grievances in a funny way that nobody would > take serious. But after that, a great lament would begin, because now > Blasl was dying and gags of reviving him would be act! > ed out defying description. After all people had made sure that Blasl > was truly dead, a funny funeral would be held in his honor and finally he > was laid to rest under great moaning, groaning, weeping and lamenting. > After several days of inebriation that was very easy to do! This done, a > few people would seek their beds in an exhausted state, the others would > meander around to clear their heads and to appear quite rumpled at the > first church service of the day to repent their sins. "Mea culpa, mea > culpa". it was so wonderful! After they had danced many nights away, they > now dragged heavy feet and numb heads into church. They walked out with > ashes on their hair or at least a cross of ashes painted on their > forehead. The last fat was used up for "Faschingskrapfen" a filled > doughnut, and several cups of coffee would revive the sinners to go home > to sleep. The next day was wash day, because the ashes had dirtied the > bed linen and the shoes were brought to the cobbler, bec! > ause the soles had been danced through... and the consequences often did > not show up until November... > > from Aida

THANK YOU AIDA ! And, thank you Rosina, for saying what many others were thinking and failed to send a note as you did I also enjoy those kinds of stories as I search for my Bohemian ancesters. For just a brief moment, stories of "The old country,'" help me travel to places I long to go. Helen > Aida; > > Thank you for sharing this excellent explanation of the Carnival tradition! > > Rosina > > > > > > Ash Wednesday.. End of Mardi gras.. > > > > The Mardi Gras Carnival has ended, and Lent has begun. These crazy days > > of the "Mummenschanz" (Carnival) are an ancient celebration of scaring > > Father Winter away. Everybody wore masks and costumes and for many days > > there was partying, balls, dances, playing tricks on one another and > > "letting of steam".. I still remember that they buried the "Blasl" in our > > Egerland, my home. > > > > The "Blasl," is probably a nickname for Blasius and I really > > don't know the connection, because that same type of - maybe "specter" or > > clown - is known as "Hockeditz" in Germany. This Hockeditz however is not > > buried, like our Blasl, but he is burned. You will now ask: How does > > that thing look? Well, it is an effigy of a man in old clothes stuffed > > with straw. The Egerlander Blasl is a priced possession of the entire > > village. He is tied to an old chair which is then suspended under the > > rafters of the tallest building in the village. This clown rules over the > > last few days of Mardi gras. Actually on January 1st the Mayor of each > > town had to hand over the symbolic key of his town to the "Reign of Fools" > > represented by an elected King and Queen for that season. It was a great > > honor! While they represented the "rulers," old Basil under the rafters > > was the season's "spirit". I remember that the worst that could happen to > > a village was when another village sto! > > le good old Blasl from their rafters! This was quite plainly an abduction, > > and it would cost everyone a pretty penny and many barrels of beer to get > > him back.. and they HAD to have him back, because Blasl needed to be > > buried in the ground at the end of Mardi Gras. Not only were all the > > Carnival activities at an end at Midnight on Fat Tuesday, but the > > congregation walked with Blasl down to the creek, or river, or if worse > > came to worst to the village's goose pond. There the men would cut holes > > into the ice and all the men would reach for their wallets and the women > > for their satchels, kneel down in the snow and "wash out their money > > burses" to signify that there was no more money to spend on drink. This > > done and back on wobbly knees, there would be "roasts" of village members > > and provided a chance to voice grievances in a funny way that nobody would > > take serious. But after that, a great lament would begin, because now > > Blasl was dying and gags of reviving him would be act! > > ed out defying description. After all people had made sure that Blasl > > was truly dead, a funny funeral would be held in his honor and finally he > > was laid to rest under great moaning, groaning, weeping and lamenting. > > After several days of inebriation that was very easy to do! This done, a > > few people would seek their beds in an exhausted state, the others would > > meander around to clear their heads and to appear quite rumpled at the > > first church service of the day to repent their sins. "Mea culpa, mea > > culpa". it was so wonderful! After they had danced many nights away, they > > now dragged heavy feet and numb heads into church. They walked out with > > ashes on their hair or at least a cross of ashes painted on their > > forehead. The last fat was used up for "Faschingskrapfen" a filled > > doughnut, and several cups of coffee would revive the sinners to go home > > to sleep. The next day was wash day, because the ashes had dirtied the > > bed linen and the shoes were brought to the cobbler, bec! > > ause the soles had been danced through... and the consequences often did > > not show up until November... > > > > from Aida > > > ==== GERMAN-BOHEMIAN Mailing List ==== > Would you like to see messages that were posted before you joined the list? > Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/mailinglist.html and request an archive. > >