Vulcanus Rex is the leader of eight Winter Carnival characters charged, according to the legend, with "regime change" in the winter realm of King Boreas.
They've had a bit of a regime change themselves, after last year's king of the Vulcans was charged with groping the female wait staff at a local bar. The Pioneer Press sat down with the new leader, Vulcanus Rex LXIX, to hear about the group's plans for the 2006 carnival.
This year, in one of several rule changes the carnival instituted in their code of conduct, Vulcanus and his Krewe will be identified at the start of the carnival, rather than remain mystery men until its conclusion.
Q&A
Q: You Vulcans have been at the center of some controversy lately and have a bit of a checkered past, with the kissing controversies, the Vulcanettes and what not. What are you going to do this year to stay out of trouble?
A: Well, we have guidelines that we follow. We shan't deviate from that. Guidelines set down in our briefing manuals and protocol manuals that are set forth by the Winter Carnival, the (Imperial Order of) Fire & Brimstone and the Council of Fire Kings. We have eliminated the garter ceremony, which was the source of the problem last year. There are tighter guidelines on the drinking of alcohol and so forth.
Q: And you're going to have name badges?
A: We will be identified.
Q: You guys aren't entirely reformed, though, are you? You're still riding around clinging to an open fire truck without seat belts. Can a Vulcan Krewe be a success as the not-so-bad boys of the Winter Carnival?
A: That's our intent. We are going to try and maintain the romanticism of the Vulcans and the mischievous side, and bring our show to the people. That's our reputation, and we're going to try and maintain it. … We want to have fun and present ourselves and represent ourselves as best we can with the Winter Carnival and put on a good show. The fun is always there, and we'll enjoy it, without incident.
Q: The Vulcanus Rex tradition dates to 1916, when steam trains were still chugging through town. Is the carnival legend and tradition still relevant in the days when there's hardly enough winter to make an Ice Palace? In the days of "American Idol" and Play Station Portable?
A: Absolutely. (The Winter Carnival) is a long-standing tradition that goes back to 1886. I think that now, more than ever, it's relevant because when you go out on the parade routes and you see the people's faces, the children and the elderly who have been around carnival their whole life, you realize how important it is to them. They come out year after year, and we are intent on perpetuating that and bringing fun to all of St. Paul.
Q: And you even have a Web site, complete with a Macromedia Flash introduction (http://www.stpaulvulcans.com/).
A: We've gotten into the technology end of it. We're on e-mail and cell phones and everything else. We have brought ourselves up to speed technologically.
Q: You're most visible in the depths of winter, during the reign of King Boreas, your arch-nemesis. What do you do the rest of the year? Vacation in Death Valley? Tour lava flows in Hawaii?
A: No, after we bring on the warmth and boot Boreas out of town, we take our show on the road. We travel to all the villages and hamlets that have celebrations around the metro area, and even outside of Minnesota. We travel to Bradenton, Fla., and Mobile, Ala. (Bradenton has) De Soto Days. It's a similar celebration of their culture, with the Spanish Conquistadors. They come to our carnival, and we reciprocate and go down to their carnival and share in their fun.
Q: How exactly do you get to be Vulcanus Rex? Is there a fire and brimstone test? An election?
A: You have to be a member of Fire and Brimstone for at least five years. But it's a job like any other. You put in an application and go through an interview process, and you're selected.
Q: Do you have to remember everybody's title? A pop quiz on the Dukes and Counts in the Krewe?
A: It's funny, even after your reign is over — and your run on the Krewe — you still look at everybody as Ferty (Grand Duke Fertilious) or Sooty (Prince of Soot). Or (General) Flameous. Half the time you don't remember their real names. They're 'Sooty' to you, and it sticks. That's their character for life.
Q: Why isn't there a Vulcanus Regina?
A: It's just not part of the legend. The legend is a band of mischievous men, and that's what we maintain.
Q: You've got a 1932 Luverne fire truck as your chariot now. Where do you get all those trucks?
A: There's quite a few used fire trucks floating around. Different Krewes will band together and buy a truck and become part of the F&B fleet … I would say that there's at least a half-dozen functioning trucks and a few that don't. A few that are actually monuments around town.
Q: Will you make quick work of King Boreas this year?
A: Judging by the weather, I think it's going to be quite easy. But we'll try and stretch it out for the 10 days anyway.
Copyright 2006 Pioneer Press.