THEHIDDENCHARMSOF SWITZERLAND
KalpanaSunder acquaints herself with little-known but fascinating traditions at Interlaken’s Unspunnen Festival
It’s a sign from the heavens — a bright, sunny day after two days of rain. Jets manned by the Swiss air force thunder overhead, swooping over the serrated mountains and plunging deep between valleys. As we rush to occupy our seats to watch the final parade, a farmer and his family in traditional garb walk with their prized possessions — stocky cows with humungous bells around their necks, as well as goats and sheep. A small boy leads a frisky Appenzell goat with long white hair and no horns. Men in breeches hold cow bells and jangle them in orchestra. Farming groups sit on carts loaded with bales of hay and wheat brandish pitchforks, followed by a procession of monks in brown habits and cheese-makers with cheese-making contraptions.
IaminInterlaken, adventurecapital ofSwitzerland(andtourismcentralfor
Indians), whichiswatchedoverbythe mightyEiger, MönchandJungfrau mountains. IamherefortheUnspunnen Festival, heldoncein12years. This traditionalnine-dayevent, inits10th editionthisyear, bringstogetherpeople fromacrossruralSwitzerlandtocelebrate theirAlpinetraditions.“Thevalleysare usuallycutoffinwinterandsothe peopledevelopedrichcultural traditionsofmusic, gamesanddance,” SiljaMuller, mylocalguide, tellsme.
CowbellsandyodellingmaybeSwiss stereotypesbuttheyarealsoessential partsofthedailylivesofthesevillagers. Thefestivalgivesvisitorstheopportunity towatchstonethrowers, hornussen players, alphornplayers, choralsingers andflagthrowers, andgetaglimpseof ruralSwisstraditionsunknowntomany.
“Switzerlandhas26cantonsand morethan700costumes,” Muller remindsme. Laceandembroidery decoratethecostumesandeverycanton hasitsvariationsinshoes, shawls, scarves, head-dresses andjewellery. Iseeleathergartersandbreeches, ornamentalbucklesonshoes, apronsofdamaskandlace, fan-shapedbonnets— allingredientsofagrandvisual feastbesides, ofcourse, crucialsignifiersofidentity.
HowdidtheUnspunnenstart? Till1803, Switzerland hadamodelofgovernmentwheretownandcountry enjoyedequalrightsandtheBerneseOberlandwas autonomous. Butthischangedin1803, whenNapoleon wroteupanewconstitution. Unrestandrevoltfollowed andtherelationshipbetweencitiesandruralareas suffered. AfestivalthatrevivedSwisstraditionswas thoughttobeagoodwaytounitethetwogroups. Thecentrepieceofthe200-year-oldfestivalusedtobe theUnspunnenStone. Notjustanystone, itwasaglacial boulderthatweighed83.5kg. Naturally, throwingitwasa considerablefeatofathleticism. Iwatchthemodern versionasmenholdsmallerrocksabovetheir shouldersandflingitonsawdust, where markersmeasurethedistances. Yodellingstartedoffasameansof communicationbetweenAlpineherdsmen fromdifferentslopesandtobringinthe cows. Thewordyodelisderivedfromanold Germanwordmeaningto“cryoutwithjoy”. Thesongssungbyyodellersshowcaselifein themountains, natureandhome.“Human voiceshaveatleasttwodistinctvocal registers, called‘head’and‘chest’,” explainsmyguide.“Yodellingleaps betweenthesetworangeswithout usingactualwords.”
Astallatthefestivalshowcases thegameofhornussen, which originatedinthe16thcenturyinthe SwissregionofEmmental. Thisgolfmeets-baseballgamewasoriginallyplayed withapieceofwoodanddefendedwitha woodenpaddle. Themodernversion featuresacarbon-reinforcedfibreglass fishingrod-likecontraption.
In the afternoon, I watch alphorn players line up in front of the casino house. It’s drizzling, and many wear rain ponchos over their beautiful costumes and music notes clipped on to their alphorns. But as the first sonorous notes ring out, I am caught in the beauty of the moment. One filled with the magic of mountain scenes and edelweiss, valleys and shepherds. Fascinatingly, the young and old seem equally interested in nurturing their ancient customs. They take yodelling classes twice or thrice a week, or learn folk dancing. I talk to Fanny from the Jura region, who is only 15 years old, and plays the alpenhorn expertly. I also meet Marcos, 64, who took up the alphorn after he retired and today plays with a group from his canton. Perhaps, it’s this enthusiasm that makes the Unspunnen a true showcase of Swiss traditions rather than a gimmicky tourist festival.
YODELLING STARTEDOFFAS AMEANSOF COMMUNICATION BETWEENALPINE HERDSMENFROM DIFFERENT SLOPES