What did the ancient Romans have to do with carnival? What role does the number eleven play? And why is the virgin in Cologne a man? We dive into the foolish world.
Carnival: for many the most beautiful time of the year
It starts again on Weiberfastnacht at 11:11 a.m.: Especially in the Rhineland – but not only there – tens of thousands of people in colorful costumes ring in the street carnival together. In Cologne the motto this year is ” Ov krüzz oder quer” (Whether criss-cross or across). This is reminiscent of the incredible power of carnival, explains Christoph Kuckelkorn, President of the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee. “Even in times of war, in extreme economic crises and most recently during the Corona pandemic – the carnival is a constant for the people of Cologne, it is a support in difficult times, a break from the problems of everyday life.”
A little journey through time
People took a break from everyday life in Cologne 2000 years ago – this is one of the roots of today's carnival. At that time, Cologne was still called Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. In the city founded by the Romans, as everywhere in the Roman Empire, the festival of Saturnalia was celebrated in honor of the god Saturn. There was much drinking and dancing, and for the amusement of all, the rich exchanged their fine robes for the simple tunics of their slaves, and even waited on them. The slaves were allowed to express harsh criticism of their masters, for which they would have been severely punished on other days. The ancient world was upside down on these days.
This is how the Roman festival of Saturnalia was imagined in 1907
There was even a procession with a barrow; in Latin it was called “Carrus navalis” – that sounds a lot like the word carnival. The people of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium disguised themselves and accompanied the magnificently decorated cart with drums, flutes and rattles.
While the Saturnalia in the Roman Empire usually fell in December, the Germans celebrated a wild festival in spring. They wore terrifying masks and made a riot of drums and bells to drive away the demons of winter. Here lies the second root of the carnival – this custom is still alive today in the southern German carnival (the time before fasting).
In southern Germany – like here with the Swabian carnival – many things remind of the Germanic expulsion of demons from earlier times
How carnival became a church festival
When Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion in 343, the Saturnalia were over. And the pagan doings of the Germans were also a thorn in the side of the church. But since people didn't want to be forbidden to celebrate, the festival was reinterpreted: it was no longer about driving away evil spirits, but the devil – the worst enemy of Christianity. The date was subordinated to the liturgy of the church year. Between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, believers should eat less and pray more. Before the long fasting period before Easter began, however, we were allowed to celebrate again. The meat – Latin “carne” – was said goodbye – Latin “vale”.
Carnival thus established itself as a church festival that prevailed primarily in Catholic areas – and not just in Europe: the conquistadors from Spain and Portugal brought carnival to the Caribbean, Central and South America. With success: Every year in Rio de Janeiro, tens of thousands celebrate a gigantic street party to the sound of samba. But that's another story.
The European conquerors brought the carnival to South America, where it developed its own form – like here in Rio de Janeiro.
Back to the old world: Although the carnival was now under the supervision of the church, the priests and bishops continued to eye the foolish goings-on with suspicion. Nevertheless, they tolerated the people parodying church rituals and even electing a “fool pope” who rode into church on a donkey.
Songs, masked balls and lots of mischief
But not only the church, but also the leading citizens of the city determined how the carnival festival was to be celebrated. This included journeyman craftsmen singing satirical songs in public squares and in front of inns, or jugglers and comedians roaming the streets. The upper class, on the other hand, celebrated in their own way: Cologne's Elector Clemens August, for example, organized a lavish masked ball every year for the church lords and the “upper ten thousand” of the city.
The Elector of Cologne, Clemens August, hosted a masked ball every year at carnival
When Napoleon's troops occupied the Rhineland and the celebration metropolis of Cologne, they were skeptical about the foolish people and had carnival temporarily banned. Not an easy task, because the fools no longer celebrated on the streets, but continued to do so in the inns.
In 1815 the Prussians came to Cologne and the city fell back under German rule. The occupiers allowed the foolish goings-on, which, according to eyewitness reports, however, was becoming more and more degenerate: “Unrestrained debauchery and boorishness spread. So a lot of mischief was done under the mask of folly and many masks were immoral and tactless.”
The carnival is being organized
Influential citizens of Cologne no longer wanted to accept this. They founded the “Festordnungde Comité”, which will celebrate its 200th birthday in 2023, and created the character “Hero Carnival. He was supposed to put “the wretchedness of the usual goings-on due to his noble character” back on the desired track and defeat all abuses – and start its triumphal procession through Cologne on Shrove Monday.
Processions are still part of the official carnival today – the uniforms have been uniform for around 200 years
The hero later became the prince carnival. Since 1883 he has had the Cologne Virgin at his side, which symbolizes the free city of Cologne, not subject to any foreign power. She is represented by a man, because the carnival clubs were – and often still are – traditionally purely male societies. “Dreigestirn” for one session about the city's fools. Elsewhere in the Rhineland Prince couples rule, but one thing unites them all: they open on November 11th. at 11:11 am the carnival session, the street carnival then starts on Weiberfastnacht – also at 11:11 am.
The magic number 11
The non-round date is a schnapps number, a fool's number, as one would have said in the Middle Ages. Back then, on November 11th, the day of St. Martin, a period of Lent began until Christmas, before which one wanted to celebrate properly. Then the eleven should also stand for the equality of all fools: two ones next to each other , no number has a higher value. And last but not least, there is a Christian interpretation: The eleven is one more than the ten fingers and one less than the twelve apostles, so nothing half and nothing whole – with a touch of sinfulness.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
The foolish number eleven
The eleven has stood for excess and sin since the Middle Ages: today it is also known as the schnapps number. As in the years before Corona, you can now drink and party carefree again.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Hoppeditz awakens
This fool figure is typical of Düsseldorf: at 11:11 sharp, Hoppeditz climbs out of a mustard pot in front of the town hall and rings in the fifth season with his speech season one.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
The Cologne triumvirate
In In most carnival strongholds, a royal couple takes over the regency, in Cologne it is a triumvirate consisting of a maiden, a prince and a farmer. In contrast to the previous year, almost all corona-related restrictions have been relaxed, so nothing should stand in the way of fun.
Eleven facts about the fifth season
Mainzer Schwellköpp
“Helau” – that's how it sounds from November 11th . again through Mainz. On this day, the foolish Basic Law is traditionally proclaimed. It says: “Blessed is every fool who is foolish even when sober.”
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Carnival in Cottbus
There is a rumor that carnival is only celebrated in West Germany. The East German city of Cottbus proves it every year. Again, fools take over town hall.
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Eleven facts about the fifth Season
Session Carnival
After things calm down during the Advent season, the fools traditionally turn up again in the New Year. As long as the infection situation remains stable, the carnival clubs will invite you to their traditional meetings and balls again in 2023.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Weiberfastnacht
On Women's Fastnacht, carnival – normally – enters its hot phase: on the Thursday before Shrove Monday, of course at 11:11, storms the women the town halls.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Bützen
Men can of course celebrate Weiberfastnacht, but they should be careful: Traditionally, their ties are cut off. And little kisses are distributed as a sign of joy and cheerfulness.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Rosenmontag
The Rose Monday processions, especially in the Rhine metropolises, are the traditional highlight of the fifth season. In the pre-Corona times, thousands of onlookers always gathered to catch a glimpse of the floats from which flowers and sweets were thrown into the crowd.
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Eleven facts about the fifth season
Swabian-Alemanic Fasnet
Even the hand-carved masks show that the carnival in south-west Germany is different from that on the Rhine. The big street parades on Shrove Monday and Tuesday are called “Fool's Jumps”. The participants move hopping and jumping through the streets in their historical costumes. The Rottweil fool's jump, for example, is famous.
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Eleven facts for the fifth season
Ash Wednesday
The Hoppeditz opens the carnival season in Düsseldorf, it also ends it. Traditionally, the figure of a fool (in Cologne, for example, it is called Nubbel) is wailing and burned in tears on Ash Wednesday, or buried in a coffin. Combined with the hope that this scapegoat will be found next 11.11. rises again and starts the fifth season anew.
The freedom of fools
Do you sin in the fifth season, as the carnival season is also called? As with the ancient Romans, the fools agree on at least one thing: You can go overboard and criticize the authorities. Be it in the handmade speech – someone climbs onto the stage and tells the politicians their opinion -, in the floats in the Shrove Monday procession, which also take aim at grievances and world politics – or in the choice of costume by each individual: protest can also be announced here , for example, when you disguise yourself as a heated globe or an exploitative financial shark.
They have been decrying them for years Fools at the church's handling of cases of abuse – like here at the Shrove Monday procession in Düsseldorf
However, for a few years the question has been raised as to whether some costumes are racist and insult other cultures – for example through blackfacing. Bans are not planned, however. That wouldn't even be feasible in cities where tens of thousands of people celebrate. But for the Cologne festival committee it is clear: “The Cologne carnival stands for certain values. This includes the freedom of the fool as well as tolerance, respect and diversity. Every jerk should therefore ask himself whether the choice of costume could be hurtful to other people. Then there is sure to be a good alternative, because there are no limits to your imagination during carnival.”
This is the updated version of an article from January 8th, 2022.