Bringing In The Big One
by Seaux-N-Seau Soileau
Title
Bringing In The Big One
Artist
Seaux-N-Seau Soileau
Medium
Painting - Acrylic
Description
This mask rider is having a joy ride as he brings in the big one to the community gumbo at the Courir de Mardi Gras.
When I was a young girl my grandparents raised chickens. The roosters often chased me around the farm. I often wished my grandfather would throw out a rooster for the Mardi Gras (participants) to catch instead of the sweet little hens who never bothered me. I also wished the horseback riders would leave one of their horses behind in appreciation for the larger bird so that I could have a horse of my own. Those wishes of my childhood are expressed in many of my Courier de Mardi Gras Paintings.
The Courir de Mardi Gras is the traditional festival of the Cajun and Creole people in a region of Louisiana refered to as Acadiana. It is traditionally held the day before Ash Wednesday, however a few smaller communities hold them the weekend before. Participants gather usually on horseback at a designated spot and go from home to home begging for ingredients for a chicken and sausage gumbo. A captian runs ahead of the participant to ask the homeowner if they are willing to welcome the Mardi Gras participants. If the homeowner is the captain waves a flag to beckon the participants. To woo the farmer to give a live chicken or two the participants bring along a band who play traditional Courier de Mardi Gras songs and the participants dance and do funny antics.
If the farmer likes the music and dance he is obliged to donate something for the gumbo. It might be seasoning, flour or oil for the roux, a sack of rice, a pound or two of sausage, or a live chicken.
If the chicken is live the rule is the participants must catch it when the farmer releases it. A chase begins as the chicken scurry away. Much cheering occurs as participants chase the chicken across open prairie, under houses, up trees, and around corners.
Participants are generally men and boys who have come of age. There are a few towns that have women only runs and a few that allow runs for all who fall within a given age range. Some communities have runs especially for young children generally a day or two before the men's big run.
The largest and most popular run is in Mamou. It is often said the population increases a hundredfold on Mardi Gras. Runs are also held in Church Point, Eunice, Washington, Basile, Opelousas, Iota, Mermentau, and other communities, villages, and towns around Acadiana.
Featured in Fine Art America's group Created By Southern Artists.
Uploaded
January 15th, 2016
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