• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Weird Local Traditions

I'm sure the migrants entering UK think 'WTF, those britons are a crazy bunch". I find morris dancing funny to look at. I suppose it is meant to be a ritual form of fighting which perhaps goes 2000-3000 year back in history.

Extreme Morris Dancing
 
Here's one I'd not heard of before - The Haxey Hood.
There's a picture gallery on it here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/pictu ... tival.html

And wiki has a page on it:

"The Haxey Hood is a traditional event in at the village of Haxey in North Lincolnshire, England, on the afternoon of 6 January, the Twelfth Day of Christmas (though if this falls on a Sunday, it is held on 5 January).

History

The official story is that in the 14th century, Lady de Mowbray, wife of an Isle landowner, John De Mowbray, was out riding towards Westwoodside on the hill that separates it from Haxey. As she went over the hill her silk riding hood was blown away by the wind. Thirteen farm workers in the field rushed to help and chased the hood all over the field. It was finally caught by one of the farm workers, but being too shy to hand it back to the lady, he gave it to one of the others to hand back to her. She thanked the farm worker who had returned the hood and said that he had acted like a Lord, whereas the worker who had actually caught the hood was a Fool. So amused was she by this act of chivalry and the resulting chase, that she donated 13 acres (53,000 m²) of land on condition that the chase for the hood would be re-enacted each year. This re-enactment over the centuries has become known as "The Haxey Hood"

In folklore, when a custom is too old for its origins to be remembered, a story is often devised to rationalise what would otherwise be baffling. However the ‘official’ story of the Hood's origins are not that unlikely. There are parallels between the Hood and bog burials in Europe. The game takes place on the border of bogs where naturally-preserved mummies of prehistoric sacrifices have been found.

The nobles mentioned in the story did exist. Records show that John De Mowbray (29 November 1310 - 4 October 1361), the 3rd Baron Mowbray of Axholme, would be the most likely candidate for the husband of the lady. This would date the Hood to about 1359 when a deed granting land to commoners was enacted by the baron. This would make the Hood around 650 years old, making it likely to be the oldest surviving tradition in England (after the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance).

It has similarities to other village combats, such as Ashbourne's Royal Shrovetide Football, the Shrove Tuesday Football Games in Sedgefield, Durham and Alnwick, Northumberland and the Hallaton Bottle Kicking contest in Leicestershire.

Speculation regarding the hood having originally been the head or penis of a sacrificial animal used in a fertility ritual are just that - pure speculation. No evidence can be found for this yet this has not stopped this myth being repeated several times on the internet.

etc..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haxey_Hood

Has anybody here ever been? You'll have to wait nearly a year for the next one!
 
On page 1. of this thread:
Anonymous said:
...and there's that ritual that takes place at that pyramid above St.Ives every seven years, with seven virgins and a glass of whisky or something ?? something to do with a weird legacy left by some bloke in the 1700's can anyone else remember the exact details ??
I posted about this (Knill's Monument) on the Follies of England thread:

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 73#1205473

and the wiki link given there has more info.
 
We were staying in Edinburgh for a week late last year, and discovered information about The Burry Man in the little South Queensferry museum.

"During the local 'Ferry Fair', held each August, one of South Queensferry's townsmen applies to the local council for the honour of being that year's Burry Man. The successful applicant dresses in a full body costume made of flannel. This costume is completely covered with the hooked fruits of Arctium lappa and Arctium minus, Britain's two native Burdock species. The person who plays the Burry Man must collect these 'burrs' himself (usually from near the local shale bings, where they grow), as well as any manner of flowers and ferns to ornament both his costume and the two staves he carries around on his journey."


http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/celtica/Burryb.htm

It's certainly a new one on me - must be a tad uncomfortable! :shock:
 
SameOldVardoger said:
I find morris dancing funny to look at.

So do most Brits, I assure you.

SameOldVardoger said:
I suppose it is meant to be a ritual form of fighting which perhaps goes 2000-3000 year back in history.

A morris-dancing friend of mine said the dancers would regularly come away with injuries, as they use cudgels.
 
Mythopoeika said:
SameOldVardoger said:
I find morris dancing funny to look at.

So do most Brits, I assure you.

SameOldVardoger said:
I suppose it is meant to be a ritual form of fighting which perhaps goes 2000-3000 year back in history.

A morris-dancing friend of mine said the dancers would regularly come away with injuries, as they use cudgels.

That sounds like Monty Python, remember the fish dance?
 
ramonmercado said:
Mythopoeika said:
SameOldVardoger said:
I find morris dancing funny to look at.

So do most Brits, I assure you.

SameOldVardoger said:
I suppose it is meant to be a ritual form of fighting which perhaps goes 2000-3000 year back in history.

A morris-dancing friend of mine said the dancers would regularly come away with injuries, as they use cudgels.

That sounds like Monty Python, remember the fish dance?

I understood that it was a take on African tribal dancing and Morris is a corruption of Moorish.
 
liveinabin1 said:
ramonmercado said:
Mythopoeika said:
SameOldVardoger said:
I find morris dancing funny to look at.

So do most Brits, I assure you.

SameOldVardoger said:
I suppose it is meant to be a ritual form of fighting which perhaps goes 2000-3000 year back in history.

A morris-dancing friend of mine said the dancers would regularly come away with injuries, as they use cudgels.

That sounds like Monty Python, remember the fish dance?

I understood that it was a take on African tribal dancing and Morris is a corruption of Moorish.

The Wikipedia page about morris dancing suggest the roots might come from several places incuding, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia. Other speculations suggest Dacia by the Celts.
 
Lewes bonfire celebrations: 14 arrests and 86 people injured
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-24831511

Lewes bonfire parade 2013

Lewes bonfire celebrations have "deep historical significance", according to organisers

Eighty six people were treated by ambulance crews and 14 people arrested during Lewes' bonfire celebrations.

Two people were detained for throwing fireworks and 12 were held for public order offences during the event.

About 30,000 people watched the six bonfire societies with flaming torches and burning crosses parade through the narrow streets in East Sussex.

Police said four people needed hospital treatment but none of the injuries were thought to be serious.

Bonfires were lit and a fireworks display followed Tuesday night's parade.

At one point firefighters had to deal with an out of control bonfire.

'Minimise risk'
The event commemorates the Gunpowder Plot and 17 protestant martyrs who were burned at the stake in the town in the 16th Century. Organisers say it has "deep historical significance".

Visitors were advised to use eye and ear defenders by the town's council.

Supt Laurence Taylor said: "At public events of this size there is always the potential for incidents of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour.

"Around 18,000 people travelled into Lewes by train and officers from both British Transport Police and Sussex Police were on hand to help manage the crowds and minimise the risk of injuries and damage to property.

"I would particularly like to thank the stewards who worked really hard along the processional route and made sure there were no crowd issues resulting in people being injured."

More than 80 people needed treatment by ambulance crews in 2012, with seven being sent to hospital.

Eight patients attended the Sussex Eye Hospital following the celebrations in 2011.

Two were blinded and three now have the risk of life-long glaucoma.
 
I'll have to find my Janet and Colin Bord Atlas of Magical Britain (unless I've lent it to my sis) as they covered local traditions.

I remember reading about 'Beating the Bounds'

You all probably know this, but from Wiki

Beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. Under the name of the Gangdays the custom of going a-ganging was kept before the Norman Conquest.[1] A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands.

I'd never actually known any-one who'd taken part in this until I met a woman via the net whose village in Dorset does it every year. She takes pictures, and lots of people turn up, and it's a lengthy (and very hilly) walk of about ten miles. There was me thinking it was a quick saunter around her village.
 
Still done here. 17 miles, I think - normally takes a couple of days.
 
Fanari_Lloyd said:
I'll have to find my Janet and Colin Bord Atlas of Magical Britain (unless I've lent it to my sis) as they covered local traditions.

I remember reading about 'Beating the Bounds'

You all probably know this, but from Wiki

Beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. Under the name of the Gangdays the custom of going a-ganging was kept before the Norman Conquest.[1] A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands.

I'd never actually known any-one who'd taken part in this until I met a woman via the net whose village in Dorset does it every year. She takes pictures, and lots of people turn up, and it's a lengthy (and very hilly) walk of about ten miles. There was me thinking it was a quick saunter around her village.

Do you know what village?
 
Seventeen miles!

I don't know the name of the village, I'm afraid. (It's a very picturesque one) and I wouldn't ask. (We go by pseudonyms - for writing - and people tend not to be too free with their addresses, just general info, like Boston, or Devon, etc).

Seems to be a very active village (unlike where I was born where I never see any-one around, nor even a car, when I go through there. :( ) with a lot of community spirit.
 
I only ask because I am fro Dorset and I was wondering if it was anywhere I know.

I know that in my village, where I no longer live but my parents do, they have a walk around the boundary of the village at Easter I think. They might do it on Boxing day too. I don't remember.
 
I might ask the lady privately where she lives. It would be coincidental if it were the same village as your parents, LiveinaBin1.
 
Thought I'd be economical with our threads and bump this old thread with something interesting that someone shared on Facebook recently, these nice pictures of English folk customs posted on the BBC site back in 2013,

In pictures: A journey through the English ritual year
  • 18 May 2013
  • From the section England
The idiosyncratic English rituals that mark the changing seasons are captured on camera.

_67597310_10.jpg



Ever since encountering Deptford Jack welcoming in the summer in London, photographer Sara Hannant has gone on a journey around England to capture rituals which mark the changing seasons. The Hollyman in this photo wassails (toasts) the people of London and River Thames on Twelfth Night - the end of Christmas festivities - to encourage a fertile year ahead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22528184
 
I went to an orchard blessing (in Dorset) when the Coalettes were little - their primary school provided Maypole dancers for various things so it was under that guise. It was a tiny bit 'off' for me, I didn't let either of them out of my sight. Just felt wrong.
 
My Dad used to 'turn his money over' at each full moon, transferring any 'shrapnel' from one pocket to the other, while Mum would utter 'white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits' on the first of the month - She'd also bash any fruit trees that weren't giving enough fruit - parents, they're a weird mob...
 
You Brits are a weird bunch. Lol. I guess it's because your country and your villages are so old, stuff gets carried on from centuries ago.
My wife and I stumbled upon a kinda cool local tradition in a small Tennessee town. There were two schools, a private academy and the local govt run school. Once per year before school is out all the students from each school gather on opposite banks of the small river that runs thru town and engage in a dandy tug o war. It's quite the spectacle.
 
A couple of years ago, one of my kids did a school presentation on UK folk customs, based on information gleaned from this thread. He received an A+ and a standing ovation (photos of the Burry Man were especially a huge hit). Never let it be said that the FTMB isn't good for something! ;)The downside is that his fellow students may now think the UK is a wee bit strange. :D

In my part of the world, weird customs are unfortunately in short supply. The town where I grew up does have Kindermaskenball, though. The local children dress up in costumes and parade down the main street every Spring. The town's first schoolteacher brought this custom from the old country, apparently. Back in the day, this included a maypole dance, etc. but not so much any longer. The town has installed a permanent decorative maypole, but I've never seen it used for anything.

One of my former teachers created a book with photos of the Kindermaskenball ranging over a hundred years or so. The book was lovely, but the first thing my OH said upon seeing it was, "dang, all you townsfolk look alike!"
:cry:
 
There's a weird tradition of people risking their lives in Cromer ... or a brave one depending on your perspective. If you grow up in, say, Tamworth in the midlands, the in joke is that part of growing up is working at Drayton Manor Park And Zoo. Around here, you'll struggle to meet many people who aren't standing in line to work on the life boats, work for the local fire station, work for the emergency services in general to be honest. I know tons of these people .. I'm not slagging them off, in fact I think it's admirable. While I type this, I can hear my RNLI neighbour's new born son crying next door. It just seems to be in Cromer people's blood.

When I worked in a hotel here I had to evacuate the place when we took a direct lightening strike that made the whole building bounce. The strike happened in an area of the building that could have caused an explosion. I froze at first ... then the young barmaid who's related to a famous hero here just shrugged and just calmly said (completely unfazed I should add) "We need to evacuate the building" ...

I'm usually (but not always) good in a crisis but people in Cromer just seem to be able to cope without even breaking a sweat .. it's tangible .. I can't really explain it, maybe they're just used to a lot of weird crap happening through the generations by now? .. maybe it's because these jobs are low paid or voluntary and Cromer isn't exactly the land of milk and honey money wise for people born here? .. it's really hard to find a panicking person in Cromer for some reason?. I don't know if that could be classed as a tradition, it just seems to be the way around here.
 
Mentioned this last year on another thread. An annual tradition just a few miles down the road form where I live:

A video with a bit of the history:


And one with a bit more of the insanity:


As I said on the other thread:

Back in my 20's some friends and I went a couple of times, and I have distant cousins who qualify for the Up'ards. It really is as insane as it looks, and you probably have to be born in the place to understand the truly passionate rivalry. What is pretty incredible is that this rivalry is generally accompanied the rest of the year by a robust and grudgeless good-humour...Anyone who thinks we're too precious these days to fight a really good war should maybe spend a couple of minutes watching the following.

There are actually three rules (or so I'm told): No straying onto private land; No use of motor vehicles; No murder.

Yes, we Brits are soooo reserved.
 
It'll soon be May, so look out for stories like (here in Cornwall) Padstow Hobby Horse and Helston Furry.

"For summer is a'coming in
and Winter's gone away, O!"

:)
 
We have the oldest horse race in the UK near where I live (the Kiplingcotes Derby), first run in 1519 and every year since. The rules state if the race is not run one year it can never be run again.

It's a bit of a free for all across farmland, fields and tracks and you just have to turn up and pay to enter - oh, and as long as you weigh less than 10 stone!
 
people risking their lives in Cromer .

I think that maybe being next to the sea brings on this laudable attitude? Could also be that the urge not to is being persistently bred out becuase they don't survive...
 
I think that maybe being next to the sea brings on this laudable attitude? Could also be that the urge not to is being persistently bred out becuase they don't survive...
Yeah .. I also thought the tranquil setting might be why they hanker for danger, maybe to relieve the boredom? ..
 
Back
Top