We interview Hannibal Hellmurto, the globally recognised sword-swallower and tattooed man for the awesome Circus of Horrors.

A German tax official whose life changed when the Circus came to his hometown of Munich, Hannibal now has hundreds of tattoos, a forked tongue and floating ribs among his body modifications! His acts have included pulling cars with meat hooks in his back and swallowing everything from serrated swords to neon tubes.

We talk to Hannibal about his tattoos, favourite performances, and what life’s like on the road with the Circus of Horrors.

What was your life like before your first tattoo?

Pretty average – I went to school and did regular teenager things. Around 16 years old I got into punk and shortly after got my first tattoo.

What was your first tattoo and how did you choose it?

It was a little dragon on my right bicep - a flash design off the wall. Bespoke custom tattoos were not really an option back then in Germany!

How many tattoos do you have in total?

Hard to tell as most of them merge together.

Could you tell us about the artists/studios you've been to and admire?

I have always been a big admirer of Bernie Luther from Vienna, Tin Tin from Paris and Paul Booth, they were the artists that revolutionised tattooing in my opinion. At the moment I really like the work of Bastian Blau and Maldenti.

I‘ve had more than 30 artists tattoo me so far.

Are there any you'd change now or have done differently?

I would have planned ahead on bigger pieces instead of patchworking different styles together.

Can you tell us about your other body mods?

I have a tongue split, various piercings (mostly stretched) and used to have transdermal implants.

Do you have any other plans for body modifications?

Not at the moment.

What are the most annoying questions you hear about your tattoos?

“What did your parents say?” and “do you like the pain?”

When did you get your most recent tattoo, what is it, and who did it?

About 4 years ago, and it was an evil nun by Lior Cifer.

Can you tell us about how you joined Circus of Horrors?

I was always interested in weird and wonderful things. I met the Circus of Horrors during their first year in Germany and joined them 10 years later.

What acts have you performed over the years?

Mostly ‘fakir acts‘ (pain acts, which can be anything from bed of nails to flesh hook suspensions) and sword swallowing.

What's your favourite memory of working with Circus of Horrors?

Too many fond memories to choose one to be honest, sorry!

What's the best venue or crowd you've performed for?

I always liked the King’s Theatre in Glasgow, Download Festival, and the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

What's life like on the road with Circus of Horrors?

Hard work but great fun. Sometimes I get a bit homesick but I’m always surrounded by great people.

You've met a ton of celebrities through work, but which was the most exciting for you?

I think Graham Norton and Danny Filth.

What's your favourite Circus of Horrors act of all time?

We had 2 Ukrainian artists when we played in Russia a few years back who did an incredible dagger to dagger balancing act. One of the artists was holding a dagger in his mouth and balanced the other performer on a dagger in his mouth - absolutely incredible.

Thank you, Hannibal Hellmurto, for your time! We hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at life in the UK’s best-known freak show. Follow the Circus of Horrors on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for news and updates about upcoming shows!

(Images Credit: Circus of Horrors)