Location: Uptown New Orleans
Date: February 11, 2010
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Year Founded: 1939
Theme: Secret Until Parade Day
Krewe Website: www.knightsofbabylon.com
Things to look for
King Sargon's Float is Mule Drawn . Traditional Flambeau.
Signature Floats:
Kings Float Sargon, The Official Knights, Jester,
Gates of Ishmar, The Temple of Marduke,
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon & The Jesters' Jazz
About the Knights of Babylon
The Krewe of Babylon, is the Carnival's most interesting Krewe when it comes to this schedule. In some future years this Krewe will probably become one of the future Super Krewes because of it's very make up. It consists of prominent business men and women from around the country.
KNIGHTS OF BABYLON ROUTE
KNIGHTS OF BABYLON ROUTE
Founded in 1939 the group has consistently turned in some of the best parades for sixty three years. At last count the group had 250 members or Knights and was still growing.
Babylon was an very important city located on the Euphrates River in southwest Asia, several centuries ago. The Mardi Gras krewe bearing it's name was founded in 1939 in New Orleans. The men called knights, also call their reigning monarch Sargon-just like the king who was the legendary monarch of the ancient Semitic races.
True to Carnival and Masonic tradition, from which a fair number of these gentlemen come, they are very secretive in nature. Since it means a great deal to the Knights the identity if their king is never released to the general public.
The exact title of Babylon's elaborate parade and ball theme are also undisclosed until the day of the event. Customarily, each float depicts a chapter in a continuing story, usually historical, classical or literary in theme.
History of the Knights of Babylon
The Jester’s Club, the sponsoring organization of the Knights of Babylon, was founded on June 24, 1939 by a group of New Orleans professionals who wanted to stage a first-class Parade for the public and a first class Tableau Ball for their ladies. We continue to adhere to that tradition. Babylon has always received the highest praise, particularly for doing it the “right way.” Our floats are the same design they were 70 years ago, we still have the traditional flambeaux and our King’s Float is mule drawn. Unlike many other organizations, we own all of our floats and we own the den where the floats are housed.
The parade travels the traditional New Orleans route down St. Charles Avenue. Our traditional Tableau Ball has been staged at the Municipal Auditorium since the inception of the Organization. However, due to hurricane damage sustained by the Auditorium in August 2005, we moved our ball and supper dance to the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street and it remains there today.
Since its inception, Babylon was held on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras. However, the Krewe of Momus, who traditionally paraded on Thursday stopped parading in 1992 and as a result, in 1993, Babylon moved its parade and tableaux ball to Thursday before Mardi Gras.
Babylon - Capital of Babylonia
Babylon, the Capital of Babylonia was an important city of ancient Mesopotami, the ruins of which can be found in present-day Iraq. Babylon became one of the most important cities of the ancient Middle East when Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) made it the capital of his kingdom of Babylonia. All that remains today of the ancient famed city of Babylon is a mound, of broken mud-brick buildings and debris in the fertile Mesopotamian plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in Iraq. Babylon, its namesake Mardi Gras organization was founded in 1939 by a group of men who wanted to stage a first class parade for the public and a first class tableau ball for their ladies. Originally known as the Jesters Club, the Knights of Babylon continues to adhere to the tradition of its founding members. Babylon’s monarch, Sargon, king of Assyria (722–705 b.c.) who is said to have build the city of Babylon, reigns over the parade and ball. Secrecy is of great significance to this Krewe and this is why Sargon’s identity is never revealed to the public as well as the theme is kept secret until parade day.
Knights of Babylon Past Themes
1940 Travelogue
1941 Capricious Nature
1942 (Did not parade due to World War II)
1943 (Did not parade due to World War II)
1944 (Did not parade due to World War II)
1945 (Did not parade due to World War II)
1946 (Did not parade due to World War II)
1947 The Arts
1948 Fancy's Flight
1949 The Sciences
1950 The Marches
1951 Historical Highlights
1952 Contributions to Civilization
1953 Fabulous Festivals
1954 Tales: Old, Ever New
1955 Masks
1956 The Theatre
1957 Makers of History
1958 Scenes from the Opera
1959 Arts Through the Ages
1960 Alice in Wonderland
1961 Rogues and Renegades
1962 The Musical Theater
1963 Hans Christian Anderson
1964 Le Ballet
1965 Poems of Youth
1966 Benjamin Franklin
1967 Behind the Golden Curtain
1968 Gone Are the Days
1969 Don Quixote
1970 Around the World in Eighty Days
1971 The Student Prince
1972 Peer Gynt
1973 Aida
1974 Anna and the King Siam
1975 Robin Hood
1976 Commander Matthew C. Perry
1977 The Little Glass Slipper
1978 Mozart
1979 Henry VIII
1980 Babes in Toyland
1981 Tevye's Tales
1982 Snow White
1983 Kismet
1984 Once and Future King
1985 Desert Song
1986 The Matchmaker
1987 Oklahoma
1988 The Trapp Family Singers
1989 The Golden Years
1990 Pygmalion
1991 Oliver Twist
1992 Carmen
1993 Naughty Marietta
1994 New Moon
1995 Music Man
1996 Gigi
1997 South Pacific
1998 Yankee Doodle Boy
1999 For the Love of Opera
2000 L 'histoire de Notre Heritage Francais
2001 Wonderful Land of Oz
2002 Guys and Dolls
2003 Sauntering Through Sondheim
2004 The Pirates of Penzance
2005 A Frolic in Fairyland
2006 Out from Under
2007 The Chinese Expeditions
2008 The Babylonian Sky
