The sun is rising slowly in the sky as birds tweet loudly,
Suddenly from a distance sounds of children can be heard singing, They sing in unison these words "We carry death out of the village," "We carry death out of the village!," A young girl carries a baby doll that is wrapped in a white cloth to signify that the baby is sick, More children walk behind the young girl and are singing as they generate a scuffling sound from there feet.
The children walk in a straight line as they continue to sing the pagan chant, We carry death out of the village!
The girl at the front of the line holds the baby doll up high with both hands as the rest of the children hold each other with both hands at the shoulders,
The camera focuses on the Public Library for the small town of Summerisle, Built in 1911 this is the next place that Sergeant Howie is going to visit to continue his investigations on the disappearance of Rowan Morrison. The children can be heard loudly singing, We carry death out of the village!.
A low level flicking of paper is heard as the sergeant searches through a large hardback book, A silent old lady is sat at the same table and is also engrossed in a large hardback book of somekind,
Howie flicks another page over as the children's voices from outside can still be heard, "We carry death out of the village"
The sergeant has stopped on a page that he thinks has some important information regarding May day festivals,
Howies voice can be heard as he thinks to himself in silence "May Day Festivals"
The sergeant begins to read the text from the page as he continues to speak in his mind, "Primitive man lived and died by his harvest" The purpose of his spring ceremonies was to ensure a plentiful autumn. "Relics of these fertility dramas are to be found all over Europe. (A trumpet can be heard playing) Howie raises his left hand slightly before lowering it again, The sergeant continues to read, "In Great Britain, for example, one can still see...
Harmless versions of them danced in obscure villages on May Day. The camera pans from the right side page to the left side page.
"Their cast includes many alarming characters:
"A man-animal, or hobbyhorse, who canters at the head of the procession, charging at the girls.
"A Man woman, the sinister teaser, played by the community leader or priest.
"And a man-fool, Punch
"Most complex of all the symbolic figures, "The privileged simpleton and King for a day.
"Six swordsmen follow these figures"
and at the climax of the ceremony lock their swords together
In a clear symbol of the sun. In pagan times however, these dances were not simply picturesque jigs,
"They were frenzied rites ending in a sacrifice."
"By which the dancers hoped desperately to win over the goddess of the fields."
"In good times, they offered produce to the gods and slaughtered animals. But in bad years, when the harvest had been poor...(Howie turns a page with his right hand) The sacrifice was a human being. (High pitched trumpet notes are heard)
The elderly lady suddenly raises her head and looks at the sergeant,
The sergeant also looks up as he ponders on his thoughts and also of Rowan Morrison,
The photographic image of Rowan suddenly appears in the sergeants mind as a fleeting flash, He is trying to find a connection between the May Day festival on Summerisle and also the anonymous letter he had received, Piece by piece the sergeant is building up a picture and he believes now that he is making some progress.
The sergeant speaks again inside his mind with a serious surprise, "Rowan's not dead!"
Another image of Rowan has now appeared inside the mind of the sergeant, This photographic image is the one the sergeant produced from inside the dark room at T.H.Lennox's chemist shop. Sergeant Howie continues to read silently to himself, "Sometimes the victim would be drowned in the sea" or burnt to death in a huge sacrificial bonfire. The image slowly zooms in onto Rowan Morrison who stands in front of the failed year of 1971.
The sergeant looks back down with intrigue as he continues to read,
"Sometimes the six swordsmen ritually beheaded the virgin"
Sergeant Howie looks up from the page as he tries to envisage and reason with the information he has just read, Howie may have forgot for a second that he is in a library as he begins to speak out aloud with serious concern and disbelief, "Dear God in Heaven, even these people can't be that mad. Howie looks from side to side before looking at the elderly woman who is still silent and looking at him from across the table.
The elderly woman is still looking at the sergeant but is very quiet.
The elderly woman looks back down again
A moment passes before she returns her eyes back to the sergeant once again.
Sergeant Howie watches the silent lady as she stares at him in complete and utter quietude..
The sergeant then returns to the page he was reading and begins to read out aloud once more. "The chief priest then skinned the child, Howie grimaces slightly at the thought of the child being skinned) and wearing the still warmed skin like a mantle, led the rejoicing crowds through the streets
Howie looks up and looks back at the silent woman with an expression of delusional madness, Everywhere he goes people are acting strangely and this is the reason he is reading out aloud as no one is concerned or taking the officer seriously,
Howie looks back down again at the page and continues to read out aloud as he blinks rapidly, "The priest thus represented the goddess reborn and guaranteed another successful harvest next year. Howie breathes in deeply from the digestion of the words and huffs out.
The elderly woman continues to stare at the officer in silence and stillness to express the feeling that she doesn't exist and Howie has been talking to himself.
The sergeant has read and seen enough as he slams the book shut with his right hand, A loud thud of thick paper rings out from the table as the book closes shut at speed, the sergeant instantly stands and leaves the library as he has a schedule to keep and is leaving Summerisle today to report his findings back to his chief constable at the West Highland Police Constabulary on the mainland.
Loud sounds of squawking seagulls can be heard along and around the muddy shores of Summerisle, Sergeants Howie's Seaplane can be seen moored several yards out on the waters edge, The shoreline grasses sway slightly in the cool breeze but no people can be seen or heard.
Sergeant Howie is in a rush as he raises his left hand to check his watch, The harbour master has suddenly appeared from the police officers right hand side and is keen to speak with the sergeant. A sound of thick straw bending and moving is heard as the harbour master passes through a woven gate.
A loud sound of rushing water and seagulls squawking can be heard, The harbour master begins to run in an attempt to catch up with the officer, The harbour masters hands flail from side to side momentarily before he raises his left hand and shouts out loudly, "Good morning, Sergeant!. The sergeant turns to his right for a fleeting moment as he watches the harbour master advance towards him.
The sergeant continues to move forward as he faces away from the harbour master, The sergeant say's with a serious tone of voice, "I need to get to my plane"
The harbour master chuckles loudly as he say's, Oh well, on May Day,
The harbour master walks past the sergeant as he raises his left hand towards the officer and say's, I'd better take you out myself.
The sergeant turns and looks at the harbour master before following him to the shoreline. A cow is heard Mooing loudly along with frequent squawking from seagulls.
Howies feet are heard squishing across the muddy surface as he makes his way over to a boat that will take him over to his seaplane,
The harbour master has bent down and is loosening a metal chain that keeps the boat moored and safe from floating away, A loud sound of grinding metal is heard as the harbour master say's That's it, He bobs up and down a couple of times as he pulls and releases some ropes from there anchorage.
The sergeant carefully steps down inside the boat while carrying his brown bag in his right hand.
A loud sound of thudding wood is heard as the harbour master begins to row the boat out towards the sergeants seaplane, The harbour master say's, Here, Right as he pulls with intense pressure on the rows, A sound of water splashing and flowing is also heard including seagulls.
As the harbour masters rows out the sergeant say's, I shall be back shortly with some more police officers.
The harbour master continues to row but does not respond to the officers words. Suddenly the camera pans right at a very fast speed blurring the lens as it does so, A loud singular off keyed twang of a stringed instrument is heard as the camera veers back to shore.
The stringed instrument continues to play a slow but strangely off melody key tone. From the shoreline two men are clearly seen watching the police officer make his way out to his seaplane, They stand motionless while wearing animal masks to obscure there faces,
The camera begins to move out slowly as another two people wearing face masks suddenly appear from behind the wall, They are bent down but slowly stand and also watch the sergeant as he makes his way back to the mainland. As soon as the second pair of masks appear another loud and off keyed twang of a stringed instrument is heard, The four people in masks are motionless and silent as they stare ahead into the water.
More splashing of water is heard from the red and blue boat as the sergeant stands and carefully makes his way inside the sea craft, The harbour master turns his head around as he watches the police officer carry out his affairs, The sergeant throws his brown bag into the open hatch with his left hand before stepping in.
Another twang of a keyed instrument is heard as yet another two masks appear from the ground up, Now there are six people in animal masks watching the police officer make his escape to the mainland.
Suddenly three more people wearing animal masks appear from the far left who also show an interest in Sergeant Howie's movements. From there shape they could be described as a teenage girl and two mothers, The teenager is wearing a blue jumper and has long brown hair and is leaning on the wall.
The sergeant places his right hand onto the seaplanes throttle while turning a key with his left hand.
To the sergeants dismay and disappointment the engine and the electronics have failed to ignite, The sergeant continues to turn the key as he takes his right hand away from the throttle but unfortunately there seems to be a technical problem with the seaplane.
Sergeant Howie places his right hand onto the seaplanes window ledge as he looks out and up at the engine and propellors, There is definitely a problem with the craft and it is failing to start.
Howie turns his head back around as he focuses on his headset, Howie grabs the headset with his right hand and will now check to see if there is a radio signal and power to the delicate electronics.
Howie takes his left hand away from the key ignition as he turns a dial on the headset to adjust the volume levels. Howie carefully places the left side speaker to his left ear to see if there is any power. At the same time the sergeant places his right hand onto a tuning dial to try and establish the problem he is now experiencing.
The harbour master shouts out to the sergeant as he begins to row back to shore, He say's, Have a good flight, then!, This causes the sergeant to look out of his window at the harbour master.
The harbour master is still very close to the seaplane as he rows backwards away from the craft, Howie places his right hand to the top of the window ledge as he begins to step out of the cockpit to investigate the problem further.
Another strange and off key twang of a stringed instrument is heard as Howie pulls and pushes himself out of the cockpit,
Howie looks down to the floor briefly before turning to his right, Howie will now inspect the rotors and engine to see if he can isolate the problem or with a bit of luck manually start the engine.
The sergeant carefully makes his way towards the engine and propellers as he looks down briefly again so that he does not loose his footing in the cramped space he has to move, Howie stands up as he looks directly at the propellers and engine.
Howie reaches up and places his right hand onto the propeller before placing his left hand also.
With a strong and forcefull action the sergeant pushes down onto the left side of the propellor in an attempt to manually start the engine,
A clacking cranking metalic sound is heard as the propellor turns one full cycle, the propellor moves from side to side briefly as it stops dead without any sign of an engine switching on.
Another strange off key twang of a stringed instrument is heard as the camera veers back to the unidentifiable strangers back at shore wearing animal masks.
Now that the May Day participants have shown there face it is now time for them to not show there faces, In an instant the mask wearing strangers duck back down below the wall all at the same time in a bizarre pact of madness. Sergeant Howie is completely unaware of the strangers watching him from a distance as he continues to try and get the seaplane to work.
Howie has decided to give the propeller another turn just in case the engine starts this time, The sergeant really wants to leave Summerisle so that he can report his findings to the chief constable of the West Highland constabulary but things are just not going to plan for the sergeant. Howie places both hands onto the left side propeller shaft for another turn,
Howie spins the propeller around with medium pressure.
Howie releases his hands as the propeller swivels around for another turn,
Again the propellers crank from side to side momentarily but there is still no power, Howie has become a little irritated and angry with the seaplanes performance as he stands in front of the engine wondering what he should do next.
Howie sticks his tongue out slightly as he looks around towards the harbour master who is making progress and is nearly back to the shoreline, A sound of splashing water is heard each time the rows hit the water line, The harbour master rows at a controlled and medium pace as he looks back over at the sergeant. Sergeant Howie shouts loudly back to the harbour master, "Hey, you come back here!
Sergeant Howies voice echoes as it travels over to the harbour master but the harbour master is completely oblivious to the sergeants calling and just continues to row.
Sergeant Howie is stuck as he cannot start the seaplane and will have no alternative but to go back to Summerisle until the plane can be fixed or an alternative mode of transport is made available.
Howie steps back inside his cockpit as the water splashes against the seaplanes hull. Howie retrieves his mega horn with his left hand before passing it over to his right, Howie then retrieves his police hat with his free left hand as he turns back out to the water.
Howie holds his Mega horn from just inside the cockpit with his right hand, (Seagulls can be heard squawking) Howie stands upright as he shouts through the horn, "I said, come back here!
Howie places his police hat on to his head with his left hand as he tries to contact the harbour master.
The harbour master can now hear the sergeants urgent words as he instantly turns his boat around to return back to the officer,
The harbour master looks away from the sergeant then back again as he continues to row at a medium pace of strokes.
The sergeant can do nothing until the harbour master has returned, He stands briefly towards the harbour master to ensure that he does return.
The sergeant bends slightly as he turns to face the cockpit so that he can replace his mega horn back inside. He drops it to the floor with his left hand as a low level plastic popping sound is heard.
The sergeant rests his right hand onto the cockpit window ledge while placing his left hand over his right while he waits for the slow return of the harbour master.
The red and blue painted boat rocks up and down from the friction of the water as the harbour master pulls in his right side oar slightly,
The harbour master turns to his left to pull in the left side oar so that they do not obstruct with the seaplane. A rumbling wooden sound is heard as the oars are pulled in. (Seagulls continue to squawk)
The sergeants left leg raises then lowers in quick fashion as he waits patiently for the harbour master,
As the harbour master nears the seaplane he say's with a concerning tone of voice, What's the matter? Won't she go? - (The boat rocks slightly)
Howie replies, "NO" The sergeant hesitates for a few seconds then replies loudly as he raises and shakes his right hand towards the harbour master, Has anyone been here? The harbour master replies loudly, Not to my knowledge sergeant
Water is heard lapping around the boat - The harbour master continues, If any of the children had been interfering with it,
The harbour master continues, I'm sure I would've seen them. Sergeant Howie instantly replies to the harbour master with a streak of irritability and frustration, He say's sternly, I warn you, (Howie hesitates) - you're obstructing a police officer.
The harbour master does not agree with the police officers words and begins to shake his head as he say's, I am not obstructing you, sergeant.
The harbour master is full of beans and does not like the police officers tone of voice but is helping him the best he can anyway, The harbour master turns his head and points over with his right index finger as he shakes it a couple of times towards a local fisherman, He say's, You could maybe get...
The harbour master continues - old Sam there to row you to the mainland. Old Sam the Fisherman is bending up and down in a rhythmic motion as he discards dead and rotten fish that have accumalated from inside the hull of his light blue painted fishing boat.
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The harbour master begins to chuckle as he now finds the sergeants situation a little amusing, The harbour master continues, You'd be back in a week. The harbour master chuckles some more to the police officers distaste.
As the harbour master continues to chuckle the sergeant just looks at the man without saying anything, (Seagulls squawking loudly overhead)
The sergeant looks at the harbour master with a sense of authority and mental toughness as he say's, Well, The sergeant hesitates before saying, I'll just have to find Rowan Morrison myself.
The term hobby horse is used, principally by folklorists, to refer to the costumed characters that feature in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. They are particularly associated with May Day celebrations, Mummers plays and the Morris dance in England. Hobby horses may be constructed in several different ways. The types most frequently found in the United Kingdom have been categorised as follows.
(The 2011 St.John's Mummers Parade)
Tourney horses are meant to look like a person riding a small horse that is wearing a long cloth coat or caparison (as seen in medieval illustrations of jousting knights at a tournament. A circular or oval frame is suspended around their waist, or chest, with a skirt draped over it hanging down to the ground. The frame has a carved wooden head, often with snapping jaws (operated by pulling a string) attached to it at one end, and a tail at the other. The "rider" may wear a cape or other flowing costume to help cover the frame. In the most elaborate versions, fake legs, meant to be those of the rider, hang down the sides of the skirt, though this seems to be a fairly recent development.
The bizarre, ancient May Day festival of the Obby Oss Hobby Horses cavort through the streets - Location - Padstow on Cornwall’s north coast
Sieve horses are a simpler version of the tourney horse. Known only in Lincolnshire, they are made from a farm sieve frame, with head and tail attached, suspended from the performer's shoulders. The performer wears a horse blanket (the kind that includes a headpiece with holes for the eyes and ears) that covers them and the sieve.
(Image Above - Girls jump and run with Hobby Horses at Geronimo - Arley Hall)
Mast horses are meant to represent the horse (or other animal) itself. They have a head made of wood, or sometimes an actual horse's skull is used; it usually has hinged jaws that can be made to snap. The head is attached to a stick about 1 m (3 ft) long. The person acting the creature is covered by a cloth attached to the back of its head; he (or, rarely, she) bends over forwards or crouches, holding the head in front of their own and resting the other end of the stick on the ground. A tail may be attached to the back of the cloth. When the cloth is long enough, such as the sheet used by the Welsh Mari Lwyd, the performer can also stand up, lifting the head in front of their face or above their head.
(Image to the Left - A woman makes a jump during a hobbyhorse competition.
The most famous traditional British hobby horses are probably those of the May Day 'Obby 'Oss festival in Padstow, Cornwall. They are made from a circular framework, tightly covered with shiny black material, carried on the shoulders of a dancer whose face is hidden by a grotesque mask attached to a tall, pointed hat. A skirt (made from the same material) hangs down from the edge of the frame to around knee-height. There is a small, wooden, horse's head with snapping jaws, attached to a long, straight neck, with a long mane, which sticks out from the front of the frame. On the opposite side there is a small tail of horsehair.There are two rival horses and their fiercely loyal bands of supporters at Padstow: the Old 'Oss is decorated with white and red, and its supporters wear red scarves to show their allegiance; the Blue Ribbon 'Oss (or "Peace 'Oss") is decorated with white and blue and its supporters follow suit. A "Teaser" waving a padded club dances in front of each 'Oss, accompanied, as they dance through the narrow streets, by a lively band of melodeons, accordians and drums playing Padstow's traditional May Song. The 'Osses sometimes capture young women beneath the skirt of the hobby horse; often they emerge smeared with black.
Children sometimes make "Colt" 'Osses and hold their own May Day parades.
Homer Sykes - Minehead Hobby Horse, Minehead Somerset 1972.
At Minehead in Somerset there are three rival hobby horses, the Original Sailor's Horse, the Traditional Sailor's Horse and the Town Horse. They appear on May Eve (called "Show Night"), on May Day morning (when they salute the sunrise at a crossroads on the ouskirts of town), 2 May and 3 May (when a ceremony called "The Bootie" takes place in the evening at part of town called Cher). Each horse is made of a boat-shaped wooden frame, pointed and built up at each end, which is carried on the dancer's shoulders. As at Padstow, his face is hidden by a mask attached to a tall, pointed hat. The top surface of the horse is covered with ribbons and strips of fabric. A long fabric skirt, painted with rows of multicoloured roundels, hangs down to the ground all round. A long tail is attached to the back of the frame. Each horse is accompanied by a small group of musicians and attendants. The Town Horse is accompanied by "Gullivers", dressed similarly to the horse but without the large frame; as at Padstow, smaller, children's horses have sometimes been constructed. The horses' visits are (or were) believed to bring good luck. In the past there was also a similar hobby horse based at the nearby village of Dunster, which would sometimes visit Minehead. The Minehead horse has also visited Dunster Castle on May Day.
At Combre Martin in Devon a custom called "The Hunting of the Earl of Rone" took place on Ascension Day until 1837, when it was banned. It was revived in 1974 and now takes place over the four days of Spring Bank Holiday. A fool and a hobby horse accompanied by grenadiers search the village for the Earl, who is finally captured, mounted onto a (real) donkey and paraded through the village. He is frequently shot at by the soldiers, falls from his mount, and is revived by the hobby horse and the fool, and returned to his mount. Finally, on reaching the beach, the Earl is executed and thrown into the sea.
Image Above - The Hunting of the Earl of Rone 2018 in Combe Martin. Picture: Tony Gussin
A New Year custom from the Isle of Man, involving a white-painted wooden horse's head with red-painted snapping jaws, with a white sheet attached. Draped in the sheet, a man would carry the head, racing unexpectedly into the room and chase any girls present out of the house, followed by the rest of the company. When the Laare Vane (white mare) caught a girl she would take his place under the sheet to carry the horse back into the house, sitting away from the others while a kind of sword dance was performed with sticks by six male dancers to the tune "Mylecharane's March" played on the fiddle. As the climax of the dance the fiddler would enter the circle of dancers and be imprisoned by their intertwined sticks; the dancers then, with wild cries, "cut off his head" and he fell to the ground. The "dead" fiddler was then blindfolded and led to the Laare Vane, and knelt with his head in her lap. Another person would question the fiddler about events in the coming year (particularly who would become Valentines and his replies were believed to be true predictions.
Image Above - Springtime at Ashford-in-the-Water Derbyshire.
In parts of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and around Sheffield there existed, into the early 20th century (and until 1970 at Dore a Christmas and New Year custom of going from house to house performing a short play or dramatised song called The Old Horse, T'Owd 'Oss or Poor Old Horse. The horse was of the "mast" type, constructed in a similar way to the Wild Horse of the Soul-cakers and the hooden horses of Kent. The earliest record is from 1840, at Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire. This type of performance still continues at Richmond, Yorkshire, at Christmas. Three men dressed in hunting pink lead a horse "made from the stuffed skin of a horse's head on a pole" and the man who plays it hidden under a horse-blanket. The men sing the Poor Old Horse song and the horse snapped its jaws at the end of each verse. The custom as now performed in Richmond Market Place around midday on Christmas Eve involves the horse's "death and resurrection" (he crouches down and then rises up when a hunting horn is blown.
A possibly unique custom involving three hobby horses is known only from a photograph taken at Winster Hall, Derbyshire in about 1870. (The picture appears to have been taken in winter, as the climbing plants on the wall are leafless.) Eight or nine performers are involved; all (bar one?) have facial disguise. The performers are grouped around a mast horse (possibly 'Snap Dragon'; see below) with a shiny black head made from a painted skull set on a short pole. Behind it are two men in threatening postures, one is waving a long stick like the handle of a brush or rake, the other probably a besom broom (blurred).
Two more men wearing military-looking jackets, buttoned to the neck, and white trousers stand astride small hobbyhorses of an apparently unique design: a cylindrical body, "about three inches diameter and two feet long", held between the rider's legs (supported at the front by a cord or narrow strap around the rider's neck), with a flat, curved wooden neck and a small, stylised head with snapping jaws (apart from their mouths, the horses look almost like simple rocking horse with the legs removed). The horsemen are masked in light-coloured cloth.
Another character wears a rather voluminous, tattered, long, dark dress; busily brushing the ground with a besom broom, "she" is reminiscent of the character Besom Bet who appears in some mummers plays. The last two characters are playing rough music on bladder fiddles.
Image Above - Winster Hall
Image Left - Llewellyn Jewitt, Historical Writer - The performance may have been arranged by Llewellynn Jewitt who lived at the hall between 1868 and 1880. In 1931, Stanley Evans ("Folk Dancing in Derbyshire", Derbyshire Countryside, vol 1, no 2, April 1931, p29) suggested the performers may have been performing a mumming play. Cawte dismissed this suggestion: "if so it is a most unusual one, there is no sign of the combatants, the pair of horses is of an unusual design, and the mast horse seems to be the centre of attention." In his field notes, made in 1908, folklorist Cecil Sharp referred to a hobby horse "without a curtain" being connected with the morris dance at Winster; he also mentions a "Snap Dragon" made from "a real horse's head" (skull?) dug up for the purpose, but does not say whether it was associated with the morris. It seems he did not see them himself and his account published in 1924, long after his visit to Winster, is confusing. In 1966, Winster morris dancers stated that there had never been a hobby horse associated with their morris, but that there had been a separate horse ceremony involving a skull that was reburied each year.In notes published after his death, Llewellynn Jewitt noted how, in 1867, a dozen or so groups of traditional performers (several groups of guisers, the Wensley mummers, 'The Hobby Horse' and the 'Snap Dragon') called at Winster Hall in just four days between Christmas and New Year. He noted that, on 27 December, "In the evening the Winster 'Snap Dragon' and 'Hobby Horse' conjoined came to us — ten men, one as Snap Dragon, two with Hobby Horses, two devils, etc., etc. We had them in the kitchen and gave them money." The photograph may well show one such "conjoined" team.
Image Above - Plough Monday in Swaffham Prior 1929 as collected by Enid Porter
Image Above - Molly men at the Plough Monday celebration on Monday 11th January 2010 at the Hythe in Maldon Essex (UK). In Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and some other parts of the East Midlands of England, mummers' plays were performed, on or around Plough Monday in early January, by teams known variously as Plough Stots, Plough Jags, Plough Jacks, Plough Bullocks or Plough Witches. In North Lincolnshire, large teams of elaborately costumed mummers, often having some of the characters duplicated, paraded through the village streets, sometimes splitting up into smaller groups to enter houses and perform extracts from their traditional play. Photographs of teams from Scunthorpe, Burringham, Scotter, Burton-upon-Staher and elsewhere showed double gangs with two hobby horses. They were of the sieve type, made by hanging the wooden frame of a large sieve, with a small wooden horse's head and horsehair tail attached, around the performer's waist, However, in an unusual variation, the "rider" was then disguised by wearing a horse-cloth which covered his head and body to the knees, so that he appeared to be a horse riding a horse.
Plough Monday is a tradition dating back to the 15th century. A plough is paraded through the town accompanied by Molly dancers with black faces and hobble-de-hoy peasant costumes. Plough Monday is the traditional start of the English agricultural year.
Plough Monday is always the first Monday after twelfth day. The day before Plough Monday called Plough Sunday.
The day traditionally saw the resumption of work after the Christmas period. A plough was hauled from house to house in a procession, collecting money. They were often accompanied by musicians, an old woman or a boy dressed as an old woman called Bessy and a man in the role of the 'Plough Pudding'.
In Maldon the procession starts at the Hythe then works its way through the town to finish at the Blue Boar after a mass dance in Silver Street. At the pub there's a ceremonial cutting and consumption of the unique Plough Pie washed down with the specially brewed Ploughboy Stout.
The Salisbury Giant and his kin
The Salisbury Giant, a 12 ft-tall (3.5m) figure sometimes said to represent Saint Christopher is a processional figure unique in Britain. The current figure's wooden frame was rebuilt c.1850 although it is probable that he existed in the 15th century. It rarely appears nowadays, being kept in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, along with its companion Hob-Nob, a tourney-type hobby horse, a mischievous character which used to clear the way for the Giant in the processions that were held by the Tailor's Guild on Midsummer's Eve. Hob-Nob's rider's face and body were disguised with a substantial veil. The first clear mention of the hobby horse is in 1572 (along with a "mayde Marrians Coate" in the records of the Tailors' Guild (who, in 1873, finally sold both hobby-horse and Giant to the Museum). The processions, which also involved morris dancers until around 1911, continued sporadically on various occasions into the mid 20th century.
The Salisbury Giant and HobNob
Stained Glass images above from the Victoria and Albert Museum London. A hobby horse is depicted in a stained glass window, dating from between 1550–1621, from Betley Hall, Staffordshire, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, directly below a Maypole and surrounded by what appears to be Morris Dancers (accession no. C.248-1976)
The Salisbury Giant and HobNob
A painting from c.1620, now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, shows Morris dancers by the Thames at Richmond their party includes a hobby horse.
Hodening or Hoodening
A custom which took place at, or in the lead-up to, Christmas in eastern Kent, involving a group of ploughmen or other farmworkers leading a Hooden Horse (a horse's head made of wood, set on a short pole, with snapping jaws (sometimes set with nails for teeth) operated by a person hidden under a piece of sacking or a stable-blanket to represent the animal's body). The custom, described as "only just extinct" by folklorist Violet Alford in 1952, has since been revived in various places.
The Thames at Richmond, with the Old Royal Palace, c.1620 (Oil
A wooden tapping sound is heard multiple times each time the hobby horse snaps its large jaws, A violin plays an adventurous melody as the dragon costume twists around, Bells attached to the hobby horses skirt tinkle with the movement of the large May Day extravaganza.
The May Day festival is well underway as the people of Summerisle venture out of there houses to enjoy a splendid day of fun and laughter.
Oak the Scottish strongman and regular customer at the Green man has the priveledge to control this magnificent costume, As the hobby horse turns in an anti clockwise motion the large jaws of the dragon snap and snap again creating more wooden sounds.
The small town has a maze of short side paths, tunnels, and alley ways that all interlink with one another, As the town is so old and very little repair work gets to be carried out the cobbled streets appear worn and mistreated but this just adds an extra effect to it's history and elegance. From a distance a large collection of brightly died clothes have been laid out on a timber frame for people to use as everyone has been instructed by Lord Summerisle to wear there best and most lavish garments, The wooden frame resembles a large animal with four legs and this is rather fitting as the theme every year is based on animals.
Suddenly from the bottom of the alley way Oak appears from the left inside his Dragon costume, Bells can be heard ringing and rattling in a mish mash of sound along with a fast paced middle toned trumpet that plays a continuous 4 notes in succession and then repeats,
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Oak turns his snap dragon to face down the corridor for a fleeting moment before turning again, (Snapping of the dragon is heard two times in quick succession) Suddenly light footsteps are heard - Without any warning Sergeant Howie appears from the right side of the street with his brown bag in his right hand, The sergeant is walking at a fairly fast pace as he continues his investigations, The sergeant has a deep conviction and belief that Rowan Morrison is alive and that her life is in very real danger, He can not allow an innocent child to be murdered for any reason if he can put a stop to it, The sergeant now has an inkling that something is very wrong with the islanders and he just wants to put his finger on it, As the sergeant passes the alley way he hears the snapping of dragon jaws and notices the large may day costume floating across the green grass from a distance and stops in his tracks,
The sergeant turns to face the long alley way with a sense of intrigue, The snapping sound of the dragon has caught the officers attention, The sergeant has an impulsive urge to follow the snap dragon as he slowly but hesitantly steps into the sun blocked entrance way.
As the sergeant continues into the alley way he begins to walk at a slightly faster pace as the snap dragon has gone out of view to the right side,
A high pitched recorder also shrieks at a continuous note and velocity to accompany the sound score, The sergeant is now completely engrossed in his investigations and is utterly determined to catch up with the snap dragon, He is keeping a distance but is completely dedicated to his work as he follows his robust morals and standards unlike the islanders he has to deal with. A fast tapping of feet is heard as the sergeant begins to run towards the green grass area in his bid to keep up with the snap dragon.
More Violin sounds are heard infused with the jingling of bells as the snap dragon emerges from a right side pathway, The snap dragons embroidered and highly integrated materials flow and weave with each movement that Oak takes, Oak brings the large oval dress down at the front as it snakes with the cool breeze then back up again as he veers around the corner. As Oak turns the corner and becomes straight the snap dragon tilts forward again, As Oak lifts the dragons head back to a level position the back of the skirt flails up and wisps in and out before coming back to a rest position.
The snap dragon quickly repeats the process as it lowers its head again then back up again in a continuous movement of rapidly flowing materials and ringing bells. The costume is providing the feeling and notion that the controller is riding the back of the dragon and is controlling it's every move, As dragons in fantasy are very hard to train this dragon has already been tamed and mastered for riding.
The snap dragon has got the better of the sergeant as it disappears down another maze of alleys and paths. The sergeant has decided that he will return to the street as he may spot the snap dragon coming back up and out of the many integrated intricate and networked passageways back paths and narrow streets, The sergeant is not running but is at a controlled pace as he attempts to locate Oak.
The sergeant reaches the top of the sun blocked alley way as he looks to his right,
The sergeant then quickly turns to his left as he looks down the street and into the distance, The sergeant huffs from the deluded disappointment of having been outsmarted by a dragon.
The sergeant sticks his tongue out slightly as he looks forward into the street while trying to find a solution and a direction to his now growing dilemma.
The sergeant turns to his right once again in an effort to locate the dragon costume, Being a police officer requires a good sense of direction and the officer is starting to get a real feel for the snap dragons movements as he navigates the alleys and pathways.
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Suddenly Oak and his snap dragon costume return back from the right side of the alleyway, When the sergeant ran down to the bottom of the alley at the very start he came back defeated, Oak had slipped up another alley but has now returned in a circular motion of movement, The dragon snaps loudly two times from its large wooden jaws as the bells ring out in a fuzz of metallic ambiance, The sergeant is also going around in circles and now faces away from Oak as he tries to locate him, Oak maybe enjoying the fun and the chase of the May Day festival and spirit but the sergeant is definitely not enjoying this game at the very slightest.
The snap dragon quickly turns in a clockwise motion as Oak floats away from his position once again but this time Oak moves to his left side which was the direction he came originally. The sergeant has heard the snapping of jaws and bells from behind him as he turns from the sounds that are echoing down the narrow tunnel,
(Violin continues to play) The sergeant stands momentarily as he absorbs the new information, In an instant the officer begins to run towards the end of the tunnel once again in a sort of cat and mouse type of scenario. From the direction of the camera the wall that was hidden from view from the very start of the scene and looking down from the sergeants viewpoint has now come into view. The second stone down from the top right has a middle square shaped section of grey with brown and orange colored center. This shape in my opinion has a striking resemblance to Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Also known as "The Book of the Dead" and "Naturom Demonto") is the antagonistic object in the Evil Dead Movie Franchise.
(Please click on the Necronomicon animation for furthur reading)
The sergeant begins to sprint back to the first sighting of Oak at a very fast pace.
The sergeant is running at full speed with his brown bag in his right hand, He is determined to catch the dragon as he is finding it difficult to locate anyone from the town at this moment in time and he has a thought that they may all be in one place considering it is May Day the 1st of May 1973.
The sergeants left hand flails around and around in the air as he runs back along the tunnel at speed, Fast rhythmic taps from the sergeants feet can be heard as he quickly makes his way forward.
The sergeant is exerting himself fully as he carries his heavy brown bag in his right hand. More violin sounds are heard
Oak makes his way around another corner as he keeps his hide and seek game going.
The camera quickly pans to the left past windows and doors producing a blurring effect as it focuses back onto the sergeant.
More tapping of feet is heard as the sergeant nears the end of the tunnel, The sergeant is still raising his left hand as he runs at speed.
The sergeant skids slightly on his feet as he reaches the end of the short alleyway, The sergeant rests his left hand onto the right side wall for support as he looks down to see if he can spot the elusive snap dragon. The sergeant hesitates for a mere second as he swings his brown bag out in front of him as he moves off in pursuit.
Suddenly Oak appears from another alleyway from the left hand side, As he reaches the middle of the tunnel he turns his costume around clockwise to face down the short cobbled entrance. Oak then snaps his dragons mouth two times in quick succession which produces a yak yak wooden sound which echoes down the darkened space.
The sergeant is moving at speed.
As the sergeant passes the alley way to his left he hears the yak yak sound which causes him to look to his left down the alleyway, He instantly spots Oak who has now moved off from his position once again, The sergeant stops just before he passes the alley and continues to look down at Oak who is now escaping to the right.
The sergeant quickly makes his way down the alley towards Oak in another bid to catch him, As he does so he suddenly changes his direction by stopping in his tracks and turning to his right briefly.
The sergeant has decided that he will try and play Oak at his own game and make him think that he is pursuing him down the alley when in fact he is going to carry on along the path in a hope that he can finally catch Oak off guard.
The sergeant quickly makes his way right in the direction he was going in just a few moments previous. These alley way scenes were filmed off the High Street, Kirkcudbright.
Sergeant Howie quickly makes his way down the street as he reaches another alley way to his left.
The sergeant turns into the alley way as he has a feeling that he might just catch up with Oak and his dragon costume if he plays the hide and seek game.
The sergeant tactically takes his time at first as he enters the alley so as not to be seen, After a few short seconds the sergeant decides he will run for it as he might be able to spot Oak from around another corner at the bottom of the cobbled street to the police officers left. As the officer runs down the cobbled path he quickly swaps his brown bag over from his right hand to his left.
Oak can be seen making his way to a set of wooden double doors to his left, These doors enter into the courtyard or town square where everyone meets every once in a while. Weddings, Birthday's, and family get together's are all organised and ran from the town square and as it is May Day today there will be many people gathered for fun and festivity celebrations.
1st The Wicker Man 1973
Image above - - 2nd What it looks like today - May Day Meeting Place. High Street, Kirkcudbright.
Oak is making haste as he turns in to the double doors, The snap dragons fabric from the back shakes and flows in all directions from the rapid leg movements Oak is making. The sergeant stands at the corner of the hall as he watches Oak make his escape inside the complex.
Oak enters the building as the sergeant looks on not wanting to be spotted at this point.
Loud chattering and laughter can be heard from inside the walls of the building as the sergeant makes his move along the path towards the double doors. The sergeants bag swings from side to side as he cautiously makes his way closer.
A Violin plays a highly energized and exciting melody from inside the court yard. The situation is heating up inside the meeting place as a large vat of hot tar is being tended to by an elderly gentlemen. The man is using a boats oar to stir the very hot and gooey liquid around and around. The sticky and bubbling goo emits bubbles of smoke and pops of fizz as the man stirs to ensure an even and consistent texture. (A continuous wave of white smoke emits from the hot vat including a bubbling rumbling sound)
The Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary Devon (Devon, 5 November)
Each barrel has been lined with tar or pitch over the previous year. Next, it is filled with straw. Then they pour in paraffin and set it alight, rolling it backwards and forwards until it’s nicely ablaze – at which point locals pick them up, put them on their shoulders, and run through the streets as flames flicker out the back. The only protection they have is potato sacks, folded over and stitched with wire, worn on their hands.
Nobody knows the origin. There have been fanciful tales of the Spanish Armada being sighted and a local lad using a barrel to light a warning beacon. But we really don’t know – and anyway, who cares? What matters is that it still happens now. It’s a wonderful event. Quite insane.
The camera pans up to reveal a table that is full of festival residents who are laughing and chatting among themselves.
As the camera veers more to the right a large man and a group of females can be seen, A lady sat down to the far right wearing a grey dress suddenly folds her right leg over her left as she leans forward and picks up a bowl of fruit with her right hand, her left hand also has a bowl but it is empty, The large man is pouring himself a bowl of soup from a large brown pot into a bowl, He holds the empty bowl in his right hand while pouring with his left. Three woman are sat down on the other side of the table and are chatting and laughing among themselves, A lady wearing a bright green and flowery dress is holding a bowl in her right hand that has a small spoon placed inside, The woman wearing a red jumper is looking right at the lady at the end of the table wearing a white top, She turns away and places both of her hands to the table before reaching down onto a bowl that has an abundance of freshly chopped fruit inside, She lifts the bowl up in celebration and happiness, A woman sat at the end of the table wearing a blue turquoise patterned dress is looking over to her right as she holds a bowl with both hands. Three face masks lay face up on the table including a Sun God round bread loaf. Four woman are standing behind the woman that are sat down, All four are wearing animal face masks and are chatting to each other, The woman stood furthest right wearing a white dress and flowery top raises both of her hands to the sides of her mask, she removes her right hand before removing her left as she looks directly at another woman who has long brown hair and a light brown and flowery dress. The two woman behind them are chatting and having a wonderful time.
The camera is in a continuous circular motion as more detail is revealed, Four horse carts of various capacity and design sit undisturbed against the outer walls of the ancient building. Sergeant Howie has decided that he will spy on the festival celebrations instead of going in to interrogate the happy islanders, His head and body can be seen peering through a small inlet just right of center, He feels that if he keeps a safe distance he will gain more knowledge than if he was to go in with all sirens blazing, He has tried this before and he knows that things are very difficult with the islanders and he is playing it safe.
The black cart to the far left is a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle - The second from the left has a coffin placed ontop with seating for four people, This is a Four-wheeled vehicle. These type of carraiges have many names – one for heavy loads is most commonly called a wagon. Very light carts and wagons can also be pulled by donkeys (much smaller than horses), ponies or mules. The third along has four bags of potatoes inside and is classed also as a two wheeled horse drawn cart. The last vehicle to the far right is a two wheeled cart.
In 1851, Albert Fry and John Fowler acquired Stratton & Hughes, a coach building firm. In 1855, Fowler moved to Leeds to establish his own manufacturing company. Albert's brother Thomas joined the firm, which traded as A&T Fry until 1866, when Thomas was elected as an MP. Albert Fry renamed the company the Bristol Wagon and Carriage Works Ltd in 1866 and the company moved to a new factory on 13 acres at Lawrence Hill. The factory had extensive engineering facilities including foundries for iron and brass, carpentry and coach painting, and supplied rolling stock to railways around the world. By 1883, the company's Lawrence Hill works employed over 900 people.
Image Above - John Fowler
Fowler was a young Quaker from Melksham Wiltshire who came to the North- East in 1847 to learn to be an engineer with the Middlesbrough firm of Gilkes, Wilson, Hopkins and Company. Two years later, the company sent him to Ireland where he was so shocked by the aftermath of the potato famine that he jacked in his job and dedicated his engineering skills to alleviating the distress of the Irish poor.
In 1850 in Bristol, he set up a firm with Albert Fry – of the Quaker family of chocolatiers – to build horse-drawn drainage ploughs.
These wowed the crowds at the 1851 Great Exhibition, and the Irish peasants used them to drain their peat bogs.
Steam ploughing engine made by John Fowler & Co., Leeds, England, ... 1889. Powerhouse Museum collection. B2265.
Fowler wanted more efficiency and wanted steam power, He contacted Joseph Pease from Darlington for advice who put him in touch with Robert Stephenson who allowed him the use of his factory that was situated on the banks of the Tyne, Stephenson offered him the chance to win £500 as a prize being offered by the Royal Agricultural Society of England for the first person to invent a machine that could plough a field after mathematical calculations quicker than horsepower. Fowlers conducted experiments and placed his steam engines on either side of a field and joined them with a cable. To the cable he attached a plough. The engines pulled the plough across the field, flipped it over and then sent back to the other side of the field. In 1856, Fowler announced that by this mechanical method, he was ploughing an acre an hour – but the Royal Society computed that horses, although slower, were still 2½d-an acre cheaper.
1916-built John Fowler & Co. 'K7' 12nhp ploughing engine, "Linkey"
Perhaps to compensate, Fowler returned to Darlington and asked Mr Pease for the hand of his daughter, Elizabeth, and they were married in the Friends Meeting House in Skinnergate on July 30, 1857. The following year after considerable hard work and fine tuning Fowler achieved a steam powered plough that could process a much greater work load than horsepower, Fowler satisfied the Royal Society’s mathematicians, won the enormous first price, and his device and his fame went global. Egypt and Hungary were two early adopters of the Fowler steam plough. The inventor used his prize to set himself up in business in Leeds – to this day at steam fairs you can spot Fowler traction engines by the distinctive roundel on their fronts. He employed 400 men and 32 patents to his name – everything from his ploughing equipment to a device for laying electric telegraph cables.
After the initial rush for Fowler's new ploughing engines the company looked for other products they could add to their range. From 1866 they started producing railway locomotives. This image is of a 150hp 0-4-0 Fowler diesel shunter.
But the pressure of running a steam factory grew until he was fit to burst. His doctor diagnosed stress and prescribed vigorous outdoor activity. Fowler started energetically riding the 12 miles into work every day.
His symptoms persisted and his doctor prescribed him even more vigorous activity, He began hunting with hounds but one day Out in the field in November 1864, he tumbled from his horse, broke his arm, tetanus set in and he died on December 3, 1864. He was just 38, and left Elizabeth with five young children. He was buried in the Skinnergate graveyard, and the Peases were so upset that they commissioned the imposing granite memorial. They placed it in the grounds of the Pierremont mansion, off Woodland Road, which belonged to Elizabeth’s uncle, Henry Pease. In the 1870s, Henry’s lavish pleasure gardens were open to the public and drew thousands of visitors from across the region.
But when Henry died in 1881, the gardens closed, and the granite block, with plough on top, was taken to South Park.
There it remains to this day. Even though it is without its model plough.
This Fowler Showmans Road Locomotive, YA 44, "Sir John Fowler" was Built in 1905.
With the repeal of the restrictive Red flag traffic laws in the UK in 1896, new opportunities arose in commercial road transport, and the works became involved in building the Thornycroft steam wagon, with their steam tipper wagon being described as built by the Bristol Wagon and Carriage Company but engined by Thornycroft, leaving it unclear which party made the chassis. In 1905 the company filed a patent for a 4½ hp. petrol agricultural stationary engine and the first engine was exhibited at the Smithfield Show in 1906. The manufacture of internal combustion engines became an increasing focus for the company. In 1915 Falconar Fry became a joint managing director of the company. Growing competition from R.A. Lister and other engine manufacturers caused the company's financial position to weaken.
The agricultural sales part of the business was sold to Mr. A. M. Wilmot, and the remainder of the company was acquired by the Leeds Forge Company in 1920 and railway-related manufacturing was moved to their factory in Leeds. Leeds Forge was itself acquired by the Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, which subsequently became the Metro Cammell engineering company. The factory site and properties were sold by auction to the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co on July 24 1924. The Bristol Wagon & Carriage Works supplied carriages to a number of notable railways around the world, including the Exeter Tramways in 1892, the City and South London Railway in 1894, the Ffestiniog Railway in 1896 and the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in 1897.
The square is very busy and most people are in attendance as they laugh and chatter amongst themselves, Lord Summerisle is also present as he is overseeing proceedings this fine day, He jigs up and down on the spot with hands held high before putting his right leg forward,
He then looks down as he parts both of his legs before closing them and then repeats, Four woman have just entered the court yard and are walking forward from the left hand side, Each woman that has just entered is holding a mask in there hands, The mask in the first ladies hands who is wearing a red and white spotted dress swings from side to side as she holds it by a piece of cord that attaches to the face. Two of the four woman stood up from the right side hold there masks with both hands as the one to the right brushes her hair slightly with her left hand. The woman to the left wearing a brown flowery dress is placing her animal mask back to her face, while the woman to the right is also placing her mask to her face. The woman wearing a grey dress who is sat at the table to the left is laughing ecstatically as she leans back onto her chair. The large man wearing a white shirt raises his right hand as Alder Macgregor moves away from his position to his left. Alder is wearing his punch or Jester hat and is also holding a jesters bauble that has bells attached to the end on leather flails. As he walks around the tables he swings out with his jesters bauble that also has a large rubber balloon attached to the end. Everyone has a lot of energy and are full of happiness and motivation as they giggle and frolic, between themselves. Oak is moving his snap dragon up and down in a continuous motion as he dances to the violin and the atmosphere.
Sergeant Howie is still observing the party festivities, He suddenly moves his head slightly as his eyes focus to his left hand side. (A loud scream of a girl is heard)
An abundance of large bread loaves are laid out on a wooden table including another well cooked and slightly blackened Sun God circular bread. Alder is in a dancing and energetic mood as he raises his left hand and shakes his bauble in front of two young woman, (A sound of jingling bells is heard) Two women in front of Alder are talking among themselves, As Alder shakes his bauble towards the woman to the left it makes contact with the woman's right side face, (A low level smack sound is heard) she instantly retorts with shock and immense fun at the surprise move by Alder, She raises her left hand up and leans back from the antics of Alder.
The lady to the left wearing a white jumper and red dress is extremely happy as she looks at the snap dragon costume, Alder shakes his bauble in the direction of the large man wearing a white shirt that just misses his left side cheek, This causes the man to raise his right hand and shake and point his index finger at Alder with slight rejection and surprise as he opens his mouth wide and speaks a few inaudible words to Alder, Lord Summerisle speaks over to Oak and say's loudly as he begins to walk to his right, Everything under control, Oak? -
Oak replies, Aye, my Lord. Suddenly Ash Buchanan and two woman walk past the front of Oak and the Lord as they move to there right. Oak moves his snap dragon costume up and down in a rhythmic motion before turning his head to the left.
Lord Summerisle walks around the side of Oak as he mingles and greets his loyal subjects. The Lord smiles brightly at Ash Buchanan and his lady friends as he continues to walk around. Bells continue to jingle including the excited violin composition)
An oldish man wearing a grey suit and purple tie holds a glass of beer in his right hand, He is extremely happy and jovial as he looks over at Oak, Oak on the other hand seems a little subdued and is in thought as the mayhem evolves around him. The man in the grey suit raises his left hand up and reaches over for Oak's beard, He is showing extreme signs of fascination with Oak's beard and has an urge to touch it. A woman wearing glasses and a blue turquoise dress stands next to a young and happy girl, As Oak shakes the snap dragon costume up and down the two females grab and caress the flowing material with extreme excitement as the oval shape raises up.
The man wearing a grey suit suddenly raises his beverage as he holds onto Oaks long beard, Lord Summerisle has spotted someone he knows just in front of him as he beams with happiness.
As Lord Summerisle makes his way to Alder the man wearing a grey suit places his drink onto the lips of Oak and lifts the glass up so that Oak can get some refreshment. This act of sharing has created a euphoria inside the man and his face widens into a huge smile of happiness. Another woman sat down at a table across the way wearing a blue turquoise dress also turns and notices the mayhem of Oak drinking from the glass, She laughs and finds the situation very amusing indeed.
Alder also watches the man in a grey suit share his beer with Oak,
Aldar is elated to meet with his master Lord Summerisle, His face beams with stupendous admiration and love for his master, Lord Summerisle say's as he points his right index finger at Alder, Now, Mr MacGreagor
Lord Summerisle continues, I trust we aren't going to have to let out your costume again this year. Alder umms with delight as he replies, I think I'll manage my Lord, The four women who are standing to the back of the courtyard are all conferring with themselves in jubilation, The woman wearing a brown animal mask holds both of her hands to her chin as she quickly glances over at Lord Summerisle before turning and speaking some words to her friend stood in front of her. Her friend then turns her head and looks over at Oak and Lord Summerisle as she has been updated with some exciting and meaningful vocabulary. The large man wearing a white shirt to the left suddenly picks up a bowl of soup from the table with his right hand as he looks over in elation. Oak is flipping his snap dragon up and down in a continuous rhythm as he drinks beer from the glass. The sound of bells ring and ting including the violin.
But ahh - Alder looks down at his shirt to empathize the shrinking of his costume but he can still fit into it, Alder say's as he looks back at the Lord, it does seem to shrink a little each year. The man wearing a grey suit suddenly pulls the glass of beer away from Oak's mouth as he holds it up high with his right hand, He begins to walk away from Oak to his right as he continuous to look at Oak with a face of extreme happiness and jovial spirit. Oak looks to his right as he continues to raise the snap dragon costume up and down. The man in the grey suit looks over at the Lord as he walks past with complete elation before turning his head and walking off across the court yard.
Lord Summerisle nods his head positively two times as he agrees and understands Alders words,
Lord Summerisle nods his head positively two times as he agrees and understands Alders words, The Lord yeahs with happy contemplation as he walks off chuckling to his left back the way he had came leaving Alder to continue his fun and games with the islanders.
The elderly man in a blue shirt continues to stir the hot and black tar with both hands as the Lord continues to walk further to his left. The man in the grey suit holding a glass of beer suddenly stops and turns around as he beams with elation for the day.
Alder is feeling the part of Punch as he looks down while raising his left hand and sweeping it down almost touching the end of his bauble that he has tucked under his left arm. A woman wearing a dark purple dress turns slightly to her left and say's a few words to her friend who is wearing a light blue dress, The two woman then walk off to there right, Another two women are walking to the left, One is wearing a white and blue dress while the other wears a white patterened dress. (Bells are heard from the bauble)
Alder then stands to attention as he points the end of the bauble at an angle while looking slightly to his right. A woman to the left who wears a white dress is cutting bread with a knife, her right hand moves up and down in a rhythmic motion as she slices evenly, The woman looks down then back up again at Alder as she laughs with a high pitched delight from Alders antics. A woman who stands next to her raises her left hand to her right side cheeks before reaching down with her right hand to pick up a piece of bread. A woman to the far right wears a rainbow colored jumper, She wears glasses and has long black hair, She suddenly raises her left hand to her left side face and hair and brushes down in a circular motion.
A man is heard shouting loudly "Order has said" Lord Summerisle raises his right hand high as he greets his loyal islanders as he makes his way over to the stage. (The violinist continues to play his melody) A man stood at the far back is playing bagpipes while most people are standing as they wait for an important speech from the Lord himself. Two men wear stag face masks that they hold to there faces with a long white pole. The harbour master can be seen stood in the center of the crowd while the local grave digger is stood by the back wall next to a lead diamond patterned window.
Ash Buchanan and his two lady friends are also pushing there way through the crowd towards center stage. A woman wearing a bright yellow dress who has long black hair laughs as she fleetingly looks to her right at a man wearing a light blue shirt who has a drink in his right hand. She looks back at the man as she say's something inaudible as the man smiles with delight, The woman also smiles with intense happiness before turning to face the stage. Lord Summerisle nods forward as he greets his faithful devotees.
Suddenly a loud sound of crashing cymbals is heard to make the crowd aware that silence is now required, A man to the left wearing a stag face mask begins to rapidly shake his mask in a rhythmic motion from left to right as he disappears from view to the left.
The harbour master turns his head around as Ash Buchanan and his lady friends come closer, He smiles with happiness before turning his head back around. The cymbal sound causes a man wearing a blue shirt to the right to look around for a fleeting moment before turning to face center stage.
A young girl wearing a deep blue dress suddenly confers with her friend as she points over with her right hand and looks over at the stage, The other girl wearing a purple and dark blue dress turns away from her friend and also looks at the stage as something of interest is about to happen. Ash Buchanaan and his lady friends are still slowly making there way into the crowd as they block the two girls from view. The girl wearing the purple and dark blue dress looks up at Ash Buchanan as he travels passed her. The girl is very happy as she turns her head and looks forward almost as if she is looking directly at the camera.
Lord Summerisle has almost made his way over to a short set of steps that lead up to a stage level platform, The local grave digger is stood just by the stairs as he holds a drink in his right hand, He does not seem to have bothered getting lavishly dressed for the occasion but has arrived still wearing his mucky overalls. The young girl flicks her hair to the right as she enjoys the occasion with intense elation, A trio of Musicians continue to play there wind instruments next to the lead diamond window as they blow with intense effort.
The oil and collage paintings Three Musicians were painted in France in 1921 by Pablo Picasso. The paintings feature three musicians, dressed as a monk, Pierrot, and Harlequin, the latter two being stock characters from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte.
Lord Summerisle is very happy as he makes his way up a short few steps.
It's all becoming just a little bit too much for the young girl as she looks up at the sky with eyes closed and mouth wide open, Broom the steward for Lord Summerisles estate is also present and can be seen standing very close to the Lords presence. Broome nods his respect to Lord Summerisle as he nears the stairs
The harbour master raises his right hand high as the Lord nears the top of the stairs, A man wearing a yellowy green top is holding a pair of cymbals in his hand as he looks on over at the harbour master. (One of the musicians who is sat down near the leaded window plays a large trombone instrument)
The Lord hops the last stair as he stands facing the eagerlly waiting crowd.
A man wearing a light brown jumper and wearing glasses stands facing away from Lord Summerisle and has a solemn almost hostile expression on his face.
The Lord reaches the stage top and turns to his right as he raises both of his hands high in the air towards the trio of musicians to signal that he would like silence. (One of the musicians is playing a Trumpet) The Lord then lowers his hands slightly lower as he maintains there position for a fleeting moment. A deep rumbling sound is heard that is mixed with the instruments. All goes silent as everyone stops what they are doing so that they can hear the important words from there Lordship. The last few notes of the Scottish bagpipes ring out into the air before quietness creeps into the grounds of the courtyard. One man to the far right carries a silver sword and has a moment of deep thought and contemplation on his son god deities, He is deeply affected and brainwashed by Lord Summerisle and is envisaging his rebirth and renewal,
Sergeant Howie is still stood by the window gap outside the thick walls of the court yard, He has been very careful as to not have been spotted as he hides behind the wall, As the Lord begins to speak the sergeant slowly moves his head a little closer to the center of the gap so that he can get a good view and understanding of the speach the Lord is about to say, The Lord say's loudly, My Friends, enough now.
Lord Summerisle turns his head to face his left side as he say's loudly, We shall all reassemble
(The Lord turns his head to face forward as he continues) outside the town hall
(Lord Summerisle turns back to his left) - at 3:00 sharp, Lord Summerisle raises his eyebrows as he emphasizes that he requires everyone to be on time
Lord Summerisle turns to face forward once again for a fleeting moment as he looks on at the eager and excited crowd before turning back to his left and saying, And then (Lord Summerisle looks forward again as he say's,) process (Raises eyebrows) through the village (Turns to his left) and the countryside (Nods forward) down to the beach (Looks forward) below the stones by the route (Looks left) which has become sacred to (Looks forward) our rite. (Nods forward).
The Lord looks up slightly as he raises his eyebrows and say's, This year (Turns to his Left) at the procession's end, (Looks forward) as has already been proclaimed, (Nods down) (Turns to his right) a holy sacrfice (Looks forward) will be (Looks left) offered up (Raises eyebrows) jointly
Lord Summerisle turns to his right as he faces a large flag that has the image of Nuada imprinted on it, The Lord say's, to Nuada (The Lord raises his right hand as he directs his followers to contemplate the Sun God deity.
The Lord continues, our most sacred God of the Sun. The flag blows in and out from the cool breeze. The flag suddenly has a life force of it's own as it blows in and stays in position creating a slight bend to it's surface, The lord continues, and to Avellenau,
Image above - Nuada the Sun God by Jim FitzPatrick - Nuada Airgetlám of the Silver Hand (Also spelled Nuadu, Nuadha, Airgeadlámh) was the God-King of the Tuatha Dé Danann before they came to Ireland and for some time after.
Nuada Airgetlám (Nuada of the Silver Hand/Arm), also known as Nuadu or Nuadha was the first king of the Tuatha de Dannan. He lost his arm in the First Battle at Mag Tuirad in combat against the Fir Bolg champion Sreng rendering him ineligible for the throne as he was no longer physically perfect. He was replaced by Bres. Later, his arm was replaced by a silver one by the physician Dian Cecht and the wright Creidne and later he received a real arm from Dian Cecht's son Miach and his sister. After Bres had ruled for seven years, Nuada was restored as King. Bres attempted to retake the throne by force, rallying the Fomorians against the Tuatha de Dannan and Nuada stepped down in favor of Lugh who he felt was far more skilled and able to handle the threat. Nuada was killed and beheaded in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired by the Fomorian champion Balor. Lugh in turn killed Balor and led the Tuatha de Dannan to victory. Nuada's sword was one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha de Dannan. The present day town of Maynooth is named for him. (Maigh Nuada, or the Throne of Nuada). Nuada is associated the Gaulish and British God Nodens and the Welsh God Nud or Ludd Llaw Eraint. He rules over healing, the Sun, childbirth, youth, beauty, ocean, dogs, poetry, writing, sorcery, magic, weapons, and warfare.
Image above - Avellanau Goddess of the Orchards -
Lord Summerisle continues, the beloved goddess ( Turns Left raises eyebrows) of our orchards, (Looks forward) in order that we may
(Looks Left) furnish them with renewed power, (Looks forward)
Sergeant Howie has listened to every word that Lord Summerisle has said and now knows that there is a further meeting and procession at 3:00pm sharp, Birds can be heard softly tweeting) Sergeant Howie looks to his left for a fleeting moment then forward again into the court yard before turning to his left again and moving away from the window gap. Lord Summerisle continues, To quicken the growth of our crops. The Lord emphasizes the word crops and adds his own zeal and deep meaning to the pronunciation.
Sergeant Howie has seen and heard enough and is now very deeply stuck in a situation that he does not know how to get out of or can really solve at this moment in time, He knows that Rowan Morrisons life is in danger and he cannot allow any harm to come to her, Howie quickly leaves the area so that he is not found out peeping onto the islanders May Day festival activities.
Suddenly Lord Summerisle raises his right hand high in the air and shouts out loudly with a deep passion and deliverance, "Hail the Queen of the May! The lord shakes his hand slightly on the last word to heighten the expression.
The response from the heaven crowd is decisive as they all raise there hands in unison and shout out loudly, Hail the Queen of the May! in jubilation and victory. Lord Summerisle faces forward as he smiles with passion, The Lord follows the highly energized response by mimicking with his mouth but no sound is coming out,
The May Queen or Queen of May is a personification of the May Day holiday, and of springtime and also summer.
Today, the May Queen is a girl who must ride or walk at the front of a parade for May Day celebrations. She wears a white gown to symbolize purity and usually a tiara or crown. Her duty is to begin the May Day celebrations. She is generally crowned by flowers and makes a speech before the dancing begins. Certain age-groups dance round a Maypole celebrating youth and the spring time.
Sir James George Frazer linked the figure of the May Queen to ancient tree worship. Some modern interpretations give the tradition a sinister twist, suggesting that the May Queen and/or May King was put to death once the festivities were over. In the High Middle Ages in England the May Queen was also known as the "Summer Queen". George C. Homans points out: "The time from Hocktide, after Easter week, to Lammas (1 August) was summer (estas)."
In 1557, a London diarist called Henry Machyn wrote:
"The xxx day of May was a goly May-gam in Fanch-chyrchestrett with drumes and gunes and pykes, and ix wordes dyd ryd; and thay had speches evere man, and the morris dansse and the sauden, and an elevant with the castyll, and the sauden and yonge morens with targattes and darttes, and the lord and the lade of the Maye".
Image Left - Peter Adams via Getty Images - A May Queen leads a procession. Modern English: On the 30 May was a jolly May-game in Fenchurch Street (London) with drums and guns and pikes, The Nine Worthies did ride: and they all had speeches, and the morris dance and sultan and an elephant with a castle and the sultan and young moors with shields and arrows, and the lord and lady of the May.
Image Above - Hayfield May Day 2014. Many areas keep this tradition alive today. The oldest unbroken tradition is Hayfield, Debyshire based on a much older May Fair. Another notable event includes the one in the Brentham Garden Suburb, England which hosts it annually. It has the second oldest unbroken tradition although the May Queen of All London Festival at Hayes Common in Bromley is a close contender having been in existence for 105 years as of 2017. A May Day festival is held on the village green at Aldborough, North Yorkshire on a site that dates back to Roman times and the settlement of Isurium Brigantum. A May queen is selected from a group of 13 upward girls by the young dancers. She returns the next year to crown the new May Queen and stays in the procession. The largest event in this tradition in modern Britain is the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. A May Day celebration held annually since 1870 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada has the distinction of being the longest running May Day celebration of its kind in the British Commonwealth.
A light thudding sound is heard as Mrs Morrison slices a large Inca relic cake into large pieces, The thick icing and marzipan center is very sweet to the tongue,
As Mrs Morrison pushes down with both of her hands the cake is separated at the feet, The sound from the islanders cheering in the courtyard can be heard from inside Mrs Morrisons shop, "Hail the Queen of the May is still being praised and shouted from a short distance away.
Mrs Morrison moves further up the cake for another slice of the soft sponge and sweet jam filling. "Hail the Queen of the May"
A ringing and tinging is heard as someone has just entered the sweet store, Myrtle is looking down at the delicious cake and is waiting patiently so that she can try a piece for herself, Mrs Morrison twists the cake knife around with her right hand as she begins to slice the second piece of cake into two pieces, As she pushes down onto the soft sponge cake the sound of the door bell ringing causes her to look up to see who it might be.
Mrs Morrison now has the fine company of Sergeant Howie as he quickly walks on over to her, The sergeant shows a face of anger irritability and confusion as he approaches the woman, Mrs Morrison is in a happy mood as she say's, Why, Sergeant, I thought you'd gone back. The sergeant is out of breath as he huffs while looking directly at Mrs Morrison, Sergeant Howie begins to speak to the shop owner in a soft tone of voice but with a sense of urgency, Howie say's, Mrs Morrison, Howie pauses momentarilly before saying, I don't know if you know it or not, but Rowan is not dead,
Howie continues, they've got her hidden somewhere. Mrs Morrison instantly looks up at the police officer as she blinks strongly before saying with confusion, They? Mrs morrison stops her hand movements and is frozen as the sergeant replies as he nods his head forward several times to express his concern, If you know where she is, I beg you to tell me now before it's too late. Myrtle is looking at the sergeant before looking down then back up at Howie, Myrtle looks back down again then back at the sergeant then at Mrs Morrison then back down again.
Mrs Morrison begins to cut the cake once again as a low level thud is heard as she hits the bread board from underneath, Mrs Morrison responds to Howie's concerned words with a sense of confidence, Sergeant, I've already told you... Mrs Morrison looks back down at the Inca cake breaking eye contact with the police officer,
Sergeant Howie has become rather angry and frustrated at Mrs Morrisons disconcern for the missing girl, Howie shouts loudly, In the name of God, woman!, Howie's face muscles twitch and spasm from the intense pressure he is feeling at this moment in time,
Howie continues, What kind of mother are you, Howie continues, What kind of mother are you, Howie pauses momentarilly then say's, That can stand by and see your own child slaughtered?. Howie nods forward rapidly with his anger and frustrations,
Mrs Morrison looks away slightly avoiding eye contact before looking back at the angry sergeant as she places her left hand onto the work surface, Mrs Morrison speaks softly and does not seem to upset by the sergeants strong and angry words, Mrs Morrison say's, Sergeant, If I were you, (Mrs Morrison nods negatively rapidly) I would go back to the mainland. (Myrtle is eating a piece of cake as she looks at her mother while chewing) (Mrs Morrison nods negatively) Stop interfering in things that are no concern of yours. (Myrtle looks back at her cake as she continues to chew then at Howie)
Howie replies with a sincere conviction as he speaks clearly, I am going to search every house in this place during the next few hours, and if anybody,
Howies voice increases with loudness, including you stands in my way,
Howie continues, they'll be arrested as accomplices to murder. Myrtle is eating her cake as she looks at the sergeant clearly understanding his words as she continues to chew, Mrs Morrison is now looking at the officer with a more serious and slightly disheveled expression,
Mrs Morrison hesitates then nods negatively as she speaks with a quiet and soft voice undeterred by the sergeants harsh words, She say's, You'll simply never understand (Raises eyebrows) the true nature (Mrytle looks at Mrs Morrison) of sacrifice. Mrytle has returned to her cake as she takes a large bite showing little regard for the officers presence.
Sergeant Howie stares at Mrs Morrison for a few short seconds with a serious face of concern before quickly leaving the shop.
The sergeant rapidly exits the door to the street while contemplating his next move, The door bell is heard ringing and tinging as howie opens the door, As Howie begins to walk away he speaks to himself out loud with more vexation, "Heathens!
The sergeant slams the door behind him as a loud bang of wood is heard, (More door bell ringing is heard) As Howie steps away from the door he repeats his words but with more anger this time, "Bloody heathens!
Sergeant Howie is true to his word as he begins to search the small town for any trace or sighting of the missing girl,(Howie walks at a fast pace along the street) (A violin begins to play a tangy composition) (Howies feet can be heard tapping lightly on the concrete floor) As the sergeant approaches a door he raises his left hand up and maintains the position as he nears a door bell.
Howie reaches the door bell as a ringing of a bell is heard (The bell rings similar to a school bell at a fast pace of drings.)
Suddenly two young girls appear at there upstairs bedroom window from the sound of the bell, They are both wearing cat animal masks are are peering down at the sergeant, Both girls shout out to Howie with high pitched voices at the same time, "Yes" Howie looks up and responds with a tone of annoyance and authority, He say's, "Take those masks off" The girls hesitate for a split second before replying in unison and with a tone of defiance, "NO"
Howie stands motionless with his hands by his side as he replies from the girls disrespect for police authority, He shouts with a robust tone of voice, "Take them off! The violin that provides the sound score begins to speed up in tempo and rhythm
The sergeants second verbal command causes the girls to comply with the sergeants wishes, The girl to the right instantly begins to remove her cat mask with her left hand as the other girl continues to look down at the irritated officer, As the girl to the right raises her head and the mask is slid upwards and over her head the other girl to the left begins to remove her mask also with her right hand.
The girl to the right slides down her hair with her left hand while the girl to the left continues to look at the sergeant as she raises her mask to the top of her head, She then releases her right hand and brushes her hair down with it, Once both girls have raised there masks they smile brightly with happiness as they look on down at the police officer.
The sergeants loud vocabulary and the ringing of the door has now brought the children's mother to the door, A clank of wood is heard as the front door opens, The woman has a stern and strict facial feature set and has glazed eyes, She is rather annoyed at the sergeants antics and is disliking him ordering her children around, She speaks with vexation as she say's, What do you think you're doing? The woman looks at the sergeant silently as she waits for an answer. The sergeant replies with a serious tone of voice, Searching every house!
Sergeant Howie continues as he pushes his way into the house with his right hand, "for a missing child. "The two girls continue to look out of there bedroom window" A guitar begins to play along with the fast rhythm of the violin, It is a slow but middle tempo chord.
The sergeant nods forward slightly as he pushes his way into the property, As he passes the woman he raises his left hand and touches the woman's right arm gently as he carefully makes his way inside. (The woman holds an owl mask in her left hand and is clearly in preparation for the festivities later on in the day. The woman is not amused at the sergeants robust authority but can do nothing as she stands looking at the man.
Howie enters into a bedroom on the ground floor as he immediately walks on over to a pair of dark green curtains in front of him.
The sergeant seems to know where he is going as he makes his way over to the static curtains.
Howie raises his right hand as he moves the curtain to his right, The sergeant looks behind as a swooshing sound is heard from the curtains fabric, He quickly peeps behind but finds nothing of any interest so focuses his attention to the long draping curtains to his left. A ruffling sound is heard as the curtain edge moves from the sergeants hand,
Howie pulls the curtains apart with his left hand as he looks behind to see if there is any thing to indicate that a girl may be hiding or even in captivity. The curtains sway in and out from a cool breeze that is being created from a large open space behind, Howie stands motionless for a few seconds as he ponders on the possibility that Rowan may be inside,
Suddenly the sergeant pushes the curtain to a fully open pushing with his left hand, A grating sound of metal is heard as the curtain hooks skate across there rail, Howie has now revealed a large darkened hole in the wall that has sparked the officers excitement and thoughts, Just maybe just maybe Rowan can be located here.
Howie steps in and over a small ledge with his right leg before venturing inside the hidden passageway.
Howie pauses momentarily as he rests his left hand on the left side wall as he veers his head around into the darkness, Howie does not want to take any risks as he understands quite clearly now that his life may also be in danger from the deeply patriotic heathens.