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Topsy Turvy Day—Lily Caswell

 I cannot remember how old I was when I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame but I was at least 8 or 9. I didn’t realize until probably a couple of years ago that the song “Topsy Turvy” and the corresponding event was actually based on a real festival. The Feast of Fools was usually held on January 1 though it could have also been held on the 6th or the 13th of January. It was portrayed as a parody of Catholic feasts. Church bells were rung improperly, songs were sung out of tune, and the celebrants “wore strange garments and masks, and used puddings, sausages, and old shoes as censers.” (Seaton, p 77) In the song “Topsy Turvy”, it says “It’s the day the devil in us gets released / It’s the day we mock the prig and shock the priest / Everything is Topsy Turvy at the Feast of Fools… And it’s the day we do the things that we deplore ‘ On the other three hundred and sixty-four.” 

I commented on Haylee Lynd’s and Jamie’s posts.


Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Feast-of-Fools

https://www.disneyclips.com/lyrics/lyrics15.html

Comments

  1. Emma Kate PattersonMarch 30, 2021 at 9:19 AM

    I think it is cool that you talked about how something in a fictional story is based off something that is real. It is great when you can make real world connections to fictional books.

    ReplyDelete

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