Menu Expand Menu Close
Back to Top
Filter Search Expand Close Filter
Search Expand Search Close

Search Constraints

Start Over
You searched for: Rights In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Remove constraint Rights: In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Source A&M 4224, West Virginia Folklife Program Collection Remove constraint Source: A&M 4224, West Virginia Folklife Program Collection Subject Carnival masks Remove constraint Subject: Carnival masks

Search Results

["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hosablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]

1. Audio slideshow of Eleanor Betler talking about making rosettes and hozablatz for Fasnacht in Helvetia

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Video.001.2.5.16
Title:
Audio slideshow of Eleanor Betler talking about making rosettes and hozablatz for Fasnacht in Helvetia
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Betler, Eleanor
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), Doughnuts, foodways, Folk dancing, Swiss, Food habits, Cooking, Swiss, Swiss American women, Bakers, Farms--West Virginia, Square dance music--United States, Carnival, and Carnival masks
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Every year on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the town of Helvetia in Randolph County, West Virginia, hosts its Fasnacht celebration, a pre-Lenten mountain Mardi Gras intended both to reinforce Swiss customs for locals and bring much-needed tourist dollars to the town in the sparse mid-winter months.Though the holiday was originally celebrated only by locals in the towns private homes, in the late 1960s, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux restored the holiday as a public celebration. Today, Fasnacht attracts attendees from near and far. The event begins with an open music jam at the Helvetia Star Band Hall or a special sampler plate dinner from the Hutte Restaurant. Then everyone gathers in the Star Band Hall in their homemade papier-mache masks for a masked lampion parade to the Community Hall. At the second hall, there is a mask contest for kids, a square dance called by local callers and accompanied by the Helvetia Star Band, and a treat table of traditional doughnuts and Swiss rosettes and hozablatz made by Diane Betler, Eleanor Betler, and other local bakers. All of this takes place under an effigy of Old Man Winter, hanging over the dance floor. At midnight the Old Man is cut from the rafters and burned on the bonfire outside, as the crowd sings a rousing a capella rendition of Country Roads. Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including Fasnacht: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd her piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions on NPRs The Salt: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnacht Also see the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]

2. Fasnacht mask made from feathers and antlers

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaFasnacht.Photo.014.2.6.16
Title:
Fasnacht mask made from feathers and antlers
Date:
2016-02-06
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Winter festivals, Carnival, Carnival masks, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Every year on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the town of Helvetia in Randolph County, West Virginia, hosts its Fasnacht celebration, a pre-Lenten mountain Mardi Gras intended both to reinforce Swiss customs for locals and bring much-needed tourist dollars to the town in the sparse mid-winter months.Though the holiday was originally celebrated only by locals in the towns private homes, in the late 1960s, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux restored the holiday as a public celebration. Today, Fasnacht attracts attendees from near and far. The event begins with an open music jam at the Helvetia Star Band Hall or a special sampler plate dinner from the Hutte Restaurant. Then everyone gathers in the Star Band Hall in their homemade papier-mache masks for a masked lampion parade to the Community Hall. At the second hall, there is a mask contest for kids, a square dance called by local callers and accompanied by the Helvetia Star Band, and a treat table of traditional doughnuts and Swiss rosettes and hozablatz made by Diane Betler, Eleanor Betler, and other local bakers. All of this takes place under an effigy of Old Man Winter, hanging over the dance floor. At midnight the Old Man is cut from the rafters and burned on the bonfire outside, as the crowd sings a rousing a capella rendition of Country Roads. Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including Fasnacht: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd her piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions on NPRs The Salt: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnacht Also see the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]

3. Fasnacht masks made from egg crates

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaFasnacht.Photo.015.2.6.16
Title:
Fasnacht masks made from egg crates
Date:
2016-02-06
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Carnival, Festivals, Carnival masks, Winter festivals, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Every year on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the town of Helvetia in Randolph County, West Virginia, hosts its Fasnacht celebration, a pre-Lenten mountain Mardi Gras intended both to reinforce Swiss customs for locals and bring much-needed tourist dollars to the town in the sparse mid-winter months.Though the holiday was originally celebrated only by locals in the towns private homes, in the late 1960s, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux restored the holiday as a public celebration. Today, Fasnacht attracts attendees from near and far. The event begins with an open music jam at the Helvetia Star Band Hall or a special sampler plate dinner from the Hutte Restaurant. Then everyone gathers in the Star Band Hall in their homemade papier-mache masks for a masked lampion parade to the Community Hall. At the second hall, there is a mask contest for kids, a square dance called by local callers and accompanied by the Helvetia Star Band, and a treat table of traditional doughnuts and Swiss rosettes and hozablatz made by Diane Betler, Eleanor Betler, and other local bakers. All of this takes place under an effigy of Old Man Winter, hanging over the dance floor. At midnight the Old Man is cut from the rafters and burned on the bonfire outside, as the crowd sings a rousing a capella rendition of Country Roads. Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including Fasnacht: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd her piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions on NPRs The Salt: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnacht Also see the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]

4. Elephant Fasnacht mask

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaFasnacht.Photo.016.2.6.16
Title:
Elephant Fasnacht mask
Date:
2016-02-06
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), Winter festivals, Festivals, Carnival masks, and Carnival
Location:
Randolph County (W. Va.) and Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Every year on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the town of Helvetia in Randolph County, West Virginia, hosts its Fasnacht celebration, a pre-Lenten mountain Mardi Gras intended both to reinforce Swiss customs for locals and bring much-needed tourist dollars to the town in the sparse mid-winter months.Though the holiday was originally celebrated only by locals in the towns private homes, in the late 1960s, town matriarch Eleanor Mailloux restored the holiday as a public celebration. Today, Fasnacht attracts attendees from near and far. The event begins with an open music jam at the Helvetia Star Band Hall or a special sampler plate dinner from the Hutte Restaurant. Then everyone gathers in the Star Band Hall in their homemade papier-mache masks for a masked lampion parade to the Community Hall. At the second hall, there is a mask contest for kids, a square dance called by local callers and accompanied by the Helvetia Star Band, and a treat table of traditional doughnuts and Swiss rosettes and hozablatz made by Diane Betler, Eleanor Betler, and other local bakers. All of this takes place under an effigy of Old Man Winter, hanging over the dance floor. At midnight the Old Man is cut from the rafters and burned on the bonfire outside, as the crowd sings a rousing a capella rendition of Country Roads. Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including Fasnacht: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd her piece on Fasnachts foodways traditions on NPRs The Salt: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/02/17/386970143/swiss-village-west-virginia-mardi-gras-feast-fasnacht Also see the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]

5. Steve Kruger and Kelly Izlar waltz at the Helvetia Fasnacht Square Dance

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaFasnacht.Photo.019.2.6.16
Title:
Steve Kruger and Kelly Izlar waltz at the Helvetia Fasnacht Square Dance
Date:
2016-02-06
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Carnival, Square dance music--United States, Winter festivals, Carnival masks, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)

Listen to Audio

6. Oral history of Kristy Henson

Identifier:
4224.HensonKristy.AudioInt.3.25.20
Title:
Oral history of Kristy Henson
Date:
2020-03-25
Creator:
Henson, Kristy
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
West Virginia--Fiction, Carnival masks, Apocalyptic art, Video gamers, Helvetia (W. Va.), Video games, Carnival, Festivals, Tourism and the arts, Parades, and Video games--Design
Location:
Charleston (W. Va.) and Buckhannon (W. Va.)
["Kristy Henson is an assistant professor of forensic science at Fairmont State University and a Fallout 76 gamer. She is originally from southern Ohio, but has lived in Buckhannon, WV for 5 years. She attended Helvetias Fasnacht celebration in 2019 based on her experience in the game, and made a papier-mch owl mask inspired by one of the Fasnacht masks in Fallout 76. In this interview, she speaks about how playing the game has informed her understanding of West Virginia culture and geography. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with Fallout 76 gamers, some of whom are from West Virginia, and some of whom were inspired to visit West Virginia because of the game."]

7. Transcript of oral history of Kristy Henson

Identifier:
4224.HensonKristy.IntTranscript.3.25.20
Title:
Transcript of oral history of Kristy Henson
Date:
2020-03-25
Creator:
Henson, Kristy
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), Winter festivals, Carnival, Carnival masks, West Virginia--Fiction, Apocalyptic art, Video games--Design, Video gamers, Tourism and the arts, and Video games
Location:
Charleston (W. Va.) and Buckhannon (W. Va.)

Listen to Audio

8. Oral history of Porter Lyons

Identifier:
4224.LyonsPorter.AudioInt.3.18.20
Title:
Oral history of Porter Lyons
Date:
2020-03-18
Creator:
Lyons, Porter
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
West Virginia--Fiction, Tourism and the arts, Winter festivals, Video games--Design, Video games, Carnival masks, Carnival, Apocalyptic art, Video gamers, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Charleston (W. Va.)

Listen to Audio

9. Oral history of Porter Lyons

Identifier:
4224.LyonsPorter.AudioInt.6.26.20
Title:
Oral history of Porter Lyons
Date:
2020-06-26
Creator:
Lyons, Porter
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Video games, Tourism and the arts, Video games--Design, Carnival masks, West Virginia--Fiction, Video gamers, Helvetia (W. Va.), and Carnival
Location:
Charleston (W. Va.)
["Porter Lyons (b. October, 1993, Cleveland, OH) is a resident of Dayton, OH and Fallout 76 gamer. He was inspired to visit West Virginia in anticipation of the games release, and then visited again after he began playing the game. In 2019 he participated in the Fasnacht celebration in the Randolph County Swiss community of Helvetia, which is featured in Fallout 76.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with Fallout 76 gamers, some of whom are from West Virginia, and some of whom were inspired to visit West Virginia because of the game."]

10. Transcript of oral history of Porter Lyons

Identifier:
4224.LyonsPorter.IntTranscript.6.26.20
Title:
Transcript of oral history of Porter Lyons
Date:
2020-06-26
Creator:
Lyons, Porter
Contributor:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Carnival, Tourism and the arts, Helvetia (W. Va.), Video games, Video gamers, Video games--Design, Apocalyptic art, West Virginia--Fiction, and Carnival masks
Location:
Charleston (W. Va.)