Basel Celebrates 14Th-Century Vogel Gryff Tradition

1/28/2025 8:40:00 AM

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Kleinbasel (little Basel), on the right bank of the River Rhine, celebrated Vogel Gryff on Monday. The three characters Wilde Maa (the wild man), Vogel Gryff (the griffin) and Leu (the lion) danced on the Mittlerebrücke (Middle Bridge) in front of hundreds of spectators and guests of honour.

This content was published on January 28, 2025 - 09:34 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Français fr Le Petit-Bâle fête le Vogel Gryff Original Read more: Le Petit-Bâle fête le Vogel Gryf

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

In keeping with tradition, the three figures danced on the bridge with their backs to Grossbasel (big Basel).

The Vogel Gryff festival has nothing to do with carnival. Its origins date back to the 14th century, with the creation of the Kleinbasel guilds“zur Hären”,“zum Rebhaus” and“zum Greifen”. The festival itself has been celebrated since the 16th century.

The guilds had a number of military functions, including the inspection of weapons, which culminated in a grand parade. The three guilds, or“Drei E” as they are known in Basel, have 450 members, all of them men. Since 2021, women have been able to apply for membership, but so far none has been admitted.

More More The soapy secrets behind Basel's first film

This content was published on Sep 28, 2020 At first sight it looks like a spontaneous scene from bustling Basel at the turn of the century, but the short film is meticulously choreographed.

Read more: The soapy secrets behind Basel's first fil

Translated from French by DeepL/ts

MENAFN28012025000210011054ID1109138657

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.