From left to right:
The Straw Bear
Pecsaetan Morris
The WitchMen Morris
Black Pig Morris and Band
"Out of the darkness comes a group purporting to be the oldest team 'in all the world' - dancing the oldest dances in all the world. The Witchmen are as dark and mysterious as their name suggests. With dances such as Wicker Man and Wild Hunt, the team has established itself as exponents of the 'Other Morris' with performances that are pagan in the extreme"
KK's favourite are the Witchmen Morris! :))
10 comments:
This must be, a must see!!! It looks like very strange goings ons...but then, I should be the last one saying that being where I currently reside!!
It does look like a lot of fun, esp that the whole of the town is out!! I wonder, Anna, do the churches/people join in, boycott/protest,or stay neutral, as it does appear very pagan...just curious.
Melanie, I just asked that!!!
Similar things go on all over the British Isles, but this looks more colourful than the usual stuff!!:))
Melanie .... AJ
The main Church of England - St Marys, supplies hot soup and a bun for the revellers.
The Methodist Church also have an afternoon story teller for the children who tells them about all the old traditions like Plough Monday... which is what this celebrates and they also supply hot soup.
I'm not sure about the other churches ... but the RC one does open their carpark for visitors.
It has grown and grown over the years and visitors and dance sides come from all over the place. Quite a few German dance sides come over as well and they bring their own straw bear.
The whole town seems to get involved and its a great business day for the shops, traders, pubs and hotels. The other nice thing is that it is very good natured.:D
You see Anna, the Kirk in Scotland would petition to get the thing stopped!! The strict Protestants wouldn't associate themselves with this sort of thing! The Wee Frees hardly watch telly, nevermind anything else.
I've always maintained people in England are much more liberal!!;))
I think you're right in some ways AJ.... Scotland has always had that Presbyterian thing going on. Whereas England managed to knock Puritanism (which was similar) on the head after about 12 years... invited the King back and got on with the parties again!
Wotcha mean "right in some ways" - I'm always right.....sometimes!! :D
OK .. you can be right this time.. I've had a whisky and ginger so I'm feeling mellow :))
AJ, I've heard that about Scotland...in fact, I'm reading a book on the whole Calvin thing vs Roman Cath vs Celtic/pagan roots thing
Wee Frees?? is that the Gaelic Free Church?? or just the overall Protestant Church in Scotland?
AJ/Anna, aren't men always right!!??!! ;))
... at least, that's what we let them think!!! ;))
The Wee Frees are the Free Church of Scotland - they broke away in the mid 19th century(I think) and practice very disciplined rules regarding their faith.
They would gladly ban everything and everybody, if it didn't fit into their belief system!
Calvinism is the base of the established church in Scotland, Melanie. John Knox introduced the faith in the mid 15th century!
Well, they don't sound free do they??!! I suppose that's my biggest complaint with 'the church'...so dour, etc
The book I'm reading talks about the Iona church and George MacLeod
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