Inheriting Culture. „Der Drachenstich” (Dragon Sting) historical play in Furth im Wald

"Der Drachenstich" (Dragon Sting) in Furth im Wald (Bavarian Forest) is about the fight of a brave knight against a dangerous dragon. The historical festival play developed from a Corpus Christi procession that has been documented since 1590, which includes a particularly popular scene with St. George and a dragon. The battle scene of St. George as the "dragon slayer" appeared in many Corpus Christi processions. In Furth im Wald, a priest finally banned the spectacle in the procession, which led to the creation of a profane play in 1879 with the dragon at its center.

The basic narrative of the folk play enacts the eternal struggle between good and evil. Even if the text is repeatedly adapted to the times: the knight symbolises good (today: Knight Udo), the dragon evil. The names of the respective knights have been preserved in Furth im Wald since the 18th century.

The history of Furth’s "Drachenstich" is characterised by constant development in terms of content and staging. The dangers symbolised by the dragon have also been (politically) interpreted over the course of time: historical events such as the plundering by the Hussites in the 15th century, but also the threat situation during the 20th century Cold War have been addressed and staged in the play based on the devilish figure of Hell. The approximately 1,500 volunteers involved in the festival and the procession are logistically supported by the town of Furth. The Furth locals are actively committed to a contemporary play. Nowadays, a permanent exhibition in the so-called "Drachenhöhle" (dragon’s lair) informs the public about adaptations to content and forms. Outside the festival season, the dragon figure, whose friendly nickname is "Fanny", is also housed there. She has been used in front of the public since 31 July 2010, is considered the largest walking robot in the world and is a showpiece of regional engineering.

For the town and surrounding area of Furth im Wald, the time when the widely known folk play is performed is called the "fifth season". The central town square with stage, backdrops and grandstands is also the social meeting point in August every year. The town’s motto at this time is "Furth lives as long as the dragon dies".

To the exhibition unit: InheritingCulture – thinking ahead

Further information: https://www.ike.bayern.de/verzeichnis/000230/index.html

>> This collection is part of the holdings of "Inheriting Culture. Bavaria’s intangible cultural heritage list" of the "Institut für Volkskunde der Kommission für bayerische Landesgeschichte bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften".