A wild night out in Hastings

They need not have been too frightened though as it was just part of a fun local tradition that was started by a small group in the town a few years ago.

The Hastings Wildmen (and Women) are inspired by customs that take place in a number of countries throughout Europe, usually in mountainous area, which see people dressing up in furs, horns and grotesque masks and wearing large bells.

In Germany, the Reisigbar is a bear dressed in twigs and a wooden mask. In Poland, the Macinula is a clown-like figure covered in strips of multi-colored rags and paper, while in Spain’s Basque Country, people dress as the Zezengorri, a bare-skulled beast who carries a pitchfork

Wildmen can be seen in festivals that occur across the continent from the beginning of December until Easter.

The mysterious Hastings Wildmen and Women, who conceal their identities, met at a secret location near the East Hill on the evening of Saturday February 1 and processed through the Old Town, stopping off at pubs enroute.

Picture by Lauren Saville.