Carnival traditions. In the heart of Tyrol
The quiet and contemplative Christmas season is drawing to a close. And whilst the precious nativity scenes, handed down through generations, are slowly being put away in living rooms once more, the colourful Carnival celebrations are beginning.
In turn, the villages of the Hall-Wattens region host a traditional procession, in which, according to ancient custom, winter – in the guise of the ‘Zottler’ – is vanquished by spring – embodied by the ‘Tuxer’. In earlier times, the carnival festivities were regarded as a public nuisance. Despite numerous bans, however, they were never forgotten, which shows just how deeply this custom was – and still is – rooted in the life of the people. The protagonists of the procession, in elaborate costumes, reflect the eternal struggle between good and evil, between light and dark (right and wrong), in a most impressive manner.
This interplay between the Zottler and the Tuxer, the bear and the bear-herder, to name but a few, used to take place mainly in farmers’ parlours in days gone by. It was not until the 20th century that people began to perform this custom in the streets, thereby introducing it to a wider section of the population. The ‘Tirolischer Volksbote’ newspaper mentioned the Matschgerer procession as early as 4 February 1926.
The Fasnacht has lost none of its appeal to this day. The Matschgerer from Mils and Absam, the Muller from Thaur and Volder, the witches from Baumkirchen, the bell-ringers from Watten and various traditional floats take part in this parade every year – showcasing local village life in a folksy, humorous way. And there’s plenty on offer musically too, as the brass bands and many others showcase their talents.
When talking about the Tyrolean Fasnacht, sooner or later the term ‘MARTHA villages’ comes up:
From the provincial capital, Innsbruck, the five villages of Mühlau, Arzl, Rum, Thaur and Absam lie at the foot of the Karwendel mountains, leading to Hall in Tirol. The term ‘MARTHA villages’ is formed from the first letters of these villages’ names. Incidentally, the letter ‘H’ in the MARTHA villages refers to the Hall district of Heiligkreuz, which lies between Thaur and Absam, and not, as many assume, to Hall in Tirol.
The tradition of the MARTHA villages is of such cultural significance that it was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
