British Popular Customs, Present and Past: Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year.Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
History
British Popular Customs, Present and Past: Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year.
Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
Folklore -- Great Britain; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
At Penzance a number of young men and women assemble together at a
public-house, and sit up till the clock strikes twelve, when they go
round the town with violins, drums, and other instruments, and by sound
of music call upon others to join them. As soon as the party is formed,
they proceed to different farm-houses within four or five miles of the
neighbourhood, where they are expected as regularly as May morning
comes; and they there partake of a beverage called junket, made of raw
milk and rennet, or running, as it is called, sweetened with sugar, and
a little cream added. After this they take tea, and “heavy country
cake,” composed of flour, cream, sugar, and currants, then partake of
rum and milk, and conclude with a dance. After thus regaling themselves
they gather the May. While some are breaking down the boughs, others sit
and make the “May-music.” This is done by cutting a circle through the
bark at a certain distance from the bottom of the May branches; then, by
gently and regularly tapping the bark all round from the cut circle to
the end, the bark becomes loosened, and slips away whole from the wood,
and a hole being cut in the pipe, it is easily formed to emit a sound
when blown through and becomes a whistle. The gathering and the
“May-music” being finished, they then “bring home the May” by five or
six o’clock in the morning, with the band playing and their whistles
blowing. After dancing throughout the town they go to their respective
employments. Although May-day should fall on a Sunday, they observe the
same practice in all respects, with the omission of dancing in the
town.--_Every Day Book_, vol. i. p. 561.
DEVONSHIRE.
On the last day of April, the proprietor of every flower-garden in the
neighbourhood of Torquay receives visits from a great number of girls,
who solicit “some flowers for the May-dolls.” This is usually complied
with, and at no great cost, as flowers are commonly very abundant. Soon
after nine o’clock on May-day, or the day following when that falls on
Sunday, the same young folk call at every house, and stop everyone they
meet, to show their May-dolls, collecting, at the same time, such small
gratuities as may be offered.--_Once a Week_, Sept. 24th, 1870.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account