Tomato Dragon said:
Those are great pics. I have to say though, I've read two different stories from folks that have been to these fairs. Half say that the people in the stocks are folks who work at the fair, while the other half says they're just volunteers who want to be tickled. Anyone really know?
I've been there in 2001. There are people, who are members of the organization of the fair, wearing guard costumes, who just go around, approach tourists, ask them for a special document (a historical reference from 1600) they should have to go around in the town freely and, if they don't have the document (almost always), they are taken to the stocks. This is done in a playful atmosphere, obviously, it's a game, but when I was there only one refused to let them tickle her, and she wasn't upset anyway.
For some of them the whole thing was totally unexpected and were utterly suprised to realize they were going to be tickled, but ended up enjoying the game. Most of them just played their role, joked with the guards all the time and had much fun.
Morever, some of the people of the organization of the fair, wearing costumes, are taken to the stocks too, in an even more playful atmosphere, since they know each other.
I don't remember anyone who actually "volunteered".
When I was there only 3 or 4 male people where tickled while in stocks, the most part where just playfully "beaten", usually by their wifes, girlfriends and so on, but I know that more recently there were more men who had the same treatment of the ladies.
A funny thing was that a woman who was there was complaining because just women were tickled and no males
🙂