Season of Madness

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.- William BlakeA Season of Madnessis a fantastic carnival of a book.Equal parts irreverent and erudite, it lovingly captures the depth, complexity,and subversive nature of the carnival, from its ancient roots to modernexpression. Gorgeously illustrated, intellectually hefty, and alsofun, itis a seductive introduction to the material cultures, legends, and history ofthis perennially fascinating and slippery subject.Joanna Ebenstein, Founder and Creative Director of MorbidAnatomyAl 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 cows blood. Folk horror fanstake heart as the Old World welcomes Spring!Ridenours 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.