Founded in 1867 and putting on its first parade in 1868, the Order of Myths was Mobile’s first and is the oldest continuous Mardi Gras parading group. OOM always presents the last Mobile parade on Mardi Gras Day, closing the day with a procession that always nods back to the old days. From the beginning, the Order of Myths has always had the same emblem float, a simple affair with a broken column in the middle. Often referred to as the broken column of life, there has been much discussion over the years as to its meaning, including the idea that it’s a reference to the defeated post-war South. Around the column, a member of the group dressed as Death is chased by another member dressed as Folly. As they chase round and round, Folly beats on Death with a bunch of inflated pig bladders painted gold and tied to a piece of broomstick. Yes, they do still use pig bladders, and former Follies have reported that though largely dried by parade day, the gold balloons can have a powerful smell. The float is still pulled by mules and illuminated by flambeaux. The lesson to be taken away from the float is that while Death always beats us eventually, on one day of the year – Mardi Gras – Folly always beats Death.
Founded in 1867 and putting on its first parade in 1868, the Order of Myths was Mobile’s first Mardi Gras parading group. Led by the famed emblem float of Folly chasing Death around a broken column — and beating on Death with inflated pig bladders — OOM always presents the last parade of Mobile’s Mardi Gras.
This year’s theme is “Grimms’ Fairy Tales.” Expect 14 floats, a new one added to the lineup in 2026. Floats are designed by E. Bradford Ladd and built by Craig Stephens’ Carnival Artists. Costumes are by Bienville Costumes.
In 2025, the Order of Myths closed out Mardi Gras with its evening parade on March 4. Because of incoming weather, the start time was moved to 5 p.m. and all of the bands were sent home. The theme was Born Under an Azalea Bush. The parade included 13 floats, designed by E. Bradford Ladd and built by Craig Stephens’s Carnival Artists. Costumes were by Bienville Costumes.
