Social Inversion: Why?

[101jir]

I had a class today that briefly mentioned Social Inversion traditions in Europe. The question that gets me is, why? What could motivate such a strange ritual. Although some of the sources I found clarified that it reinforced the social chain instead of degrading it, but why?

[The Glyphstone]

What are they? Google told me nothing.

[101jir]

What are they? Google told me nothing.

For example, the "Day of Misleadership" or something like that. In this holiday, the black slaves would elect one member of their society to be governer for a day.

@V: That's what it was, Misrule.

[Science Officer]

See also: Lord of Misrule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_misrule)

Short answer, I think: because they thought it was funny.
seriously, the sense of humour may have been a lot different,
but they didn't have many sources of entertainment did they?

[tensai_oni]

Although some of the sources I found clarified that it reinforced the social chain instead of degrading it, but why?

Are you saying that challenging social stratification and inequality even if only as a once per year tradition, is degrading the society?

[Coidzor]

Mardi Gras? Carnival (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Carnival)?

[The Glyphstone]

Well, if the inversion of the status quo is coupled with feasting, drinking, revelry, and debauchery until everyone is sick of it, I can see that reinforcing the status quo by means of 'see what life would be like if we didn't do it this way'?

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

iirc, in monasteries, the choir-boys would elect one of their members to be "bishop" for a day, and everyone would have to do what they said.

Peter the Great, when he was a child, named one of his friends the Mock-Tsar, and another the Mock-Pope. He would continue to report to the Mock-Tsar, and celebrate festivals under the Mock-Pope for many many years.

[Science Officer]

Are you saying that challenging social stratification and inequality even if only as a once per year tradition, is degrading the society?

I think he is perhaps saying that he is surprised by the notion that challenging social stratification would, instead of weakening the notion, strengthen it.

[101jir]

Are you saying that challenging social stratification and inequality even if only as a once per year tradition, is degrading the society?

I did not mean "degrading" in terms of the society, I mean that it did not weaken the status quo, but reinforced it.

EDIT: Also, I think I am getting the idea here. Thanks very much for the insight. If anyone has anything to add, though, please feel free. The more info. the better.:smallsmile:

[Knaight]

I had a class today that briefly mentioned Social Inversion traditions in Europe. The question that gets me is, why? What could motivate such a strange ritual. Although some of the sources I found clarified that it reinforced the social chain instead of degrading it, but why?
The short version: Ancient Rome. Basically, Ancient Rome didn't have weekends, which led to them having about a hundred holidays. With that many holidays and festivals floating around, something odd is guaranteed to show up, and an early Social Inversion tradition - where slave and master were inverted for a day - sprung up. For the slave owner, it was a change, and basically a game of experiencing a new thing. For the slave, it was a day where they didn't have to toil all day, which is always welcome.

[Lord Raziere]

Hmmm....sounds like a weird holiday.

needs improvement, change it to Economic Inversion, switch out the poor and the rich. :smalltongue:

[Feytalist]

Hmmm....sounds like a weird holiday.

needs improvement, change it to Economic Inversion, switch out the poor and the rich. :smalltongue:

What's that reality show called that switches the wives of different classes of families for a week? I want to say "Wife Swap", but that just sounds wrong.

My point is, we've already got that :smallwink:

[Eldan]

They still do something like that, kinda, on carnival. The next town from here still has a "fool's guild". They basically spend all year building parade floats, then organizing a parade and a few other festivities for a week. Someone is usually collected fool king for a few days. He then gives out silly orders people have to obey.

Of course, since there's about 20'000 people in the city, and it's still mostly a work week, most people out side the guild (about 50, 60 people I think?) never meet him.

Edit: The reason, pretty much, is party. You leave off some steam for a week.

Traditionally, carneval would also be the end of forty days of fasting over winter, starting on St. Martin's day. Which also neatly coincides with the still semi-held pagan traditions for the end of winter (People in Demon Masks marching through the city, burning large papier-maché statues) So, everyone's feasting anyway.

[101jir]

A lot of very interesting perspectives and possibilities, I like:smallsmile:. Maybe all of the above!

[Seonor]

They still do something like that, kinda, on carnival. The next town from here still has a "fool's guild". They basically spend all year building parade floats, then organizing a parade and a few other festivities for a week. Someone is usually collected fool king for a few days. He then gives out silly orders people have to obey.

Of course, since there's about 20'000 people in the city, and it's still mostly a work week, most people out side the guild (about 50, 60 people I think?) never meet him.

Edit: The reason, pretty much, is party. You leave off some steam for a week.

Traditionally, carneval would also be the end of forty days of fasting over winter, starting on St. Martin's day. Which also neatly coincides with the still semi-held pagan traditions for the end of winter (People in Demon Masks marching through the city, burning large papier-maché statues) So, everyone's feasting anyway.

Most german carnival traditions have something like it. A few cities have a prince/princess pair, in most other cities the "narren" just take over city hall for a few days.
One day is Weiberfastnacht on which women take over and attack unsuspecting men by cutting of their neckties.

[Om]

From what I've read, most recently from Christopher Hill, the Feast of Fools and the like essentially served as a safety valve for society: a day in which the normal oppressive social conventions could be mocked without repercussion

[Asta Kask]

These days it's called reality TV. :smallsmile:

[thubby]

it would have been improper to have a real king preside over the drunken revelry of his subjects.

with a mock king, the peasants get their fun and the lord gets to stay the lofty and absolute power.