Courir de Mardi Gras

Courir de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Run)
The Savoy LA Courir (run) in 2010
Type	Local, cultural, Catholic, Cajun
Significance	Celebration prior to fasting season of Lent.
2012 date	February 21
Celebrations	Rural tradition, parties
Related to	Mardi Gras

The Courir de Mardi Gras (French pronunciation: [kuʁiʁ də maʁdi ɡʁa]) is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun communities of south Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Courir de Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday Run". The rural Mardi Gras celebration is based on early begging rituals, similar to those still celebrated by mummers, wassailers and celebrants of Halloween. As Mardi Gras is the celebration of the final day before Lent, celebrants drink and eat heavily, and also dress in specialized costumes, ostensibly to protect their identities. Popular practices include wearing masks, capuchons, and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, drinking alcohol, begging, feasting, whipping, etc. Because of violent activities associated with the Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana has a state law prohibiting the wearing of hoods and masks in public. Mardi Gras is one of the few occasions when exceptions are allowed, as are Halloween celebrations and religious observances.^[1]

Origins

Medieval French peasants enjoying a meal

Barry Ancelet, Cajun historian and head of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Folklore Department has explained the origin of the Courir as being in rural Medieval France:

“	In a nutshell, the country Mardi Gras comes from the way Mardi Gras was celebrated in France in the rural section as opposed to the urban carnival. It’s an early springtime renewal and is essentially a way for communities to celebrate and find themselves	”
—-Barry Ancelet[2]

These origins are in the customs of Catholic Medieval Europe, specifically the fête de la quémande ("feast of begging") of Medieval France. During the fête, which was a time when begging from house to house was a socially acceptable behavior, disguised revelers would go through the countryside visiting households and performing for offerings. This is similar to other contemporary traditional European customs such as mumming and wassailing which usually occur around Christmas, New Year's, and Epiphany. These traditions originated in a time when most of the land and money was held by the upper classes. The poor, at the end of long winters and short on food, would gather in groups and make their way from castle to manor house to beg for food from the wealthy, dancing and singing in return for the generosity of the nobles.^[3] French medieval carnival celebrations also featured contests and races, which may be the origins of the chicken chase associated with the courir.^[4] A few of the traditional runs have whipping and penitinece as part of their traditions. These traditions are traced to the Medieval Flagellants, who would hold processions through the streets whipping themselves and sometimes onlookers to beat the sin out of them.^[5] Other of the traditions associated with the courir are derived from the folk traditions of Pre-Christian Celtic Europe and are associated with fertility and renewal. Examples include the use of the burlap whip and the tune on which the Chanson de Mardi Gras are based, both of which are traced back to Brittany, a Celtic enclave on the Northwestern French coast near where the original settlers of Acadia were from.^[6][5] These traditions were carried to North America by European immigrants during the 17th and 18th centuries.^[4] In the mid to late 18th century when the Acadian settlers of the Canadian Maritimes were forcibly deported by the English, many made their way to South Louisiana, settling what would become known as the Acadiana region. The Cajuns, as they would become known to the rest of the world, have held on to many of their traditional customs, including their language (Acadian French became Cajun French), music, dances and religious festivals such as the courir.^[7] This determination to hold on to their religious customs and faith has been a major factor in creating the atmosphere that has allowed for the celebration of life, or "la joie de vivre," that is so characteristic of Cajun life and culture in South Louisiana.^[8]

Traditions

Chasing a chicken at the 2010 Faquetaigue LA Courir de Mardi Gras

People escape from ordinary life through the alcohol and the roles they portray in costume.^[9] In the early morning the riders or runners or Mardi Gras (as the troop and its individual members are known)^[10] gather in a central meeting place. As they gather, Le Capitaine (the leader of the Mardi Gras) and his co-capitaines explain the rules and traditions that must be followed. The Capitaine usually rides on horseback, wears a cape and carries a small flag. After he organizes the troop, the bands begin to play and he leads them on the route. Traditions vary in each town with the way it is carried out. Some towns have people on horse back, some on trailers and some on foot, and others use a variation of all three methods.^[11] The Capitaine is the first to approach the houses along the route, to ask permission to enter onto their property. At this point, in the spirit of frivolity, individual Mardi Gras will attempt to sneak onto the property. They are held in check by the Capitaines, who sometimes brandish a plaited burlap whip.^[12]

“	These whips are used to maintain discipline during the courir de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras run.) They are used by the captain and his subordinates [co-captains] only'	”
—-Claude Durio, Co-capitaine for the Tee Mamou courir[12]

The whips are designed to be flexible and not to inflict any serious damage onto their victims, but do produce a loud noise for the edification of onlookers. Participants claim one has not fully participated until one has been whipped.^[12] Once they are on the property, the revelers play a variety of pranks on the farmers and beg for food^[9] for the communal gumbo that lies at the end of the route. A prize ingredient is a live chicken, which is usually thrown into the air for the drunken Mardi Gras to chase through the muddy yards and fields.^[11]

Le Chanson de Mardi Gras

A traditional tune is sung by the participants, although the exact lyrics vary greatly from town to town. The melody of the traditional folk song is similar to melodies of the Bretons on the northern coast of France.^[6] This version is sung at the Church Point Courir de Mardi Gras:

Musicians at the 2010 Savoy LA Courir de Mardi Gras

“	Les Mardi Gras vient de tout partout, tout le tour du moyeu. Vient une fois par an pour demander la charité. Une vieille patate, une patate et des gratons. Les Mardi Gras vient de tout partout, tout le tour du moyeu. Vient une par an pour demander la charité. Une vieille patate, une patate et des gratons. Capitaine, capitaine voyage ton flag, tout le tour du moyeu. Une fois par an pour demander la charité. Et des patates, des patates et des gratons. Les Mardi Gras vient de l’Angleterre, tout le tour du moyeu. Vient une fois par an pour demander la charité. Une vieille patate, une patate et des gratons.	”
—-Le Chanson de Mardi Gras, in French[13]

And the same song in English:

“	The Mardi Gras come from everywhere around the hub. Once each year to ask for charity. An old potato, a potato and some cracklins. The Mardi Gras come from everywhere around the hub. Once each year to ask for charity. An old potato, a potato and some cracklins. Captain, captain wave your flag, all around the hub. Once each year to ask for charity. The Mardi Gras come from England, all around the hub. Once each year to ask for charity. And potatoes, potatoes and cracklins.	”
—-The Song of Mardi Gras - in English[13]

A version of the song by the Balfa Brothers was included in the 1992 film Passion Fish.^[14] Many other musicians have recorded versions of the song, with notable artists being Zachary Richard^[15] Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys,^[16]and Cedric Watson.^[17]

Costumes

Courir de Mardi Gras. Artist Herb Roe

Many of the traditional costumes are derivatives of the costumes worn in early rural France during the same celebration.^[9] The costumes directly mock the nobility, the clergy and the educated; celebrants wear miter hats, mortarboards and capuchons,^[9] which were initially designed to mock the tall pointy hats worn by noble women. These hats are still worn, primarily by men. The name "capuchon" comes from the same root word, "cappa" in Latin, meaning a cape or hood, that gives us "cap" in English and "chapeau" in French. Chaperon (headgear) describes the development of the word. The hats are vibrantly decorated to match (or intentionally mis-match) the colorful Mardi Gras costumes that they accompany. The capuchons worn by Mardi Gras celebrants are completely unrelated to the pointy hats worn by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), founded after the American Civil War, and, in fact, predate the KKK costumes by several hundred years.

The shirts and pants of the costume are made by sewing together various pieces of cloth in a patchwork style. The strips of cloth are cut into fringing, and are sewn onto the sleeves, up and down the legs, and on the capuchon.^[11] The end effect is a riot of color and pattern. These costumes are also believed to have originated in Medieval times.^[11] The masks are made by taking ordinary wire mesh window screen and attaching large protruding noses and painting on features such as eyes and mouths. The masks are almost see through, but usually not enough to discern the wearer's identity. Many costumes and masks include animal features like beaks, feathers, hair, fur or tails.^[2]

• 

  Capitane and a courir disguised as a rougarou

• 

  A capuchon wearing Mardi Gras on horseback

• 

  Mortarboard and wire mesh mask

• 

  A "Miter" wearing Mardi Gras dancing in a yard

Notable Courir celebrations

The Faquetigue Courir de Mardi Gras near Savoy, La in 2010

Each community in the Acadiana area celebrates their take on the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras. Although there are many variations, most still practice the time honored tradition with Le Capitaine leading masked revelers on horseback to gather ingredients for making the communal gumbo. A few notable examples have gained attention as vital parts of the local Cajun culture.

Basile

In Basile the Courir was suspended during World War II, but was re-established during the 1960s.^[18] A provision allowing women to be a part of the Courir has been in place since the 1980s, and they are also permitted to serve as capitaines.^[19] The Basile Courir de Mardi Gras have a tradition of begging for nickels (called cinq sous). The participants come up to bystanders with an open palm in the traditional begging gesture, and if that does not work, they will try to dig into the pockets or clothes of the bystanders as a prank in an attempt to find the nickels.^[18]

Choupic

The rural Mardi Gras in Choupic involves a ritual chasing and flogging with willow tree branches.^[20] Young, unmarried men from sixteen or seventeen years old up into their twenties secretly organize the run each year, and they do not disclose their participation in the run to anyone. Once a man is married, he voluntarily stops his participation in the Mardi Gras run. Traditionally, the Mardis Gras were on foot, but today some adaptations have been made, such as the use of pickup trucks and the use of three-wheelers by some participants. The Mardis Gras meet early Mardi Gras morning at Possum Square and then climb into the back of a few pickup trucks to hide. The pickup trucks carry the Mardis Gras from one residential section to another where they chase the children of the town, and make them recite Catholic prayers before giving them their pre-Lenten flogging with willow tree branches or sometimes with the flexible end of a fishing pole. The Choupic courir de Mardi Gras differs from other courirs in that it does not involve the chasing of chickens nor ritual begging nor the use of horses as a means of transportation.

Church Point

In Church Point the rural Mardi Gras is basically the same as it was in the old days of the early settlers. In 1961 Elton Richard formally organized the event, which until then had been individual, independent groups of riders. Only men are permitted to participate in the run, and all Mardi Gras must be fully masked and costumed. The Capitaine holds his positiion as leader for year after year, until he decides to relinquish it. He appoints his co-capitaines, who like himself must not be masked. The Chanson de Mardi Gras in Church Point has its own unique lyrics.^[21] The Church Point Courir is held on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, a consequence of the formal organization in 1961. Elton Richard and Senator Paul Tate of Mamou flipped a coin to see who would have their official courir on Mardi Gras Day. Mamou won and as a result the Church Point Mardi Gras is on Sunday.^{[22][23][21][24]}

Duralde

In Duralde, an unincorporated village between the towns of Mamou and Basile on the southwestern prairies of Louisiana, is one of the Creole Mardi Gras'. Participants at times wear "white face", a way that the Mardi Gras runners dress as "the other" and overturn social conventions and the world for a day.^[25]

Elton

Elton, Louisiana is a small town in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana 15 miles west of Eunice on U.S. Route 190. Although it was defunct for a long time, the Elton courir was revived in the mid 1990s. It follows the same route and its participants sing the same local variation of the Chanson as the courir in 1925. The ride starts at sunrise just to the north of town and goes through the Coushatta Indian Reservation and then heads south back toward Elton. Like many of the traditional Courirs the ride is an all male affair.^[26]

Eunice

In Eunice the celebration dates from when the town was first established in the late 19th century. It was abandoned for a short time during World War II when many of the local young men were in the army, but was restarted in 1946. The roughly 2000 participants, both male and female, assemble at the National Guard Armory at the corner of South 9th Street and Maple Avenue at 6 a.m., and start the run 8 a.m.^[27] The route is 13 miles (21 km) long. They stop at farms along the route and beg for gumbo ingredients and call out "Cinq-sous pour les Mardi Gras!" or "Nickels for the Mardi Gras'!" If ingredients or money are given, they thank the givers of charity with a dance. ^[28] By 3:00 p.m. the revelers return to town for a parade along Second Street. In 1997 a new addition was added to the festivities, the baking of the world's largest king cake.^[27]

Faquetaigue

The gravesite of Dennis McGee in 2010, Joel Savoy in red and yellow costume

The Faquetaigue run was started in 2006 by a group of local musicians in a small town outside of Eunice as an alternative to the main Eunice courir. The group, which included Joel Savoy (local music producer and former member of the Red Stick Ramblers) and his brother Wilson Savoy (of the Pine Leaf Boys), felt that the other local runs had gotten too rowdy and lost too much of the authentic traditions. No beads or bead throwing are allowed at the event nor are radios, as all music is played on instruments. Another requirement is that everyone must participate by wearing costumes and dancing, singing, begging and chasing chickens at each of the stops along the route. The majority of the participants are musicians or dancers and it has become one of the most musically based of the various runs. The Faquetigue Mardi Gras route takes it to the cemetery where Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee and his wife Gladys are buried. The group stops at the gravesite, where a local priest says a prayer and musicians play songs while grouped around the headstone.^[29][30] The characters played by Steve Earle and Lucia Micarelli in the HBO series Treme attend the Faquetaigue mardi gras during the seventh episode of season two.^[31]

Gheens

Gheens is located between Raceland and Lockport, Louisiana, about 30 miles (48 km) from New Orleans. Every year during their Cajun Mardi Gras Chase 20,000 people flock to the town of less than 1000 people for the event. Unlike other Cajun Mardi Gras' celebrations, the Gheens event features teen-aged boys and men dressed as ghouls riding in pickup trucks.^[32] After the morning parades the group meets behind the local church, where costumes are donned and the ground rules are laid out by the veteran runners to the newly initiated. Each of the newcomers must line up and be given a swat by each of the veterans with the yard long willow branches so they know how bad the switches can hurt if over used. The runners are given bells to pin on their clothing. They then load up into their trucks and attack the town with their willow switches, searching for children.^[5] They chase the children to "beat the sinful stuff out of them so they can be clean for the lent". Their young victims have the choice to either fall to their knees in a penitent position and say "Pardon! Pardon!" or make the Mardi Gras chase them, often taunting and daring them to catch and beat them more.^[33]

Mamou

In Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, the Mamou celebration starts with a street dance held the evening before Mardi Gras, with bands such as Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys performing. A crowd favorite is the Mamou variation of the Chanson de Mardi Gras. The next day a street party begins, in anticipation of the Courir, who have been riding through the countryside collecting ingredients for the evening gumbo. The Mamou Courir abides by the older traditions, with the Capitaines unmasked and all other revelers masked in the all male troupe. They are accompanied by a wagon for the musicians and trailers for participants who do not have horses.^[34]

Soileau

The run in Soileau, Louisiana is one of the few Creole Courir de Mardi Gras in southwest Louisiana, and is thought to be just as old as the Cajun versions. The rural community of Soileau is located to the west of Duralde in Allen Parish, Louisiana not far from the Evangeline Parish, Louisiana line. They hold their run on the Monday before Mardi Gras, with its starting point at Andrew Cezar's sulky racing track. From there they head down Louisiana Highway 104.^[35]

Tee Mamou-Iota

The longstanding tradition of the courir in the small community of Tee Mamou had waned by the late 1960s when 24 year old Gerald Frugé was asked to take over capitane duties for the group. Frugé, who had watched his older brothers do the run when he was younger, was instrumental in preserving the tradition. He held the post of capitane for over 25 years. A few years after taking this post he also agreed to become the capitane for a newly formed all women's group. The women's group does their run on Saturday before Mardi Gras and the men's run is on Mardi Gras day.^[36] The capitane and co-capitanes of Tee Mamou use a special variation of the burlap whip associated with the courir.^[12] The route of the courir ends in the nearby community of Iota, Louisiana. Iota has an organized event, with Cajun and Zydeco bands playing on the main stage throughout Mardi Gras day. The highlight of the day is the arrival of the Tee Mamou courirs riding into the town in a wagon after the route through the country. The courir then gathers on the main stage with the capitaine to sing their version of the Chanson de Mardi Gras. Once this task is completed, the Mardi Gras descend on the downtown area dancing and begging for loose change.^[37]

References

1. ^ "RS 14:313". http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=78402. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Bass, Erin Z. (2011-02-04). "Courir de Mardi Gras". Deep South. http://www.deepsouthmag.com/?page_id=3023. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
3. ^ Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane; Migdale, Lawrence (September 1995). Mardi Gras: a Cajun country celebration. Holiday House. p. 11. ISBN 978-0823411849. http://books.google.com/books?id=SQjbSNHQFwQC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=f%C3%AAte+de+la+qu%C3%A9mande&source=bl&ots=m93nDyYzPX&sig=WAcqq1WSH1BCR0ku6WeFtzS_EVQ&hl=en&ei=X114TbP7IPGD0QGs0-znAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Courir du Mardi Gras". Canadian Heritage Information Network. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Festiva1/en/lsm/page4.html. Retrieved 2010-03-10. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Gaudet, Marcia G.; McDonald, James C. (2003-04-15). Mardi Gras, Gumbo, and Zydeco: Readings in Louisiana Culture. University Press of Mississippi. p. 44. ISBN 978-1578065301. http://books.google.com/books?id=HqEY6o7KDqEC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=f%C3%AAte+de+la+qu%C3%A9mande&source=bl&ots=Yy2FBZ8XqZ&sig=csGub5Xqa9snqMKaA9g0B2suOnE&hl=en&ei=uu54TbrAIqOI0QGhq7nRAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Romer, Megan. "The Cajun Mardi Gras Song". http://worldmusic.about.com/od/northamerican/a/CajunMardiGrasSong.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
7. ^ "Cajun Country". http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~jmeaux/cajun.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
8. ^ "Cajuns - Religion and Expressive Culture". Advameg, Inc. http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Cajuns-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d} "Mardi Gras in Rural Acadiana". http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/mardmain.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
10. ^ Lindahl, Carl; Ware, Carolyn (June 1997). Cajun Mardi Gras masks. Univ Press of Mississippi. p. 18. ISBN 978-0878059690. http://books.google.com/books?id=vAaRvSJaVcEC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=basile+courir+de+mardi+gras&source=bl&ots=FQKE_TnBKY&sig=xW1vsYjwk_zGDUBuB9P2_Oy9Unc&hl=en&ei=ITd4Tdr7G6Hi0gGI7vnuBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=basile%20courir%20de%20mardi%20gras&f=false. 
11. ^ ^{a b c d} "What is Courir de Mardi Gras?". http://www.almostcajun.com/almostcajun/WhatIs.cfm. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
12. ^ ^{a b c d} Carolyn Ware. "Tee Mamou Mardi Gras Whip". Louisiana Division of the Arts,. http://www.louisianafolklife.org/FOLKLIFEimagebase/FLImagesListing.asp?Page=142. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
13. ^ ^{a b} "Le Chanson de Mardi Gras". http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/cpmardisong.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
14. ^ "Passion Fish(1992) - Soundtrack". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105107/soundtrack. Retrieved 2010-02-19. 
15. ^ "Zachary Richard - Mardi Gras". http://www.zacharyrichard.com/english/mardigras.html. Retrieved 2010-03-17. 
16. ^ Scott, Eric (2010-02-02). "Steve Riley Live–Danse de Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Song)". http://lcmardigras.com/steve-riley-live%E2%80%93danse-de-mardi-gras-mardi-gras-song/. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
17. ^ "La Vieille Chanson De Mardi Gras". http://www.amazon.com/Vieille-Chanson-Mardi-Gras/dp/B0017IZO6O. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
18. ^ ^{a b} "Basile Courir". http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/basimard.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
19. ^ "Cajun Women and the Country Mardi Gras tradition". http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/cjn_wom_mg.html. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
20. ^ Cagle, Madeleine Domangue (1996). "Neither Spared nor Spoiled: The Mardi Gras Chase in Choupic, Louisiana". Louisiana Folklore Miscellany. 6. Louisiana Folklore Society. pp. 17–28. http://www.louisianafolklife.org/lt/articles_essays/main_misc_mardi_in_choupic.html. Retrieved 2011-02-28. 
21. ^ ^{a b} "Church Point Courir de Mardi Gras". http://www.churchpointmardigras.com/history.html. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
22. ^ "COURIR DE MARDI GRAS". Town of Church Point. http://www.churchpoint-la.com/mardigras.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
23. ^ McNulty, Ian. "When Sunday is Tuesday: a Cajun Mardi Gras Alternative". Louisiana Rambles. http://www.louisianarambles.com/news/archives/235/. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
24. ^ Dwayne Fatherree. "Church Point Courir du Mardi Gras". Gannett Company, www.dailyworld.com. http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DG&Dato=20110307&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=103070802&Ref=PH. Retrieved 2-11-03-10. 
25. ^ "Duralde Creole Mardi Gras, 1985". Louisiana Division of the Arts. http://www.louisianafolklife.org/FOLKLIFEimagebase/FLImagesListing.asp?Page=665. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
26. ^ "Elton Courir de Mardi Gras". http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/elton.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-19. 
27. ^ ^{a b} "City of Eunice, La - Area Festivals:Eunice Courir De Mardi Gras". City of Eunice, La.. http://www.eunice-la.com/festivals.html. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
28. ^ Moker, Molly (2010-01-20). "Where to Be in 30 Days: Experience an Authentic Cajun Mardi Gras". Fodors. 
29. ^ "Party Girl". The Independent Weekly. 2006-03-07. http://www.theind.com/party-girl/1776-. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
30. ^ Romer, Megan. "Traditional Cajun Mardi Gras Musician Pictures". http://worldmusic.about.com/od/northamerican/ss/MardiGrasPhotos_4.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
31. ^ "Cajun Mardi Gras explained: Wilson Savoy on the costumes, music, masks". The Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2011/06/cajun_mardi_gras_explained_wil.html. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
32. ^ "CVMC: Pardon! Pardon! The Cajun Mardi Gras Chase". http://www.cvmc.net/movie.jsp?movie_id=2290. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
33. ^ "PepperFest:Courir de Mardi Gras". McIlhenny Company. http://www.tabasco.com/arts_pavilion/louisiana_artist/syndey_byrd.cfm. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
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35. ^ "Mardi Gras in Soileau". http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/soileaumardi.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-19. 
36. ^ "Gerald Frugé : Cajun Mardi Gras Capitaine". Northwestern State University of Louisiana. http://louisianafolklife.nsula.edu/artist-biographies/profiles/84. Retrieved 2011-06-09. 
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External links

• Balfa Brothers - La Dance Des Mardi Gras
• Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou, La 2010
• Cedric Watson Chanson de Mardi Gras
• T-Salé Cajun Band play Chanson de Mardi Gras on Rendez-vous des Cajuns
• Faquetigue Mardi Gras 2010
• Faquetigue 2010:The Chicken Pole at Mardi Gras
• Rural Mardi Gras - Tee-Mamou
• Rural Mardi Gras : Iota, Louisiana
• The Lone Rangers of Church Point Mardi Gras, Feb. 16, 1971
• NPR's Snap Judgement:Courir de Mardi Gras
• Cajun Mardi Gras explained: Wilson Savoy on the costumes, music, masks
• "Carnival Time"
• Cajun Mardi Gras : "Tickling society"
• Cajun Mardi Gras : And they're off... on the run for the chickens, Chicago Tribune
• Cajun Mardi Gras!:Singing, dancing, drinking and other traditional mayhem enliven a stay in rural Louisiana, Salon.com