Things to do in the Languedoc:   Cultural Activities:   The Limoux Carnival ( Fécos, Carnaval, Carnival)

The typical village fête is held in late summer when the nights are still warm, and the crops and grapes have been harvested. But the annual fête in Limoux, is different in almost every respect. For a start it lasts not three days, but over two months; and not in summer but mid winter. It is the earliest and longest fête in the French calendar, starting in January and continuing until two weeks before Easter Sunday.

It is claimed that this fête has been held continuously since the middle ages. During revolutionary times an Arrêté of the Municipal Council dated February 1793 attempted to suppress it, but without success. No-one knows how it all originated. Some say it originally celebrated concessions made to the town by a nearby monastery during the Middle Ages. Others say that it was started by millers in the sixteenth century celebrating their successful trade with the kingdom of Aragon. Others link it with the local sparkling white wine called Blanquette de Limoux, an ancient wine that gave winegrowers in Champagne the idea for their product.

The earliest written record of the Limoux fête seems to be a regulation of 1604, but the truth is that the it has probably been evolving since well before medieval times, adopting new features over the centuries. At some stage it has been partially merged with the Christian Lent carnival, and with pierrot traditions. The introduction of women in 1972 was just the latest in a long history of evolutionary change. You will find modern musical instruments but also medieval cornemuses, Micky Mouse costumes and traditional pierrots, the latest fashions and Fransiscan habits. Hats range from medieval headgear through eighteenth century tricorns to top hats and baseball caps.

The Limoux fête is generally called a Carnival (Carnaval in French), but its real name is Fécos, the local name for its characteristic dances. It starts with a parade of the organising committee dressed up in comic masks, white baggy shirts and trousers, wearing red scarves and clogs, and carrying whips. These Meuniers (Millars) receive His Majesty, the King of the Carnival, a stuffed dummy, who will preside in a theoretical sort of way over the proceedings over the coming weeks.

Each weekend there will be more parades in the main square, stopping at the cafés shown on the left to entertain and annoy the customers.               Every Saturday and Sunday (and on Shrove Tuesday - Mardi Gras) a bande will make a number of outings in and around the square. Each bande consists of a group of masked pierrots and their accompanying musicians who follow the pierrots from one café to another in the square, playing as they walk along, through a tunnel of spectators lining the ancient arcades.

Bandes Les Meuniers Las Encatados Les Aïssables Les Infialurs d'Achille Les Blanquetiers Les Brounzinaïre Le Paradou Les Pébradous Las Femnos Les Pitchouns Las Coudenos Les Anciens Les Retraités Les Estabousits Les Taps L'Aragou Les Maïnatches Les Copins Les Arcadiens Les Remenils Le Pont-Vieux Las Piotos Les Drôles Le Tivoli Les Limouxins Les Jouves Monte Cristo

Pierrots wear a sort of uniform, the forerunner of our modern clown outfit. Each bande has its own distinctive colours, often based on the traditional Limoux version: black with brilliant shiny bands. Pierrots wear a curious expressionless mask. They each carry a long, flexible, decorated wand called a carabéna, and a large bag of confetti.

Pierrots dance rhythmically in time to the music, delicately moving their long springy wands over their heads. This rhythmic dance is the Fécos. In the old days flour and sweets were thrown around during the Fécos. Now confetti is used instead - seven tons of it each year. If you take photographs you will almost certainly receive a handful over your head, delivered with grace and panache when you least expect it.

The language of the Fécos, like the word Fécos itself, is Occitan, the traditional language of the area. Speeches are made and songs are sung in it. Nothing is sacred during the Fécos. Fun is poked at anything and anybody, from traditional local targets to national politicians and other figures in the news. Jokes and accusations that would offend in French seem to be accepted with good grace in Occitan, however risqué or slanderous. Some of the songs are traditional, some written specially for this year's festival. The musicians in each bande play a range of instruments: trumpets, trombones, clarinets, tubas and drums. The occasional cornemuse - a medieval bagpipe made from an entire animal skin - also makes an appearance. The bandes play from a selection of some eighty tunes, all in the local style, and not always easy for outsiders to tell apart. Some of them owe a recognisable debt to operas and operettas from the end of the 19^th Century and beginning of the 20^th.

Following the pierrots and the musicians come the goudils. They too are masked. But their masks and costumes are different - different from the pierrots' and different from each other. Each has a distinctive character - an old man, a cartoon character, a harlequin, a fat woman, a local dignitary, a clown, the President of the USA. It is often difficult to determine the real sex of a goudil. There are few limits, either to their inventiveness or taste.

There are over 20 bandes - each of which performs on just one day - once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. Anyone can join a bande as a goudil - they are not members of the bande - but members of one bande quite often join other bandes as goudils.

Pierrots stop and speak to people. Their conversations or chines also generally end in the distribution of confetti, scattered over heads, rubbed gently into faces, pushed under hats or inserted into shirts.

The fécos is not just a spectacle, and those who witness it are not mere spectators. They are badauds, participants in the fécos with their own special name and their own special role. When they feel the sensuous caresses of a carabéna they become the centre of attention. The pierrot on the other end of the carabéna will be expecting to exchange witty repartee. "Te counaissi" (I recognise you) says the goudil disguising his voice, after which he may say something funny, or perhaps not so funny. The badaud responds with as much wit as possible. If he recognises the goudil as well he will have won the exchange.

The groups who do this are all local. They resemble medieval guilds. Children take part from an early age and the rules that are applied so strictly to everyone else are largely ignored for children in fact is often just an excuse to dress up and have fun.

The first outing starts at 11 a.m., generally inspired by a topical event, ribald or grotesque wherever possible. The 4:30 p.m. outing is slower and the costumes more traditional. The 10 p.m. outing is the most atmospheric with an even slower rhythm. It is lit by entorches. These are burning torches made using ancient techniques. They burn for a full 2 hours. By their light the pierrots process, slowly moving their carabénas and distributing confetti. It all makes a colourful spectacle. Other events are held from time to time, for example the king might be brought down to judge a spoof beauty contest.

At first glance you might imagine it had all been invented for the benefit of tourists, but this is not the tourist season. And there are older, deeper elements at play. The pierrots dress with almost religious care. Every action is dictated by rules, some written, some passed down by word of mouth. For example pierrots must never remove their masques in public. They must wear "very fine" escarpins and gloves, and a cagoule under their masques. They hold the carabinas in a special way. They must move slowly, dancing by moving only their arms and legs, not heads or bodies. They lead the musicians and interact with them - the interplay can be surprisingly intense. Only at their command will the music stop. There are always 14 musicians and if you look carefully you will notice that they are being conducted by the three rear-most pierrots. Goudils must always remain behind the musicians. There are secrets too. Those entorches are made with resins according to a jealously preserved method, dating from a time when people had their own recipes for such things.

Look a little closer still, and you will find yet older, darker elements. Chines for example are not always innocent fun. Anonymity allows things to be said that would otherwise remain unsaid. Those cagouls and masks, gloves and the disguised voices are important ways to help conceal a pierrot's identity. Many a badaud has been caressed by a carabéna, looked into a mask, and heard a strange voice confide some dreadful or embarrassing truth about questionable business deals, illegal activities or private family matters.

On the last night of the last day of Carnival, the Sunday before Palm Sunday, a trial is held of the King of the Carnival. At midnight His Majesty, the straw mannequin, is tied to a stake and judge, prosecuter, defence council, and an executioner make speaches - all in Occitan. The King is defended vigorously but the prosecution wins the case and the King is condemned to death. Through the fun and games there is a reminder that this is the area where the Cathars flourished, where the medieval Inquisition was created by Saint Dominic's Dominican friars, and where countless people were burned alive for the crime of chosing their own form of religious belief. Even the joke executioner in his black hood can send a chill down the spine.

Immediately after the trial the King of the Carnival is burned on a pyre in the centre of the main square, as the pierrots throw their carabénas and masques into the flames: They chant "Adiou paure canaval, tu t'en vas e iu demori jusqu'à l'annada que ven" (Goodbye poor Carnival, you go, and I remain until next year). Participants fall to their knees bewailing His Majesty's passing and bowing to the ground towards his burning remains, then stand up, join hands, and dance around the fire singing bawdy ditties about the coming Spring. They do this three times as the King burns, then the Carnival is over for another year.

The annual Spring election and sacrifice of a king is well known to anthropologists. It is a popular theme found in many cultures around the world marking the passing of one year and the birth of the new. In Europe it often points to origins not in the Middle Ages but in prehistoric times.

So the reason that the origins of the festival at Limoux seems so hazy is not that early written records have been lost. It is rather that the origins date back to a time before writing had been invented, a time when real people rather than straw effigies were sacrificed to help restore the sun, usher in the Spring and ensure a good harvest.

• Click below for photographs of the 2010 Carnival:
• Les Meuniers, Sunday 10 January, 2010 Carnival
• Les Remenils & Les Infialurs d'Achille, Saturday 16 January, 2010 Carnival
• Le Tivoli, Sunday 17 January, 2010 Carnival
• Las Piotos & Les Drôles, Saturday 23 January, 2010 Carnival
• Monte Cristo, Sunday 24 January, 2010 Carnival
• Las Encatados & Las Poupinetos, Saturday 30 January 2010 Carnival
• Les Aïssables, Sunday 31 January 2010 Carnival
• Les Brounzinaïres & Les Rambaïurs, Saturday 6 February 2010 Carnival
• Les Blanquetiers, Sunday 7 February 2010 Carnival
• Les Pébradous & Les Sieur d'Arques, Saturday 13th February 2010 Carnival
• Le Paradou, Sunday 14th February 2010 Carnival
• Les Anciens, Tuesday 16 February 2010 Carnival (Mardi Gras)
• Les Pitchouns et Las Taps, Saturday 20th February 2010 Carnival
• Las Fennos, Sunday 21st February 2010 Carnival
• Les Estabousits & Las Coudenos, Saturday 27th February 2010 Carnival
• L'Aragou, Sunday 28th February 2010 Carnival
• Les Afogats de Limoux, Saturday 6th March 2010 Carnival
• Carnavals of the World, Saturday 6th March 2010 Carnival
• All the Bandes, Sunday 7th March 2010 Carnival
• Les Retraités, Friday 12th March 2010 Carnival
• Les Maïnatches et Les Copins, Saturday 13th March 2010 Carnival.   am    pm
• Les Arcadiens, Sunday 14th March 2010 Carnival
• Sortie des écoles, Tuesday 16th March 2010 Carnival
• Les Limouxins and Les Jouves, Saturday 20th March 2010 Carnival,     am & pm     evening
• Le Pont-Vieux, Nuit de la Blanquette, Cremation, Sunday 21st March 2010 Carnival

• Click below for photographs of the 2009 Carnival:
  • Les Encatados et Las Poupinetos, Saturday 31st January 2009 Carnival
  • Les Carnavals du monde, Saturday 7th March 2009 Carnival
  • All the bandes, Sunday 8th March 2009 Carnival
  • Les Maïnatches et Les Copins, Saturday 14th March Carnival
  • Le Pont-Vieux, Sunday 22nd March Carnival
  • Les Limouxins and Les Jouves, Saturday 28th March Carnival
  • Le Tivoli, Sunday 28th March Carnival
  • Nuit de la Blanquette, Cremation, Sunday 28th March Carnival

• Click below for photographs of the 2008 Carnival:
  • Les Aïssables, 6th January 2008 Carnival
  • Les Pébradous, 26th January 2008 Carnival
  • Las Femnos, 27 January, 2008 Carnival
  • Les Pitchouns & Las Coudenos, 2nd February 2008 Carnival
  • Les Anciens, 5th February, 2008 Carnival
  • Les Estabousits & Les Taps, 9th February 2008 Carnival
  • Le Tivoli, 2nd March 2008 Carnival
  • Monte Cristo , 9th March 2008 Carnival + La Nuit de la Blanquette

• Click here for photographs of the 2007 Carnival
• Click here for photographs of the 2006 Carnival
• Click here for photographs of the Carnival from earlier years
  

Click here to go to the main Limoux page
Click here for more on Blanquette de Limoux and Cremant de Limoux
Click here for more photographs of Limoux
Click here for more the Toque et Clocher at Limoux
Click here for more photographs of the Languedoc and the Midi

Index of Bands

Meuniers meaning   "Millars" founded     outfit   Plain shirt & trousers. Wooden Clogs. colours   white with red scarf mask   various hat   optional white bonnet gloves   white carabine   whip instead of carabine confetti   white in white bags seat   N/A     members of the committee Always opens the fecos on the sunsay 12 weeks before Easter Sunday.
Les Infialurs d'Achile meaning   "troublemakers of Achilles" in Occitan founded   1993 outfit   Pierrot colours   blue and white mask   white painted blue & gold hat   blue & white gloves   white carabine   blue & white ruff   blue & white confetti   blue & white in white bags seat   Café de la Terrace       Saturday Cycle Used to parade anticlockwise around the square
Les Remenils meaning     founded   1996 outfit   Pierrot colours   green & orange mask   white painted geen & gold hat   green academic square with orange tassel gloves   orange ruff   orange carabine   white with orange feather confetti   white in orange bags seat   Café de la Terrace       Saturday Cycle
Le Tivoli meaning   Name of a promanade in Limoux founded   1958 outfit   Pierrot colours   grey & purple mask   white painted hat   grey, Gaston Phebus Hunters hat gloves   black ruff   purple edged with gold & jewels carabine   purple with gold handle & feather confetti   white in black & silver bags seat   Café de France       Members of Committee, Sunday cycle
Les Droles meaning   "The Funnies" founded   2006 outfit   Pierrot colours   orange & blue mask   white painted hat   orange bonnets gloves   white ruff   blue & orange carabine   blue & orage with blue feather confetti   white in blue bags seat           Saturday Cycle http://bandedecarnavallesdroles.midiblogs.com/
Les Piotos meaning   ???? founded   1993 outfit   gown colours   black & white mask   white with silver painting hat   black with white rosette (and red wig) gloves   black ruff   white with black lacing carabine   black & white with white feather confetti   white in black bags seat   Café Jo       Saturday cycle Twinned with the Estabousits
Monte Cristo meaning     founded   1968 outfit   pierrot colours   broun & bronze mask   white with brown painting hat   brown tricorn or brown broad brimmed hat gloves   bronze ruff   bronze carabine   bronze with bronze & white feather confetti   white in bronze bags seat   Café des Arcades       Members of Committee, Sunday cycle There is an alternative much fancier version of the outfit worn by women
Encantados meaning   "Enchanted" founded   1995 outfit   pierrot, two buttons colours   white & blue or maroon mask   white, painted hat   blue or maroon sock hats gloves   white ruff   gold lamé & blue or maroon carabine   silver confetti   white in a blue or maroon bag seat   Bistrot du Goût (x Café de France)       Saturday Cycle
Poupinetos meaning   "Little dolls" founded   2008 outfit   dress & drawers colours   red & white mask   white painted hat   red broad brimmed hat gloves   white ruff   white carabine   red and white with red handle and feather confetti   white in red bag seat           Saturday cycle
Les Aïsables meaning   "unbearables" in Occitan founded   1981 outfit   pierrot colours   red & cream mask   white clown mask with red or green hair hat   red bonnet or joker's cap gloves   cream ruff   cream carabine   red and white with red handle and feather confetti   white seat   Café de Commerce       Members of Committee, Sunday cycle
Les Brounzinaïres meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot, two buttons + one on each leg colours   white & brown mask   white , painted hat   brown acorn hats gloves   white ruff   brown and gold carabine   brown and gold with a white feather confetti   white seat   Café "Al Limos"       Saturday cycle
Les Rambaïurs meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot colours   red & white mask   white, painted hat   red gloves   white ruff   silver carabine   red and white with red handle and feather confetti   white seat           Saturday cycle
Les Blanquetiers meaning     founded   1973 outfit   pierrot colours   purple & yellow mask   white, painted hat   conical, purple with 3 buttons gloves   black ruff   yellow carabine   purple & yellow, with yellow feather confetti   yellow seat   Café du Commerce       Member of Committee, Sunday cycle
Pebradous meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot colours   blue & white mask   blue, painted in gold hat   black Gaston Phebus Hunters hat, blue band gloves   black ruff   white trimmed in blue carabine   blue & gold, with a blue feather confetti   blue & yellow seat           Saturday cycle
Sieurs d'Arques meaning   name of a local wine cooperative founded   1975 outfit   pierrot colours   green & yellow mask   white, painted hat   green Gaston Phebus Hunters hat gloves   white ruff   yellow carabine   green, with yellow feather confetti   white seat   Maison de la Blanquette       Saturday cycle The green represents vines and the yellow, grapes
Le Paradou meaning     founded   1947 outfit   pierrot, parti coloured with 3 countercharged buttons colours   black & white mask   white, painted wth pink cheeks hat   black with white button gloves   white ruff   black & white carabine   black & white, with a white feather confetti   white in a black bag seat   Café Jo       Member of Committee, Sunday cycle
Les Anciens meaning     founded   1927 outfit   pierrot colours   white & red/blue/green/purple/black mask   white, painted hat   white with red/blue/green/purple/black band gloves   white ruff   red/blue/green/purple/black carabine   silver with red/blue/green/purple/black feather confetti   white in a red/blue/green/purple/black bag seat   Café des Arcades       Always come out on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday)
Les Pitchouns meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot or tunic & skirt with belt & two buttons (women) colours   blue & gold or white & black (women) mask   white, painted blue & gold or black & gold (women) hat   white, rounded conical (acorn hats) gloves   white or black (women) ruff   gold fringed blue or black (women) carabine   white with blue feather or black & white feather (women) confetti   white in a gold bag or a black bag (women) seat   Tivoli       Saturday cycle
Las Taps meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot colours   red & white mask   white, painted hat   red & gold jesters' cap gloves   white ruff   red & gold carabine   gold with red feather confetti   white in a red bag seat           Saturday cycle
Las Fennos meaning   Occitan for "women" founded   1972 outfit   CHANGES EVERY YEAR colours     mask     hat     gloves     ruff     carabine     confetti     seat   Café du Commerce       Members of the Committee, Sunday cycle
Les Estabousits meaning     founded   1982 outfit   pierrot colours   bronze & brown mask   flesh coloured, painted hat   brown tricorn gloves   white ruff   cream & brown carabine   bronze & brown, with brown handle & feather confetti   white in a cream sack seat   Café des Arcades       Saturday cycle Twinned with the Piotos
Las Cudenos meaning     founded     outfit   pierrot colours   violet & black mask   white, painted black, violet & silver hat   black top hat with violet ribbon gloves   white ruff   black & violet carabine   black & violet with violet-black-violet feathers confetti   white in a black & violet bag seat   Le Tivoli       Saturday cycle http://carnaval.lascoudenos.free.fr/
L'Aragou meaning     founded   1976 outfit   pierrot with 3 red buttons, red shoes colours   brown & red mask   latex, white, unpainted hat   red acorn hat gloves   white ruff   red carabine   brown & red, with red feathers confetti   brown in a brown sack seat   Café Jo       Member of the Committee, Sunday cycle
Les Afogats de Limoux meaning     founded   2009 ? outfit   pierrot with three buttons on the front colours   white & red mask   white with painted red rose on the right and optional red stars and tears on the left hat   white acorn hat with one red button gloves   white ruff   red trimmed white carabine   white with red and white feathers confetti   white seat           Saturday cycle
Les Retraités meaning   Retired founded     outfit   none - goudil or pierrot colours     mask     hat     gloves     ruff     carabine     confetti     seat           always on a Friday
Les Maïnatches meaning   "Youngsters" in Occitan founded   1988 outfit   pierrot and clowns colours   various mask   pierrot and clowns hat   conical for pierrots, brimmed for clowns gloves   various ruff   conical for pierrots, top hats for clowns carabine   various confetti   white ? seat   Café du Progress       Saturday cycle
Les Copins meaning   "friends" founded   2004 outfit   pierrot colours   silver & indigo mask   white, painted indigo hat   grey acorn cap gloves   indigo ruff   indigo carabine   white & indigo with an indigio feather confetti   white seat           Saturday cycle http://cnature.free.fr/accueil
Les Arcadiens meaning   refers to the arcades of the square founded   1956 outfit   white pierrot colours   various mask   laughing in the afternnoon, crying at night hat   conical three buttons of the pierrot's colour gloves   white ruff   of the pierrot's colour carabine   white with multicoloured and serrated feather at both ends confetti   white seat   Café du Commerce       Member of the Committee, Sunday Cycle
Les Limouxins meaning   "Residents of Limoux" founded   1966 outfit   robe colours   mustard & maroon mask   gold, plague doctor mask hat   maroon lined mustard, or maroon conical cap gloves   black ruff   mustard & maroon carabine   mustard & maroon with a black feather confetti   violet in a black bag seat   Café du Commerce       Always on the Saturday before the cemation Always wheel a bed around with them http://limouxins.site.voila.fr/
Les Jouves meaning   "The Youths" in Occitan founded   1966 outfit   pierrot, white satin colours   white mask   various hat   various gloves   white ruff   white carabine   white with a white feather confetti   white in a white bag seat   al Limos       Always on the Saturday before the cemation
Le Pont-Vieux meaning   name of a bridge in Limoux across the river Aude founded   1952 outfit   pierrot colours   black with red bands mask   red loup hat   black with red cockade gloves   white ruff   white carabine   black & red, with a red feather confetti   white seat   Café des Arcades       Member of the Committee, Sunday cycle

The Words of Adieu paure Carnaval - sung during the cremation

The Words of Adieu paure Carnaval (alternative version)

The Ten Rules of the Carnaval

"Bien maqué tu seras, portant de beaux escarpins et gants fins"

"Sous ton masque se trouvera, cagoule immanquablement".

" A ton épaule ne prendra point de besace, naturellement".

"A 11 heurs, 17 heures, 22 heures tu choisiras, air de folklore pour ce moment là."

"Au départ tu retiendras la musique bien sagement, car les premiers pas tu feras, sur le seuil du café majestueusement".

"D'un café à l'autre tu danseras, sans bousculade et énervement".

"Ni vite, ni lentement, vingt minutes suffiront largement".

"La musique tu méneras, avec amour dévotement. Pour celà faire, ne chineras, mais intrigueras tout simplement."

"A l'arrivée seul tu imposeras, à la musique ton mouvement. Et l'arrêt ne se fera que sur ton commandement".

"Ainsi, fier tu seras d'avoir vécu tous ces moments. Mais ton visage ne découvriras, que dans l'intimité seulement."