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Behind the Mask: LSU professor explores folklore of Cajun Mardi Gras
When most people think of Mardi Gras, parades of elaborate floats and throngs of spectators vying for plastic beads may come to mind. But for one LSU faculty member, Mardi Gras represents a celebrated festival of Louisiana's tradition and a new way to introduce students to the world of folklore. Carolyn Ware, a folklorist and an assistant professor of English at LSU, became involved in the research of Mardi Gras in the late 1980s. She was studying folklore as a graduate student in Louisiana and stumbled onto the rich history of the annual event. "It started out as a two- or three-week long research project, but I got hooked," Ware said. Over the years, much of her research and interest has centered around the Mardi Gras celebrations in the rural, southwest Louisiana towns of Tee Mamou and Basile. Tee Mamou, or "Petit Mamou," is a small community in Acadia Parish approximately five miles west of Iota and 25 miles southwest of Mamou, or " Grand Mamou." Basile, poulation 2,400, lies in Evangeline Parish just beyond the border of Acadia Parish. Traditional Mardi Gras Mischief
During a Mardi Gras run, participants, who are each referred to as "a Mardi Gras," dress in colorful costumes, complete with festive hats and masks. They travel a planned route throughout the countryside; some participants travel on horseback, while others pull a trailer full of their companions behind a truck. Throughout their run, they stop at people's homes and "make mischief." The Mardi Gras knock on people's doors and beg for the ingredients to make a gumbo. They ask people for chicken, rice, sausage, and even money. To entice the residents to provide them with the necessary ingredients, each Mardi Gras sings a traditional song, dances, and then "cuts up." Their misbehavior often includes a wide assortment of antics, from climbing trees and refusing to come down, to stealing small items. While aspects of the Cajun Mardi Gras have evolved over the years, Ware said the symbolism of the festivities has remained consistent. Many say the tradition started as a way to bring the town together and feed all the members of the community, including the poor, for one day. The Changing Role of Women
"Women have always been in the picture, but they've been in the background," Ware said, adding that women had the responsibility of making the costumes and preparing the gumbo. However, after World War II, women wanted to take more active roles. Many of them formed all-female runs. In the 1960s and '70s, when the reputation of Cajun culture was not very strong, many towns merged men's and women's Mardi Gras runs to keep the tradition alive and find more people to participate. Some places even incorporate the whole family. Ware said Tee Mamou is now one of the few towns to still have a separate women's run. Behind the Mask Another one of the women's roles in traditional Mardi Gras is to make the masks the participants wear during the run. Ware, who has adorned a large portion of the walls in her office at LSU with the decorative masks, said the women consider it an art. "The idea behind a good Mardi Gras mask is to be as ugly or as gross as possible," Ware said. "On Mardi Gras day, the object is not to be pretty, but to be strange." The masks displayed in Ware's office range from traditional to outlandish, but most are constructed with a wire-screen base. The wire screens effectively disguise the Mardi Gras and still allow them to breathe easily and be heard as they sing and perform. Some of the more simple masks feature the basic wire screens with exaggerated features painted on them, while the more elaborate creations incorporate feathers, plastic bugs, and pointy noses. A Lesson in Folklore
Mardi Gras helps students understand that folklore is a study of the customs, celebrations, and crafts, and how all of these aspects of unique cultures combine in their stories and traditions. Mardi Gras is also a strong example of the evolving role of women in folklore. Ware often brings in someone from Tee Mamou or Basile to speak, sing, or perform for her students. She said this not only makes the lesson more interesting, but also helps the students understand more about the cultures they are studying. The Tradition Continues Ware said the Mardi Gras run and traditional celebration have taken place for as long as people can remember, but tourists are just starting to pay attention. The Cajun Mardi Gras, however, is not for the average tourist. Because the run starts early in the morning and participants often travel a long way, Ware said it takes dedication. Several of the Louisiana towns that host the traditional festivities have recently started hosting events in the town where tourists can buy crafts and food while waiting for the Mardi Gras to return and make the gumbo. The tradition continues as Mardi Gras celebrations across south Louisiana and many other southern coastal states attract visitors from all over. Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll!) Contact
Laura Patz
| Student Writer | LSU
University Relations Links within this story Carolyn Ware's Web site
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Ware said the Cajun, or traditional, Mardi Gras is very different from the popular Mardi Gras festivities celebrated in larger Louisiana cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Cajun Mardi Gras incorporates European, German, and French-Canadian traditions. Both Tee Mamou and Basile are among the few remaining cities that still host a traditional Mardi Gras "run." 
Over time, Ware has become particularly interested in the role women play in the traditional Mardi Gras festivities. In fact, this has become the center of her research. 
In the classroom at LSU, Ware incorporates her Mardi Gras research "almost too much" in her folklore class. Because most of her students can relate to the annual celebration, Ware uses the traditional Cajun Mardi Gras as an example to show them that folklore goes beyond storytelling. 
