August kicks off fair season in Tennessee. Have you ever wondered about the fair’s carnival rides? I hadn’t. And I certainly didn’t expect what I learned as I researched this particular ride’s history.
Horsemanship Training
Step back in time to the 1100s when European soldiers observed Turkish and Arabian soldiers preparing for combat by playing a game to improve their horsemanship. The men galloped their horses in a circle, tossing a small, perfume-filled clay ball to one another. No one wanted to be the soldier who didn’t catch it. Not only would he be out of the game, but he’d easily be recognized as a loser because he’d reek of perfume.
The Europeans called this game “little war” or “little battle,” and took the concept with them when they returned home from the Crusades. The Spanish called it Garosello. The Italians called it Carosella. But the French, who improved it by developing a device to help prepare for battle competitions, called it Carrousel. It was from this first device that today’s carousel descends.
The Device
Over time, the game adapted to new training needs. By the 1600s, it had evolved into a jousting game with knights trying to spear hanging rings.
To train young contenders for carrousel participation, the French invented a device to simulate riding a horse. Using it, the men could hone their agility and jousting skills without chancing an injury to their mount.
Originally, the device began as a circle of wooden planks hanging from a center post. As they spun around, the seated knights tried to spear small stationary rings that represented their opponent’s head. Eventually, the wooden planks gave way to carved, legless horses which hung from arms radiating out from a central rotating pole.
Training to Entertainment
This game of skill captivated children’s imaginations. Soon copies of knight-training carousels were created, allowing children to pretend participation in the game. By the 1700s, traveling fairs featured carousels of hanging wooden animals which would spin the small riders in a circle. At this point, carousels turned the corner from knight training to pure entertainment, and by the 1800s, carousels were built only for amusement.
This shift to entertainment, also meant the wooden horses became more decorative, like true military horses, earning the talented carver a good living. With the industrial revolution in the late 1800s, powering the carousel’s motion moved from animals and humans to steam.
Music added fun to the ride. Originally, this meant live bands beside the carousel. Calliopes, or steam whistle organs, eventually replaced the live music. And when electricity replaced steam engines, modern speakers, as well as lights, were added.
Carousel Bonus Did You Knows?
- Carousels are also known as merry-go-rounds and roundabouts (British).
- Various forms of carousels have existed since at least 500 A.D. (The first reference is from the Byzantine Empire.) It’s the oldest form of ride still in use today.
- Franz Wiesenoffer created the first American carousel in Hessville, Ohio, in the 1840s. However, the first carousel patent was issued to William Schneider of Davenport, Iowa, on July 25, 1871.
- In North America, carousels usually turn counterclockwise, making it easier for right-handed riders to try and grab the metal ring. Europe carousels tend to turn clockwise to “imitate proper riding style.”
Digging Deeper
Who could imagine the rich, if dark, history lurking behind the innocent carousel? This Did You Know? barely scratched the surface. To learn more—like how to identify the lead horse, and whether or not some animals are larger or faster than others on the same carousel—come back next week.