Even Swiss demons are tidy

August 21, 2011

Straw men of Evolène

*Since my Forest Knights novels have a character, Seraina, who is one of the last druid priestesses, I thought it would be fun to describe some modern-day Swiss festivals with Celtic ties. So that’s what I’ll be doing in the next few posts.*

I don’t know about you, but I really want to rent one of those inflatable Sumo wrestler suits and have a go at these guys. Mind you, they do look a little scarier than I would in a fat-man suit.

The straw men, or empaillés, appear on the Sunday before Mardi Gras in the village of Evolène in the Val d’Herens. They wear baggy suits of sacking, stuffed with up to 30 kg of straw. Their faces are hidden under a carved mask, and they carry a broom.
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