Judith Proctor's Journal

  Folk traditions throw up some wonderful animals on occasion. There are traditional hobby horses - not the children's toy, but proper hobby horses, like Dobbin below.  they sometimes join in morris dances 






and a jig dancing horse from the Outside Capering Crew


and if you like that one, then you need the sequel...


I'll maybe cover hooden horses another day

Went into Pamphill school to teach the first of a series of  longsword sessions to a class of year 4 children.

Very glad I took my friend Paul with me.  He's a retired teacher and taught his children longsword dancing for many years.

Watching him work with the kids is a real revelation as to what training and experience can do.

He controlled over 30 children without once raising his voice and had them doing exactly what he wanted without noise or fuss.  Simple things, like making it a game to move as quietly as possible when forming their groups, or telling them to sit on the floor cross-legged with their swords across their laps making  sure their swords didn't touch the floor and make a noise.

He spent the first ten minutes just getting them to listen to the music, clap along, count to eight with the music and just developing their sense of rhythm and the patterns of 8 and 16 that the dance requires.

Lots of positive feedback to all the children.

By the end of the lesson, every group had managed the first two figures of the dance and several of the children spontaneously came up afterwards and said 'thank you'.

We're all looking forward to next week.

 I went to Normandy this weekend with the Quayside Cloggies (the ladies North West Morris group I belong to).

I packed pretty light as I didn't want to have to carry much, especially when we were moving between dance spots.

I kept my handbag for essentials like cash and ventolin inhaler, etc.  I had enough space to take either my camera or my English/French dictionary in my handbag.  I chose the dictionary.

This turned out to be a mistake...

The dictionary came in handy, because I stayed with a lovely French couple who didn't speak very much English.

However, what I hadn't know in advance was that the French Group Alfred-Rossel had also invited a dance group from Cherbourg's other twin town in Germany.  Die Volktanzgrup de Weileurstenssbligen  (I think it is near Bremerhaven).

Ottmar from the German group was also staying with Marie and Bernard and his schoolboy English and my schoolgirl German managed to establish that he was a bandertanzer  (there's an unlaut on the a, but I get the wrong character when I try to type it).

A bandertanz is a maypole dance, done with adults, not children.  They'd brought their maypole (maybaum) 1,100km and here was me without a camera!

It was a wooden pole, a bit taller than my maypole, but also coming apart into two sections.  Instead of having a base that they set on the ground, they had adapted their pole (after getting fed up of carrying it in processions) so that the base was in a hand cart that they'd nicknamed the banderwagen.  The only drawback is that in spite of a jack at the back, it sometimes moves around a bit when they dance round it.

They don't have a web site (as far as I can tell), they said they had no footage on You Tube (but have promised to try and film the dance for me.)..  

Research on You Tube this morning has revealed several interesting facts.  There appears to be only bandertanz (aka bandltanz) and it is performed in many different towns.  It's always done to the same tune, called (possibly) the bandltanz waltz.

I can't find a copy of the sheet music - if anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.

Some of the maypoles used are massive and can have 30 or more couples doing the dance at the same time.



The choreography is roughly,

1.,  Couples sway their ribbons in time to the music.

2.  Couples either walk or do a slow polka step for eight steps clockwise, then 8 anti-clockwise.

3.  Several slow turns with partner, using ribbons gracefully as you pass over and under.

4.  Same as three in reverse.

5.  Woman face one way, men face the other.  A long slow plait is made, going on for as long as you choose.

6.  Undo the plait.

7.  Each couple do a complete right hand turn together.

8.  Women go clockwise, men anticlockwise and turn (left handed) a new partner from the next couple.

9.  Repeat this, carrying on in the same direction.  This will build up a tent figure.

10.  Reverse to undo the tent.

11.  Release the ribbons, take your partner in a ballroom hold and polka round the maypole.

I'm currently reading very small book exploring  the connections between matachin (a historical sword dance) and morris.  

One one page is this photo (which I also found on the morris ring web site)  The photo was taken in 1896 by Henry Taunt and is of the Chipping Camden morris dancers.  It's one of the earliest morris photos known.

 

You can see the classic white Cotswold morris costume and the bells, (and the rosettes that many teams also wore), but the thing that actually caught my eye was the doll in the centre. See it?  Down by his feet, hanging  from the box that's hanging over his shoulder.

Now look at his feet.  See that small plank with one foot under it and one foot resting on it?  The doll's feet are resting on the plant and it has thin, jointed, legs.

It's a jig doll, but of a size and style that I've never seen before.

"What is a jig doll?" I hear you ask.  See below (they also appear to be an Appalachian tradition)


No discussion of jig dolls would be complete without a reference to the Ballad of Seth Davy (Whisky on a Sunday)
See this link -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vjfk2turxY&feature=related   

Seth Davy was a real person and one of the few black people to be referenced in a folk song.  Here's and old photo of him in Liverpool- http://aliverpoolfolksongaweek.blogspot.com/2011/08/21-seth-davy.html   He used to perform in the street with his jog dolls.

You can buy jig dolls (or make your own).  Here's one site that sells them,  Must  admit that I'm occasionally tempted to get one myself.  (I've seen some very nice ones occasionally made in the colours of specific morris teams.)

See Vera's journal for how they do it in the Czech Republic.  Here  and here.   Admire the 'maidens' working on making the wreath that hangs from the top.

Today, I'm setting up my maypole for a Poole arts event.  I'll see if I can get some photos, though it isn't nearly as good as the Czech one.

This is the first time I'll have used my new sound system, so I'm crossing my fingers for it all to go smoothly.  I'm also hoping to teach adults this time, so maybe I can do some of the more complicated dances.

I've just been watching "Come clog dancing" which is a highly enjoyable programme about traditional English clog dancing  (it was originally a men's dance from mining areas) and also a dash of rapper sword by the Newcastle Kingsmen.  The Kingsmen demonstrate perfectly why rapper is unequalled as a pub dance and do spins at a speed that put our local rapper side to shame (though they have the advantage of being younger).

After watching this, you'll never again confuse North-West  morris (often danced in clogs) with clog dancing (which is a solo dance with totally different steps and history).  Highly recommended, and not just for old folkies like me.

Courtesy of vjezkova, a couple of photos of Czeech traditional performance dances.



The hats remind me a little of those worn by UK North West Morris dancers, though I've no idea what kind of dance is going to be performed here.  It won't be anything like North West, as the dancers aren't carrying short sticks or hankies.  One of them has a walking stick, but I can't tell if he's the only one carrying a stick.

In other ways, the costume reminds me more of what I'd expect from longsword dancers.

Note the guy on one side in full tatter costume on one side.  A little like old photos of English mummers.

There's a wonderful photo here - http://gal.dkhodonin.eu/fasank2010/slides/DSC_0206.html - which I'm unable to copy over.  Look at the wonderful costumes (especially the decoration style of the trousers), and also the unusual (to my eye) shape of the swords they're using.  I can see how the handle has been adapted for dancing.  The style of the dance (on the limited evidence of one photo) looks very like English longsword - which isn't totally surprising as any circular sword dance will naturally evolve pretty similar basic figures.  I wonder if the dancers also perform hankie dances, given that they've all got a pair of decorated hankies tucked into their belts.

All my work getting Anonymous Morris plastered all over the internet has started to pay off. 

We've got two musicians for Anonymous Morris.  Kate and Corwen are interested in old instruments, folk traditions, mumming plays, morris and narrow boats!  Something tells me we're destined to be friends...

I'm really looking forward to meeting them.

They found us via the Dark Dorset website.

See Kate and Corwen's page on mast beasts.  If you're at all interested in any traditions involving horses or any other kind of morris/soulcake/skulls on poles, then you'll find this an interesting read.  I have this sudden urge for a hobby horse...  (not strictly speaking a mast beast, but a close relative that is sometimes found with the morris)



I've also got a battered second-hand snare drum via another morris dancer.  It's battered, but was also cheap.  I've bought some drumsticks for it (and signed one of the staff in the music shop as a possible dancer...) and got an old luggage strap to sling over the shoulder and carry it as a side drum.

I've arranged for some more morris sticks.  (We've got nine at present courtesy of Old Harry morris, which folded last year), but I've now tracked down the guy who cuts sticks for all the local Cotswold and Border sides.  Ideally, the sticks should have a year to dry out and season properly, but green sticks are better than no sticks, and they'll improve with time.  (You get a much better sound when seasoned sticks clash, and they're less likely to splinter)

I've paid the membership for a year for Open Morris (one of three morris organisations in the country, they work together on many issues).  This particularly important for insurance purposes as there's a standard morris insurance policy that covers you at dance outs and practise sessions.

I'm currently working on poster designs.  I'll need to get those all around Poole and local youth clubs, etc in a couple of weeks' time.

It's about as much work as running a convention! 

Vera has kindly reposted her maypole photos for me.

You'll instantly see the close similarity between the Czech Republic maypole and the German one I posted yesterday.

I'd love to see photos of other European maypole traditions.  cdybedahl says there will be Swedish ones in late June, which arouses my curiosity as to why the later date.  (and also as to what they will look like).

The English part of the Maypole entry on Wikipedia looks as though it is taken from Hutton's 'Stations of the Sun' and I'd regard it as accurate historically.

Hutton is a wonderfully detailed historian (no random speculation to suit his own theories, just a detailed record of everything to be found on the subject in old records) and his book is currently £7.14 including postage on Amazon...

grikmeer asked about the Ankh Morpork stick and bucket dance.

The closest I can find is a broom dance.  (Many broom dances have circling choruses which could easily be done going around a bucket.)

They tend to be competitive, with one person trying to copy or outdo another.  Which could be why members of the Ankh Morpork Folk Dance and Song Society regarded them as dangerous.  I can believe someone breaking a leg in a broom dance...

Continuing to read my morris history book, I'm also following up thoughts sparked by it on YouTube.

There are many references historically to a dance called a moreska (with several possible spellings), which is often synonymous with morris.

The moreska was often found as part of court pageant and could well have been part of a dramatic presentation that used dance to tell a story - usually the rescue of a maiden (as these were chivalric pageants that slowly took over from the more lethal tournaments).  Indeed, many early references to morris have a maiden before whom the dance is performed.

Out of curiosity, I looked up moresca on Wikipedia and found that there is still a moresca performed regularly on the island of Korčula, (part of Croatia).  It's a full performance lasting half an hour even in abbreviated form (the long version is 2 hours) and is essentially a drama, involving dance, about the rescue of a maiden.  (there may be a connection to the early 'Ring' morris which has dancers in a circle about a woman).

Even better, I then found some good quality footage of the dance on YouTube. (there are more entries on You Tube showing more of the dance, but the clip I have here gives a good overall impression)

Cotswold morris dancers will instantly relate to the double stick/sword work and some of the footwork.  Not bad after 500-600 years of divergence.

Christmas has many meanings to different people.

To me, it is primarily a time to be spent with family - a time set aside for a few days when work and more secular things are set aside.

But it is also (to me) a folk tradition, and in that light, it is also important to me. I'm not a Christian, but the Nativity story is an important one. All myths (I use the word 'myth' in the sense of 'traditional narrative story') survive because they carry meanings that are important to us. The Nativity is part of a story of love and peace and ultimately part of the story of God's love for mankind. It has folk elements, the shepherds, wise men, angels, etc. and those elements in turn spin off their own stories and songs.

It doesn't really matter that Jesus was probably born in the Autumn, or that Christmas was planted on top of earlier Midwinter Solstice festivals. In the end, all the celebrations are saying the same thing: "New life will return. There is hope for the future."

When I was young, I learnt all the traditional carols at church and at school. As I grew older and firmed up my non-religious view on life, I stopped singing them. Then, as the wheel of time turned, I realised that they were part of our heritage and I could enjoy them on that basis. I could take the message of love, hope, understanding and peace and sing that to my heart's content.

I try and have a relatively non-commercial Xmas. Our family tradition is to try not to spend large sums of money on presents. Second-hand items (like books) are perfectly fine, as is the occasional home-made gift. We ban TV on Christmas day and spend it with family, play games, do jigsaws, etc.

I'd love to have carols at home, but not all the family share my love of them.

Maybe I'll go out with the carol singers from the local church. I did that once before and they were very welcoming to the athiest in their midst. Music creates its own kind of harmony.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, perhaps the above will help explain why an athiest has chosen this particular Christmas card for you all. It felt right to me.

I've just been re-reading Flowers Afloat, by Tony Lewery - a natural follow-up to our recent canal holiday.

The working canal people often lived on their boats - an entire family in a cabin smaller than my bathroom (6ft X 10 ft was the standard cabin size). The limited space was used as effectively as possible: beds turned into seats during the day or removed altogether; tables folded up to become cupboard doors, no toilet, washing facilities were a tin bowl that hung on the wall when not in use.

One result of this limited space was an explosion of decorative paintwork. The back of the table would be painted so that the picture was visible when the table was folder up. Seat boards, stools, water can, the back of the tin bowl, all would be decorated and probably more besides. On the outside of the boat, the tiller and rope blocks would be painted either with geometric patterns or with flowers. The boat's name would be painted in ornate letters and there would often be a painted picture beside the owner's name on the cabin side.

The vast majority of this art work would be either roses or castles.  (Hence the popularity of 'Rose and Castle' as a pub name near old canals - I found half a dozen on Google with no effort at all and there would probably be more if I looked harder.)





Other subjects were used, the sailor from the Players' cigarette adverts appears now and then, but roses and castles probably account for 90% of canal art.

The cabin doors (viewed from the inside) typically had a castle as the top image and a swag of roses in the panel underneath.



Here, you can see the external appearance of the stern of a motor-powered narrowboat - note the decorated water can which was kept on the roof and refilled with drinking water at suitable stops.




Below, you can see a pair of restored working boats.   Narrowboats were often worked in pairs, the second boat or 'butty' being towed by the first one and having no engine itself. The butty had a cabin, often even smaller than the one on the main boat and it was useful extra living space for some of the larger families.




The earliest narrowboats were horsedrawn, and some horsedrawn boats were still in use during the second world war, but they died out after that.

Note the ogee curve painted on the front of the butty. That was another popular motif, often on the outside of doorways, rather like an entrance arch. (See if you can spot one behind the open door on the picture above this one)

The restoration of these boats is not yet complete.  The name on the bow should be painted clearly, often with a diamond pattern next to the name. You can see the white undercoat already in place for the work to be done.

The size of narrowboats was determined by the locks on the British canal network.  At 70ft long and 7ft wide, the locks defined the boats that would fit into them.

One of the most striking things about traditional canal art is how little it varied. Many boatyards and many boatsmen painted, but all the results look remarkably similar.   While it is possible to see stylistic variations between different boatyards and sometimes between individual artists, you can look instantly at a picture and say 'That's a canal rose/castle'.

Working narrowboats were a relatively short culture, lasting only 200 years, but they provide one of the few extant forms of folk art in Britain.  (There was also a narrowboat tradition of decorative crochet work, which I may talk about some other time)

Went with the Cloggies to Milton Abbas street fair today.  It's a very popular local event in a very picturesque village.  It's very well organised and pretty well every house in the village is involved one way or another.

This photo by Joe D shows the thatched cottages of the main street very well.



There's an interesting history as to why the village has such a pretty row of identical thatched cottages. Essentially, the old town of Middleton was in the way of Lord Milton's view where he wanted to landscape his grounds, so he paid an architecht to design a new village in a nearby valley and moved all the villagers into it when it was complete.  By the standards of 1780, they're pretty good buildings, so I don't think the villagers were that badly treated.  More details here

The street fair is on the front lawns of all the houses, and also involves the church, the almshouses and pretty well every square inch you can find.

Outside the old school, they had maypole dancing with the local children.

British maypole dancing is done with ribbons attached to the top of the maypole. Each child (It's almost always a children's dance) holds a ribbon, and the ribbons wind around the pole as they skip round. There are several basic patterns. The simplest one is a basic barber's pole, done by simply dancing round in a circle. Then you get a more complex weave - the children stand facing one another in pairs and then go round the pole passing alternate right and left shoulders.  The most complex one is a tent in which every other child stands still and holds their ribbon taut and the other children dance round each child in turn to make a tent-like pattern with the maypole as the tent pole.

Here's a fairly typical picture. The boys have done a candy stripe one way, and the girls are adding a second layer in the other direction.



This dance is a relatively recent tradition, dating back to the 18th century.

There are older traditions (nearly all lost) of dancing around a maypole, but these were a different kind of dance.

Vera, I want to link to your entry on Czech maypole customs, but you don't use many tags in your journal.  If you can find it, could you please put a link in the comments? I'd like people to be able to compare the different maypole customs.

Some morris sides are accompanied by hobby horses or other animals (I recall one giant bird, probably with Phoenix Morris).

A hobby horse in morris terms is not the child's broom stick with a head on one end, but a costume supported on the shoulders that allows the body of a horse to hang around the waist to give the illusion of a man riding on a horse.  There are a lot of variations on this original theme and many don't look much like horses at all. (the word 'hobby' originally meant 'small')

A friend just sent me this clip of White Horse Morris and you can see a hobby horse hovering in the foreground of some of the shots.  Note that with this particular horse, the focus is on the horse and not the rider - thus, the face of the operator is covered over - which makes sense given the name of the side.

(The dancers look a little tired, but they're dancing at the Solstice at Stonehenge, so they may have been up pretty early in the morning.)

Looking at this particular horse, especially its head, reminded me of my student days. In Norwich museum, they have several Snap Dragons.  Old Snap wasn't with a morris side, he was part of the mayoral procession for St George's day (and later St Margaret's day), but you can see the similarity even though Snap is designed to be worn higher on the body.  The page about the 'Snap Dragons' is very interesting and has some good photographs as well.

St George's day celebrations used to be very well-observed customs and many towns had a St George's Guild to raise money and organised the processions, etc.

English folk traditions are mobile and elements often move from one to another.  Hobby horses of various forms are just one example. 

The Minehead horse for example, might not even be recognised as such, unless you were familiar with the evolution of the species.  It looks a lot more like a boat.  Here, the horse is a processional animal, but with other local customs also attached.

Here's the Wikipedia entry on Hobby Horses.

I love folk traditions. They're endlessly colourful, inventive, and involve people enjoying themselves.  What more could you wish for?