Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht
Comparison of dialect variants, however, yields an Old High German *fasanaht, with an element fasa- of unclear meaning.
A likely derivation looked to Proto-Indo-European pwo- "purify" (cognate to pava-mana), or alternatively to Middle High German vaselen "prosper, bud", and interpreted the festival as a fertility rite.
[citation needed] Historians around Werner Mezger refuted those theories, and showed that the name derives from fasten ("to fast") and the tradition is Christian.
Fastnacht is held in the settlement area of the Germanic tribes of the Swabians and Alemanni, where Swabian-Alemannic dialects are spoken.
The region covers German Switzerland, the larger part of Baden-Württemberg, Alsace, south-western Bavaria and Vorarlberg (western Austria).
In many places, jesters will produce deafening noise using whips, or shaking the bells on the Häser (costumes) until they can be sure that every little bit of dust has fallen out; cleanliness is generally of great importance on January 6.
On this day, it is common to do the Maschgern (Oberschwaben), the Strählen (Villingen), the Schnurren (Schwarzwald), the Welschen (Schömberg), the Hecheln (Oberndorf) or the Aufsagen: the jesters choose the most remarkable incidents of the last year to retell them to the people in an entertaining way.
On November 11, quite similar to Fastnachtsdienstag (Shrove Tuesday), starts a pre-Christmas fasting period that lasts for forty days.
The Groppenfastnacht in Ermatingen, on the Swiss south bank of the Bodensee, which is celebrated three weeks before Easter, is considered "the world's last Fastnacht".
Just like the carnival common in the Rhineland, the Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht takes its origins from festivities, which were celebrated to consume perishable food before the beginning of lent.
In addition to the excessive consumption of food, customs including dances, parades or Fastnacht games became popular since the 14th century.
Following the reformation, not only the period of fasting was dispensed with in the regions affected, but also the Fastnacht celebrations came to an end in many parts of Central Europe.
Until today, the Vereinigung Schwäbisch-Alemannischer Narrenzünfte ("Union of Swabian-Alemannic Jester Guilds"; VSAN) rarely admits new members, whereas the basis of the admission can be traced back to historic custom.
Today, the number and dimension of these meetings have grown to an extent in which they threaten the traditional and village specific Fastnacht.
Numerous new Fastnacht characters have been created since the beginning of the 20th century alongside the organizational reform of the fool's guilds.
There were new developments of fool's guilds as well: In 1933 the Hexenzunft in Offenburg was founded, which was based on a combination of a fairy-tale and a medieval witch.
Since the Middle Ages, the alte Vettel was played by men in women's clothing, who would joke and jump around, based on the motto "Topsy-Turvy World".
Some of the costumes (called "Kleidle" in German) are several hundred years old, like the Schuttig of Elzach, a devilish figure that used to be widespread in parts of the Black Forest.
The aforementioned "Weißnarr" is mostly represented by men but some are accompanied by a female companion during parades, who often either don't wear any costume or a plain traditional and regional one.
Compared with the "Weißnarr's" baroque elegance, jesters such as the "Blätzlenarr" or the "Spättlenarr" and "Fleckennarr" may look a bit earthy, an impression which might also be caused by their costume, which is made of old fabric remnants.
Nevertheless, the "Flecklenarren's'" costumes and masques have been elabouratively refined during baroque and thus a new group of jesters, called "Fransennarren" which are to be found until today in several cities celebrating Svabian-Alemannic Fastnacht, emerged.
Yet another group of jesters near to the Swiss border called the "Narro-Altfischerzunft" in Laufenburg not only possess south-western Germany's oldest noted masque made of wood, but also had been developing a positively aristocratic self-image over the centuries.
Most of the younger Jester Guilds lace their newly created figures into current local customs by telling a legend or story related to the old traditions.
In addition to the Hairy Bears (hoorigen Bären), there is the Night Raven (der Nachtkrabb), a bird-like figure that also belongs to the carnival characters of the Murrhardt Jester Guild.
At several places along the Danube it is likely to meet single or small groups of carnival revelers who appear to be masked and represent themselves differently.
The Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht fools' calls are more recent and analogous to the traditional battle cries (Alaaf, Helau, Ahoy, ...) of the large carnival cities.
The fools traditionally greet others with a shriek of delight, something they explain to be a spontaneous expression of joy, which could be documented in writing as "Ju-Hu-Hu-Hu".
The events of the Fastnacht are often accompanied by dedicated music, the so-called Narrenmärsche In protestant Basel, Fasnacht begins on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, since it has been existing since its many re-inventions before and after the Reformation, in its current form since about 1835.
The Basler Fasnacht starts with the Morgestraich when, at 4am, all the lights go out in the city and carnival participants walk through the streets with beautifully painted lanterns, costumes and typically big-nosed masks, accompanied by drummers and pipers playing piccolos.
The Lucerner Fasnacht, based on religious, Catholic backgrounds, starts every year on the Thursday before Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) with a big bang at 5am called Morgenwacht (Morning Watch).
