Carnival in Bern
Bernese Fassnacht (Carnival) is a pre-Lenten carnival in the Swabian-Alemannic tradition held in Bern, Switzerland
Its origins can be tracked back to the 15th Century, and in 1513 the carnival lead to peasant revolt. [1] The Bernese carnivals were held more or less regularly in medieval time with strong anti-Papal rhetoric from 1523 to 1525. After Peasants' War the religious themes in carnivals was prohibited until local Reformation of 1528 returned the protestants the freedom of speech and expression.[2]
Authorities also tried to ban carnivals in later centuries. The carnival as it is known today was introduced back in 1982[3]
Famous medieval plays and authors
Some carnival plays were contrasting Catholics and Protestants while other Jews and gentiles like in Goliath by Hans von Rüte. [4]
Niklaus Manuel
Niklaus Manuel was the first writer, who confronted Papacy in his plays. In 1522 he wrote two farces about the Pope, in which he showed the huge difference between the Pope and his priests and Jesus. The events of the real life, in particular Battle of Novara (1513), created backdrop for Manuel writings. He wrote about the cardinal Anselm von Hochmuth (Haughtiness)[5]:
Mightily I have enjoyed it,
For Christian blood to me is dear,
And that's why a red hat I wear.
The Pope from Manuel's plays even dismisses the plight of a Knight of Rhodes to help in the war against Turks, and says "no bacon to the turnips" for that war, it is better to make a war with Christians.[6]
Hans von Rüte
Hans von Rüte wrote few plays on Biblical themes. In Gideon (1540) the Jews are loosing to their enemies for seven devastating years because they adopted idolatry and forgot the God. Gideon is of course to defeat all the enemies of Israelites like it always have been through the history, but first he has to destroy Ba'al altar. Although the story that was told in play was taken from the Book of Judges, and was about Jews, Rüte as before him Manuel, meant to attack the idolatry of Catholic clerics. Rüte's Gideon defeats Zwinglian authority by destruction of the Ba'al altar. [7]
The carnival today
Today Bernese Fassnacht is the third largest carnival in Switzerland after carnivals in Basel and Lucerne[3] It runs for two days in February. According to a legend in 1917 just before the Revolution Lenin passed next to the bears in Bern, fed the animals some carrots, and said: "The bears must be released." Maybe that's why the carnival starts with symbolic liberation of the bear (the participants, who are dressed up as a bear, waits to be liberated in the old town).[8]Of course the bear, who are released first should be imprisoned. That imprisonment is taking place at 11:11 on November 11 (11/11) of a prior year. The bear spends exactly 111 days in Prison Tower for it winter sleep, before being waken up by "Ychüblete" (drumming) and released.[9]
References
- ^ Violence in early modern Europe, 1500-1800. Press syndicate University of Cambridge. 2001. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Theater, culture, and community in Reformation Bern Pages 83,84. 2002. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Carnival". www.swissworld.org. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Theater, culture, and community in Reformation Bern Pages 221,222. 2002. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ History of the German people at the close of the middle page 39. 1900. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ History of the German people at the close of the middle page 41. 1900. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Theater, culture, and community in Reformation Bern Pages 168. 2002. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|Author=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ = 2010-04-19 "bears Berne". /www.hebdo.ch. 24/12/2008.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Bern Tourism". berninfo.com. 24/12/2008.
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