Fulehung Mask

Fulehung – The Jester with the Devil’s Mask

Now looking back to my childhood, I realize that I grew up with Swiss Native culture, too. My father was from the Canton of Bern and had a special mask called the “Fulehung”. The mask is worn by the “Fulehung” or chester in the parade that celebrates the annual sharpshooting competition of the City of Thun in the last week of September.

The Story of the Fulehung

The origin of this customs dates back to the Middle Ages. During the ‘Burgundy Wars’ the Swiss captured the court jester. They brought him back to the city of Thun and paraded him through the city streets where the city folks laughed at him. Since then he now does the same thing and chases through the city streets during the last week of September and scares the children. (German text)

More about the Fulehung this time from an English blog.