Telfer Schleicherlaufen – behind the scenes of a living tradition

You have to give the people of Tyrol credit for one thing: they take the "fifth season" very seriously. When Fasnacht is on in Telfs, everything else is off the air. From January 6, when the Naz is dug up, until March 4 (2025), when the wooden doll with the hedonistic lifestyle is sunk back into the ground, it calls the shots in the village. Or rather the spirit she embodies. Unconventional, entertaining and, despite being over 100 years old, free from the dust of tradition. Since the first written mentions around 1600, the population has not let plague, church anger or scolding from the authorities stop them from following their tradition and celebrating the Schleicherlaufen.

Accordingly, a lot happens away from the hustle and bustle on the actual performance day, February 2nd. Stefan Dietrich, the chronicler of the Telfer Fasnacht Committee, gives a little insight into how some of the peculiarities come about.

In the village near Innsbruck where I grew up, Huttler and carnival were an integral part of the annual cycle. In Telfs, the clocks tick a little differently. The Telfer Fasnacht only takes place every five years. Historically, there have been numerous attempts to ban or curtail the custom, but the Schleicherlaufen has only really stopped during wartime. But why the five years that have been in place since 1890? "The main reason for this is probably that it would not be possible to hold such a large and elaborate event in this form every year or two in the village," explains Dietrich.

If you look at how many resources are tied up in the village by the carnival, the effort involved becomes clear. There are 14 groups, some serious and some carnival. They alone have around 500 active participants. Behind each participant is often the whole family, who lend a hand to make the spectacle possible. On the day of the performance, hundreds more are involved in organization and order.

With the traditional groups such as the lurkers, savages or bears, the audience knows to some extent what to expect. Costumes, movements and sequences are consistent over long stretches. But that doesn't mean that they are rigid: sometimes it's just a changed detail, sometimes even an additional character and occasionally even new groups are formed. "It is enormous how much creativity can be observed here. Folklorists see such changes as an unmistakable sign that a carnival is alive and kicking and not already frozen and ritualized," says Dietrich, explaining the fascination of Schleicherlaufen. While some elements can be explained, others - such as the Naz, the Panznaff or the Laterntrager - are unique and cannot be traced back, says the expert.

The floats of the carnival groups are always good for a surprise. They don't show their cards and only reveal on the day of the festival which theme they are taking on this year. The impressive headgear of the Schleicher is also constantly being redesigned and only presented at the last minute. However, there are also traditional hats that have been around for over a hundred years.

How the carnival is constantly reorganizing itself can be seen in the number and make-up of the groups and their relationship to each other. Each has its own rituals and specialties, here is just a brief overview:

The Schleicher are the eponymous core group and are particularly distinctive thanks to their individual hats and large bells. Their almost hypnotizing dance in a circle, the „Kroas“, is one of the highlights of the carnival. They are preceded by the Laterntrager, which also plays a central role in serious parts such as the later commemoration of the dead. In the Schleicher circle, a whole series of figures do the honors, each with their own sequence of movements and functions.

The Wilden are shaggy figures in a robe made of tree lichen, who have long served as law enforcement officers. They bring with them the Panznaff, who beats his tchinelles out of an empty barrel and sticks out his tongue. His example shows how much heart and soul many a Telfer puts into the carnival. In order to be able to stick his tongue out further, the performer of Panznaff has part of his front incisors pulled out - at least that's the mysticism. One of the savages around him wears a chain with the collected front teeth from the previous Panznaffen.

On horseback, on foot and with music

The heralds and the Four Seasons arrive on horseback. While the heralds herald the start of the procession with a bittersweet prologue from 1925, the Four Seasons and their quadrille have their origins in serious history. After the Second World War, the riders first symbolized the nine federal states; from 1960 onwards, their impressive performance was retained as an ode to the annual cycle.

Musical interludes are provided by Musibanda, Vogler combine singing and mockery. Early in the morning, they plead with the sun for good weather - a joke that has been around since 1890. A whole series of other groups that have gradually formed are also fun. For example, Soafnsiader, the particularly provocative Beasn Buam and s’Galtmahd. They are complemented by the Kurpfuschern, the Bachoufn and of course the legendary Laningern with their Naz. The Laninger are figures based on the Tyrolean Travellers, who could be found on the streets until the 20th century. The aforementioned Naz is their "favorite child", a wooden puppet that can smoke, drink and spit in a wide arc to the delight of the audience. Last but not least, the bears and exotic animals. They deliver a special spectacle with life-size animal figures and colorful hustle and bustle.

The dynamics between the groups can also change ritually. According to Dietrich, the bears and the Beasn Buam have a bone to pick with each other: "The not entirely serious spat between these two began in 2010 when the bears stole the flag from the Beasn Buam in an unobserved moment. Since then, there have been various not entirely serious tit-for-tat exchanges between the groups."
The status of the Telfer Fasnacht has also changed dramatically. Once only tolerated by the authorities, it has been part of the intangible national UNESCO cultural heritage since 2010. The carnival committee, which is elected at the Josefi general meeting on 19 March of the previous year, is responsible for the organization. The head of the committee is traditionally the incumbent mayor of Telfer. The construction of the floats and the creation of the slogans start in late summer and fall, at least in theory. But Dietrich knows how the Telfer heart ticks: "Basically, the groups start collecting material and themes for their performances right after the carnival - after the carnival is before the carnival!"

All information about the program and the course of the event can be found here.

Header picture: Hansjörg Pichler