Gonna kick myself in 3...2...1...

March 24, 2012 8:59 AM

Historical brain fart -- help me remember the name of this English custom!!

Please, please tell me the name of that English custom where a young boy would be crowned King of Something and rule over a street party where everyone got their kicks by inverting the social order.

I cannot for the life of my remember this, it's driving me nuts and the ensuing headache is worth spending a question on!! I've googled discord, mayhem, mischief and chaos to no avail.

Bonus for telling me why I'm selectively senile in my twenties.

posted by mibo to Grab Bag (5 answers total)

Best answer: The Lord of Misrule?
posted by strangely stunted trees at 9:06 AM on March 24, 2012

Best answer: Maybe the Lord of Misrule? I notice that article also mentions a "boy Bishop" tradition.
posted by Janta at 9:07 AM on March 24, 2012

Response by poster: Oh wow, thank you both so much. Getting on with my life now, love you both.
posted by mibo at 9:12 AM on March 24, 2012 [2 favorites]

FWIW, there's a similar tradition in Louisiana around Mardi Gras where 'King Cake' (a flaky, bready cake in a large ring (not like a bundt cake...more like a really long loaf of french bread bent into a lage oval) with a sweet glaze and green, orange, and purple sugar on top...similar to a coffee cake or sweet danish) is served, usually at children's parties. inside is baked a small plastic baby, and the child who gets it in their piece is crowned king or queen and gets to pick their queen or king and they get to go first or lead in the party games that follow. great fun!
posted by sexyrobot at 10:35 AM on March 24, 2012

Someone asked a similar Askme question here.
posted by stray at 10:44 AM on March 24, 2012