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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 4:23 am
Yesterday was Whitsunday, did anyone attend any celebrations or festivals?
I went Morris dancing in western Massachusetts with teams from that area and New Hampshire. It was pretty low key, we're mostly into Brittish customs, but I hear Whitsunday is a bigger deal on the continent.
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 6:00 am
Pentecost?
To be honest I find it most bizarre that anyone would want to dance a Morris dance outside of England. I can't figure it out.
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 8:54 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. Whitsunday? By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 12:10 pm
To be honest I see more of a fuss being made out of May Day here in the UK than Whitsunday.
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 6:48 pm
There appears to be a lot less evidence of Pagan roots to Pentecost than other festivals we're familiar with.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 5:26 am
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion. I honestly dont have a good taste in my mouth for Pentecost, but thats because I had some uncomfortable experiences in a Pentecostal church on Pentecost sunday and general uncomfort when it comes to Pentecostal churches. By the power of the mind much is possible
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 10:05 am
I think there are a lot of people who find it most bizarre that anyone would want to dance a morris dancewithin England, but I get your point.
I was under the impression that Whitsun is not a big tradition in the UK, so I'm not surprised. I have read that there are a lot of folk festivals for it in eastern Europe though.
As for pagan roots, what are your criteria? There are very few Christian events that are not actually adapted to preexisting celebrations of indigenous folk religions.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 1:35 pm
zyzzva I think there are a lot of people who find it most bizarre that anyone would want to dance a morris dance within England, but I get your point. Depends on who you talk to I guess and which Morris side you are talking about, has anyone seen the Royal Liberty Morris? (You see them in the opening scenes of the film Calender Girls) They make Morris dancing a little different as far as they dance with shovels, industrial files and scaffolding pipes, and when they are not in their usual white, yellow and blue uniforms they are in leathers. Royal Liberty MorrisAnd yes their leader is dressed up as a baby Another example would be The Wild Hunt Bedlam Morris. They do not fit the Morris dancing 'norm' at all. Quote: I was under the impression that Whitsun is not a big tradition in the UK, so I'm not surprised. I have read that there are a lot of folk festivals for it in eastern Europe though. I think the nearest I've got to Whitsunday celebrations is the old weather superstition that if it rains on Whitsunday it will rain for 40 days.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:43 pm
I love Royal Liberty! I love the bit they did on the James Whale Show! whee
Wild Hunt Bedlam doesn't look particularly unusual, at least not by the border standards I've seen in the states, but I haven't seen any of their material before, so I can't be sure. I was also under the impression that border was a winter tradition. When I did border (over ten years ago mind you) it was always in midwinter, and it was always at night.
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:08 am
zyzzva I was under the impression that Whitsun is not a big tradition in the UK, so I'm not surprised. The UK is the only place in Europe that calls it Whitsun. Apparently nowhere else really has a name for it. Quote: As for pagan roots, what are your criteria? Some evidence at all. I looked on the wikipedia page but the only source was in a different language and I can't find anything else regarding pagan roots for it anywhere. Quote: There are very few Christian events that are not actually adapted to preexisting celebrations of indigenous folk religions. I don't think we should assume that any Christian festival has Pagan roots on that merit.
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Sanguina Cruenta Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:12 pm
zyzzva I love Royal Liberty! I love the bit they did on the James Whale Show! whee Wild Hunt Bedlam doesn't look particularly unusual, at least not by the border standards I've seen in the states, but I haven't seen any of their material before, so I can't be sure. I was also under the impression that border was a winter tradition. When I did border (over ten years ago mind you) it was always in midwinter, and it was always at night. James Whale Show????? Not heard of that before. Fair point, but like Royal Liberty, Wild Hunt they often dance with shovels and scaffolding pipes and make a lot of noise. I think that sounds about right, border being a winter tradition though Wild Hunt perform all year round from what I can make out. Only managed to see their Samhain performances though so I can't really say if their style changes to match the summer months or not.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 9:54 am
What I have noticed is that these rituals create a community, and the community values the performance and the socialization over the ritual. A lot of people seem to have no sense of religion or mysticism regarding such events as Samhain whatsoever. They take it as an excuse to hang out, dance, and drink, and then look for new excuses. Thus we get year-round border dancers and Morris on Whitsun. 3nodding
It is at the very least an interesting social phenomenon.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 1:50 pm
It certainly seems that way sometimes on the festival circuit.
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