Swiss Tunnel Ceremony Featuring Mummers!

June 7, 2016

The world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel (the Gotthard Base Tunnel), going straight through the Alps, officially opened recently in Switzerland and was celebrated with a lavish pageant featuring, among many other things, some costumes and processions very reminiscent of traditional mumming. I’m guessing the German director drew inspiration from Alpine mumming customs, although perhaps … More Swiss Tunnel Ceremony Featuring Mummers!

Yokainoshima

June 7, 2016

Charles Fréger, the photographer whose gorgeous portraits of European mumming traditions have made the rounds of the internet for the past couple years (from his book Wilder Mann), is about to release a new book covering similar types of costumes and customs from Japan, collectively referred to as yokai. Those familiar with European mumming will see … More Yokainoshima

Jarramplas

January 21, 2016

There are so many varied mumming traditions the world over, it’s not surprising that even after years of studying them, I can still find something I never heard of. Today I noticed a short piece at the back of our local newspaper about a festival happening in Spain. It centers around a devil-like creature named … More Jarramplas