The Dark Secrets From A Travelling Circus

1. The dark side of the circus

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Historically, traveling circuses have often been at the center of many controversies, and even in their heyday during the Victorian era, they certainly had a darker and more macabre side to them, and it is very clear that the human and animal performers had far from ideal lives.

2. The greatest show on the Earth

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Perhaps one of the most famous traveling circuses run by the master of spin and promotion himself, P.T. Barnum, was immortalized by the Hugh Jackman movie The Greatest Showman. 

The movie itself drew so much criticism for sugarcoating Barnum's story which was more than just a little macabre.

3. The macabre side of P.T. Barnum

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The showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus exploited and sensationalized people who had medical conditions, and disabilities for personal gain, often without their consent or even fair pay.  In fact, Barnum really did bend the truth for his own gain too, including claiming elephants felt no pain so he could use red hot pokers to train them.

4. Human exploitation

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Historically, traveling circuses, like the Barnum & Bailey Circus attracted their audiences through the promotion of their sideshows, or 'freakshows', where they would display people who had physical or mental disabilities, or 'unusual' physical features.  And they would often be there against their own free will and they were often forced to live in terrible conditions.

5. Forced labor

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In the past, traveling circuses have been known to engage in practices of forced labor.  This means that performers or workers, and even animals were actually kept against their will and forced to perform under threat or coercion.  There have also been cases of children being kidnapped from their homes and forced to work as young circus performers.

6. Trafficked children

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Children have also been trafficked from their homes and forced to train under grueling conditions and perform.  In fact, a well-known Nepalese troupe, Aman Tamang and Renu Ghelan were trafficked from Nepal into traditional Indian circuses and have now been rescued and are able to tell their story.

7. Child exploitation

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In fact, Aman Tamang and Renu Ghalan's story came about with the help of a charity.  Renu was rescued when she was 15 years old and said that she was a lost child for many years.  She told the BBC that she was forced to train as an acrobat, worked very long hours, and often went without food.

8. Child abuse

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Aman Tamang who is now 26 years old also told his story where he too was trafficked into the Great Bombay Circus alongside Renu, now 25.  He also spoke in an interview about suffering regular beatings.  The charity that rescued them said that from their experience, "the children who were trafficked into Indian circuses were mostly illiterate".

9. There was serious neglect in these traditional circuses too

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There were many stories that came out of the traditional Indian circuses that centered around the abuse and neglect of the children that were trafficked into them.  Including a young girl who could no longer do handstands when she broke her arm falling off a trapeze and they failed to get her the medical help she needed.

10. Conveying their own story

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Renu and Aman later joined another circus called Circus Kathmandu which was described as an 'ethical' circus that gave the performers and workers an actual salary and independence.  And when the circus took on their new creative director, Ali Williams, who decided to put on a touring show, using the performers to tell their own story and attempting to turn their view of 'circus' around.

11. Animal Cruelty

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In the past, and around the world, traveling circuses have often been criticized for their treatment of the animals forced to perform in them.  In fact, Barnum himself told the public that elephants couldn't feel pain so he could abuse them into submission.

12. Inumane living conditions

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And often, the animals are not kept well and have been known to live in really cramped conditions, especially when they travel.  And sources have even mentioned the conditions elephants were kept in at the Barnum and Bailey Circus, barely even able to take a small step.

13. A public execution

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In a small town in Tennessee in 1916, an elephant was hanged.  She was dubbed 'Murderous Mary' after an incident when an inexperienced keeper was put in charge of her at the Charlie Sparks traveling circus.  He used a spear to goad her and she stood on his head.  And for this, she was sentenced to be hanged using a railway crane by Charlie Spark and his bloodthirsty audience.

14. Animal poaching

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Historically, and across the world, traveling circuses have been involved in the illegal poaching of certain exotic animals, like tigers, bears, and elephants, which would either be displayed or used in various performances.  This, of course, leads to species decline, and in order to force the animals to perform, they would use inhumane methods, including using bullhooks and muzzles.

15. Barnum & Bailey Fines

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The Barnum & Bailey Circus themselves used strategies for training their nine elephants that were so cruel and macabre, the company received fines in 2011, over 100 years after the event, for the animal abuse.  The fines were $200,000 for their animal rights violations.

16. Misrepresentation of disabilities

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Historically, circuses, particularly Victorian-era circuses that entertain their audiences in sideshows and freakshows tended to exploit humans who had physical disabilities purely for sensationalism and entertainment.  And in order to satisfy the audience's grim curiosities.  And the 'stars' had far from wonderful lives themselves.

17. Unsanitary conditions

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The performers and workers within historical traveling circuses often lived in similar conditions to the animals.  They were extremely cramped and unsanitary conditions.  And these quarters completely lacked any real privacy or proper facilities...

18. Exploitation of mental illness

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In the past, traveling circuses have also ridiculed those with mental illnesses.  And what they did was they presented them as sources of entertainment, purely for the audience to ridicule them.  And this only perpetuated the stigma and lack of understanding of mental illness.

19. Forced sterilization

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Unfortunately, in the past forced sterilization of women took place, in order to make sure pregnancies would not interfere with the work of the women employed by the circus. And it was also found by Nepal's children's charity, Chora Chori that in the Indian circuses, they were performing abortions themselves.

20. Dangerous raids

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Back in the traveling circuses where the Nepalese children were trafficked, they were often rescued in extremely dangerous raids and returned to Nepal.  And in 2011, the Indian Supreme Court, according to the BBC, banned circuses from using child performers and ordered the existing performers to be released.

21. Invasive medical experiments

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Back to another historical point, another dark secret from traveling circuses certainly includes the occurrence of invasive medical practices.  During the era of sideshows, performers were often subjected to medical experiments with or without their consent.

22. Barnum's stance on slavery

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While we are thinking about human exploitation, Barnum often stated that he completely opposed slavery.  But then proceeded to purchase a slave for £1000 named Joice Heth.  And she was purchased and put on display as Lincoln's 161-year-old wet nurse.

23. Barnum's performers even worked after their death

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It's true, Joice Heth even performed after her death.  When she died, P.T. Barnum sold 1500 tickets to her autopsy.  And this public autopsy that took place in a New York Saloon proved that she was in fact 80 years old, not 161!  Barnum didn't say anything though!  He really was an unapologetic master of illusion and deceit.

24. Supernatural Hoaxes

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Historical traveling circuses also deceived their superstitious audiences with supernatural hoaxes.  In fact, they staged these supernatural hoaxes, using effective illusions, lighting, trickery, and fake seances in order to enhance their mystique (or ticket sales!)

25. Haunted circus tents

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As well as staging elaborate supernatural hoaxes, historically, many traveling circuses also had circus tents that they described as haunted.  And in there, they paraded mysterious figures, staged ghostly sightings, and even told stories of eerie and spooky occurrences around the grounds.

26. Cursed artifacts

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This one's a bit of a myth, but according to some folklore, historical traveling circuses had in their possession cursed objects that were said to bring about misfortune or supernatural occurrences.  And it was as if the circus and all of the performers were affected and cursed in some way.

27. Secret underground tunnels

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Another historical myth about the traveling circuses of the past was that people really believed that there were tunnels that connected all of the circus tents and attractions that were said to allow the performers and workers to move about the grounds discreetly and mysteriously.

28. Cult involvement

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There are some unusual myths and perhaps more fictional stories about traveling circuses that the performers and workers have been rumored to be connected to secret cults, performing secret rituals and practices and including some hidden and mysterious symbols.

29. Myths and folklore

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Many ideas about the traveling circuses of the past are very true and have been backed up by credible sources over the years.  But many of the beliefs surrounding traveling circuses indeed come from curious audiences and have entered into myths and folklore.

30. Which direction are traveling circuses going in now?

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Now, it is really important to understand that this article has mostly focused on the historical secrets of traveling circuses and it is certainly clear now that the circus industry has evolved over time.  Many modern circuses are a delightful form of entertainment and prioritize ethical practices, animal welfare, and the well-being of performers.