Woodkid’s self-directed music video for “Run Boy Run” features a host of monsters running alongside a child. They may not technically be mummers, but the costumes clearly evoke traditional mumming costumes, made of moss and animal skulls, and they are definitely in a “lauf” (run) and look scary, even if they are helping the boy on his … More Run Boy Run
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!
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
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
Residents of the small Austrian town were concerned that some of the dozens of refugee families residing there, many from the Muslim countries of Syria or Afghanistan, might be confused or even frightened by the annual Krampus parade… … More Refugees Encounter Perchtenlauf
The new music video for “Fish On” by Lindemann (a German/Swedish industrial metal group fronted by the lead singer of Rammstein) features Bulgarian Kukeri mummers! … More Kukeri in a Music Video
The second Eugene Perchtenlauf had a few of the same participants, but many new ones as well. … More Perchtenlauf, Eugene Oregon, December 2014
