Drachenstich (Spearing the Dragon)

This annual event centers around the performance of an open-air play, Drachenstich, in Fürth, Germany, in the Bavarian Forest. The climax of the play is a battle between a knight on horseback and a huge (about 50 feet long and 10 feet tall), fire-spewing dragon. The knight, of course, wins—by thrusting his spear into the dragon’s throat, thereby piercing a pig’s bladder filled with ox blood. The celebrations also include various merrymaking events and a street procession. The play has been performed for about 500 years and is thought to be the oldest folk play in Germany. Discuss

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