Fest Foll - Feast of Fools

Execution

The Parade of Fools

During the Fest Foll, social conventions are temporarily cast aside, and roles are reversed. Men and women swap clothing, the rich dress as ragpickers, while the poor dress in garish finery, sailors dress as farmers and farmers as knights. Costumes are exaggerated, colourful and over the top, often including elaborate masks. Merrymakers flood the streets, joined by lavish floats and automata. Often times, fun will be poked at civic and religious leaders during this time, with begrudging allowances by the targets of this ridicule.
Masquerade balls are common among the nobility.

Den Paolig

The symbol of the event is the Den Paolig (No relation to the feline sidhe of the same name, although the Fest Foll is especially popular among them), the King of the Fest-Foll. The Den Paolig is a 3m tall wicker and papier-mâché effigy, often moulded to resemble a local personality whose identity is kept secret until the last moment. The Den Paolig is treated like a king for the festival, then becomes a scapegoat for the transgressions during the festival (and the ills of the community before hand). The Den Paolig is tried in a mock court, found guilty and lit ablaze to start the final firestar display to conclude the festivities. In Naoned, this takes place on the Quai de la Fosse, but similar events happen elsewhere in Letha on a smaller scale.

Fun and Games

Games are an essential part of the festivities, with a number of common activities each year. Hastiludes and Tournaments are commonly sponsored by the nobility during this time, while the common folk organize their own fun in their villlage meadows and town plazas. Among the most popular are:

Birinig - A wooden box (85 x 55 cm) is placed on a table, a meter-high mast affixed to one end of the box. A wooden ball on a rope is hung from the mast, and 9 pins are placed opposite it in a 3x3 pattern. The wooden ball must be rotated in a complete circle to knock down all the pins. After 3 attempts, play is passed to the next participant.

The Bucket Game - A tub of water or a concoction of more noxious substances was suspended over a street. At the base of this tub was a board pierced with a hole. Standing in a hand-pulled cart, it was necessary to pass a wooden lance through the hole underneath the tub. If the aim failed, the tub would tip, spilling its contents all over the competitor.

Duck Racing

Eating a sausage suspended from a string

The Goose Hunt - Riding past at high speeds on horseback or a wooden cart, a participant must cut the head of a suspended goose with a single blow.

Gouren - A Lethaned form of wrestling. Opponents fight barefoot, wearing a short sleeved white shirt, a belt and black pants stopping just below the knee. Two fighters grapple, grabbing each others shirts and attempt to throw their opponent to the ground. Both shoulders touching the ground simultaneously is rewarded the most points, while 1 shoulder is rewarded less.

Pole Raising

Sack Racing

Tug-o-War

Other Traditions

In the East, some Andouille sausage is saved from the feast and sprinkled around the edge of a farmyard to ward off foxes from the hens.

It is considered bad luck to spin thread on the Fest-Foll. If one does, mice will eat the household's thread for a year until the next festival

Components and tools

Food and Drink

Food is a central part of the Fest Foll, a celebration of the waning powers of Winterrule with an indulgence of the stores before settling in for the hard preparations during the thawing of Gwenngaouenn. Commonly enjoyed delicacies include:

Andouille - Smoked pork sausage, popular in Eastern Letha. Sprinkled around farmyard to distract foxes from hens during Fest-Foll

Bara Dous - A specialty of Kernev. A soft, very sweet bread made with flour, butter, milk, eggs, sugar and a dash of alcohol. Sometimes raisins are added.

Chotten - Pig's Cheek. Enjoyed in Kernev as a treat in Skeotrenn. Pig's heads are cut in half and soaked in brine, then brought to the baker or communal bread oven and cooked immediately following the day's bread, brought to a sizzling golden brown.

Craqueline - A sweet cream puff with a sugary pastry shell. These bite sized snacks are sold on the street.

Farz Buen - A deconstructed pancake made with a thick crêpe batter, sugar and salted butter, the mixture is fried until the pieces are caramelized and sprinkled with more sugar.

Krampouez - The sweet cousin to the savory kalatez, a thin crepe made of sugar and flower, rather than buckwheat, typically filled with sugar and fruits.

Participants

The Fest-Foll is immensely popular amongst the Korrigan and Sidhe of Letha, with fae communities coming out in force to celebrate with their Bediz neighbors. The Paolig and Poulpiquet are especially active during these events.

Observance

The Fest-Foll is celebrated during the Spring Equinox, markig the transition from the wet winds of Skeotrenn to the thawing of Gwenngaouenn, marking the halfway point between Emwalc'h and Kala-Hañv.
While the festival is celebrated throughout Letha and elsewhere in Kornôgel, it is especially prevalent in Kemper and Naoned , which has the largest celebration in the region.

Primary Related Location

The Armorican Peninsula

Important Locations

• Kernev Plateau
• Landes be Lanvaux
• Naoned
• Plateau de Leon

Related Organizations

• County of Gwened
• County of Naoned
• Kontelezh Kernev