Season of Madness : Fools, Monsters, and Marvels of the Old-World Carnivals - Al Ridenour

Season of Madness

Fools, Monsters, and Marvels of the Old-World Carnivals

By: Al Ridenour

Paperback | 6 May 2025

At a Glance

Paperback


$63.25

or 4 interest-free payments of $15.81 with

 or 

Available: 6th May 2025

Preorder. Will ship when available.

"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."- William Blake


"A Season of Madness-Joanna Ebenstein, Founder and Creative Director of MorbidAnatomy



Al Ridenour, creator and host of the popular podcastBoneand Sickleand author ofThe Krampus and the Old, DarkChristmasextends his study of Winter folk celebrations to the Spring,exploring the Old-World Carnival inA Season of Madness.

Sumptuously illustrated with over one hundred historical andmodern images, Ridenour ushers readers into cultural hinterlands wherecelebrations still echo the cruel realities of the old, agricultural world, andmedieval Christianity intertwines with pagan practice.

Fromancient Rome to modern Bulgaria,readersencounter a holiday at once beautiful, strange, and savage. Spring is welcomedby clowns waving inflated pig bladders. Stalking sheepskin monsters brandishclubs bristling with hedgehog spines, and plows are dragged over cobblestonestreets by celebrants wearing masks painted with cow's blood. Folk horror fanstake heart as the Old World welcomes Spring!

Ridenour's first book,Krampus and the Old, DarkChristmas: Roots and Rebirth of theFolkloric Devil(2018) isconsidered by critics the definitive authority on pagan winter celebrations.Aside from his books and podcast, Ridenour is a sought-after expert andlecturer.


"Sumptuously illustrated and written with clarity, eloquence,and wry humor,A Season of Madnessis one of those rare books thatcan pass muster as an academic study yet also provide a good read. AlRidenour's meticulous research exposes the subtleties and outrageous quirks ofa topic you didn't know you wanted to learn about until you picked up his book.Under his direction, the madness once again reigns, as the neglected history ofEuropean Carnival is placed center stage before the reader, in all its seedy,wild, and triumphant glory."-Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author and photographerof:Faithfulunto Death,Heavenly Bodies, and numerous otherexquisitely beautiful books about death.

More in Christian Worship, Rites & Ceremonies

Confessions : Penguin Classics - St. Augustine

RRP $22.99

$21.90

Cultural Liturgies Boxed Set : Cultural Liturgies - James K. A. Smith

RRP $131.99

$118.80

10%
OFF
The First Christmas - Jess Racklyeft

RRP $14.99

$14.95

Beholding - Strahan Coleman

Paperback

RRP $35.99

$32.50

10%
OFF
Pentecostal Liturgical Theology : On the Altar, Willed to Pentecost - Dr Monte Lee  Rice
The Sabbath World : Glimpses of a Different Order of Time - Judith Shulevitz
The Spiritual Warrior`s Prayer Guide - Jane Hamon
The Grace Outpouring : Becoming a People of Blessing - Roy Godwin
Alone with God : Rediscovering the Power and Passion of Prayer - John F. MacArthur