The Devil Carnival in Tufara

February 13th, 2024. The Devil, elves, and more characters in an ancient story

On Febrary 13th, 2024 is taking place in Tufara (province of Campobasso), the Carnival knows as  “The Devil of Tufara” because its main character is the Devil.

The Devil Carnival presents  6 characters, among which there is the Devil enchained by 3 black elves (or Monks).

The Devil wears 7 goat types of leather and a shiny leather mask in red and black, with a very long tongue that hangs loose. On his hand, he has a three-pronged pitchfork and his horns, tied with 3 red stripes, are made of the hard ears of a goat.
Another important character of Devil Carnival is the Doppia Morte (Double Death), wearing white clothes and a sickle, and speaking with a dark and deep voice.
The group of masks wanders in the village searching for proselytes that the Devil and the Death try to seduce by jumping and encouraging the participants to go with them.
The “Elves” (or monks) guard the actions of the Devil and they hold him pulling the chains tied to him.
Among the characters of the Devil Carnival of Tufara there is also the Pisciatur, which symbolizes the excess of Carnival.
The parade ends by entering in Castle Longobardo where a puppet, representing the Carnival full of faults, has been prepared.

Once the Devil arrived he asks the soul of the Carnival. A jury, composed of a President and 2 judges, judges the Carnival while two figures walk through the audience asking mercy with jokes and laughter: they are the Mother and Father of the Carnival.
But everything is useless. A plate of spaghetti is brought to the jury as the last supper for the convicted Carnival. But spaghetti are eaten by the jury as a mockery gesture.

Two bangs remark the death warrant of Carnival. After the sentence, the puppet is thrown from the walls.

Check on the event’s facebook page for any possible change of program

CURIOSITY
The name of Tufara comes out because the village has been known since ancient times for the tuff trade

Photos: from the official facebook Associazione Culturale Antica Maschera “IL DIAVOLO”