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We have arrived in Bad Dürrheim near Villingen to visit
the southern German non-Roman version of Mardi Gras called Fastnacht. Fastnacht is only
celebrated in the Allamannic area. |
| Here are a few random examples of the wide variety of
costumes (Häs) of various twons throughout the Black Forest area |
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Handmade wooden masks and a lot of noise makers to drive
out the spirits of winter and wake up the spirits of spring |
| Getting hit with the pig bladder (Saubloder) used to mean
fertility. Today itmeans good fortune. |
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In a lot of costumes, the closeness to nature is visible. |
| Witches, costumes only worn by men, are very common. |
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The masks are often eerie looking to scare the evil ghosts
and spirits. |
| The Horberger Devils and Brunnenhansele |
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Another intersting Devil mask |
| Or trunk-like noses such as these masks from the Radolfzell
area |
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