Oh my, where do I start... At the beginning I suppose. I have always loved cartoons - make-believe worlds where anything is possible - I love old-school animations accompanied by orchestral music... crazy, impossible things like flea circus' appearing on the TV screen.
As a student, I had a little black and white TV that's changing channels functionality involved a pair of pliers. One night, quite late after getting home from being out, I saw a real life flea circus on my little TV.
For years I have wondered whether I imagined what I saw on TV, or whether it was real... I haven't looked it up until now as I have been too afraid that I've been telling people about a Flea Circus that is completely fictional. (Well, wouldn't you look at me like I'm crazy??)
Friends: tonight I finally looked it up and I am pleased to announce that Flea Circus' actually do exist. Isn't the world fantastic?!
FACTS:
- The performers live for about 1 year.
- It takes 6 months for them to mature enough to be trained.
- It takes 3 months to train.
- They perform for the next 3 months
- They die.
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| Poster of William Fricke's Flea Circus, early 20th century. (Tim Cockerill Collection) Go here for more & 'Mexican Dressed Fleas' |
I found this info from this source & really nice website:
In the real Flea Circuses harnessed fleas manipulate the props and carry out the acts within the circus. Fleas are harnessed using very fine wire, which is tied around the flea's neck; this is usually made from jewellers 'gold wire' of a very thin gauge. Sometimes jeweller's are set the task of creating miniature chariots and carts!
The acts have generally been the same over the decades...
These include:
- Chariots and 'horse drawn' style vehicles are pulled by a flea.
- High dive - the flea dives from a diving board into a pool of water below.
- High wire - the flea crawls across the wire to the other side with a prop.
- Seesaw - the fleas ride the seesaw.
- Trapeze - the fleas jump from swing to swing.
- Flea cannon - a flea is shot from the cannon
SOME YOUTUBE EVIDENCE:
Furthermore:
- Lots of interesting info here
- These people look at "The Flea Circus Research Library's look into the microscopic world of educated and trained fleas"
- More videos here
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| Flea tightrope walking |
