'Obby 'Oss festival

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Padstow, in Cornwall, UK is internationally famous for its traditional 'Obby 'Oss day (dialect for Hobby Horse). Held annually on 1 May, the day celebrates the coming of Summer.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Festival practice 2.1 Night song 2.2 Day Song 3 Similar Hobby-Horses 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External links

[edit] Origins

The origins of the celebrations in Padstow are unknown. There is extensive documentary evidence of British community May Day celebrations in the 16th century^[1], including an Obby 'Oss mentioned in the Cornish language drama Beunans Meriasek.

It has been speculated that such festivals have pre-Christian origins in the Celtic festival of Beltane.^[2] It has also been proposed that the worship of horse deities such as Epona was found in ancient Celtic societies.

[edit] Festival practice

The festival itself starts at midnight on May 1st with unaccompanied singing around the town starting at the Golden Lion Inn. By the morning, the town is dressed with greenery, flowers and flags, with the focus being the maypole. The climax arrives when two groups of dancers dancers process through the town, one of each team wearing a stylised recreation of a 'horse.' The two 'osses are known as the "Old" and the "Blue Ribbon" 'osses. During the day a number of "Junior" 'osses appear, operated by children. Accompanied by drums and accordions and led by acolytes known as "Teasers", each 'oss is adorned by a gruesome mask and black frame-hung cape under which they try to catch young maidens as they pass through the town. The Blue ribbon oss is apparently of more recent origin. In the late 19th century it was supported by members of the Temperance movement who were trying to discourage the consumption of alcohol associated with the "old" 'oss followers. After the first world war the imperative of temperance was lost, and the 'oss became known as the Peace 'Oss. Each 'oss has a "stable" (in the case of the Old 'Oss, the Golden Lion Inn and the Blue Ribbon 'Oss, the Institute, from which they emerge at the start of the day's proceedings and retire at the end. Some time in the late afternoon the 'osses may meet at the maypole and dance together.

[edit] Night song

Unite and unite and let us all unite,

For summer is acome unto day,

And whither we are going we will all unite,

In the merry morning of May.

I warn you young men everyone,

For summer is acome unto day,

To go to the green-wood and fetch your May home,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Mr. ..... and joy you betide,

For summer is acome unto day,

And bright is your bride that lies by your side,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Mrs. ..... and gold be your ring,

For summer is acome unto day,

And give to us a cup of ale the merrier we shall sing,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Miss ..... all in your gown of green,

For summer is acome unto day,

You are as fine a lady as wait upon the Queen,

In the merry morning of May.

Now fare you well, and we bid you all good cheer,

For summer is acome unto day,

We call once more unto your house before another year,

In the merry morning of May.

[edit] Day Song

Unite and unite and let us all unite,

For summer is acome unto day,

And whither we are going we will all unite,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Mr. ..... I know you well afine,

For summer is acome unto day,

You have a shilling in your purse and I wish it were in mine,

In the merry morning of May.

All out of your beds,

For summer is acome unto day,

Your chamber shall be strewed with the white rose and the red

In the merry morning of May.

Where are the young men that here now should dance,

For summer is acome unto day,

Some they are in England some they are in France,

In the merry morning of May.

Where are the maidens that here now should sing,

For summer is acome unto day,

They are in the meadows the flowers gathering,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Mr. ..... with your sword by your side,

For summer is acome unto day,

Your steed is in the stable awaiting for to ride,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Miss ..... and strew all your flowers,

For summer is acome unto day,

It is but a while ago since we hove strewed ours,

In the merry morning of May.

O! where is St. George,

O!, where is he O,

He is out in his long boat on the salt sea O.

Up flies the kite and down tails the lark O.

Aunt Ursula Birdhood she had an old ewe

And she died in her own Park O.

With the merry ring, adieu the merry spring,

For summer is acome unto day,

How happy is the little bird that merrily doth sing,

In the merry morning of May.

The young men of Padstow they might if they would,

Far summer is acome unto day,

They might have built a ship and gilded her with gold,

In the merry morning of May.

The young women of Padstow might if they would,

For summer is acome unto day,

They might have made a garland with the white rose and the red,

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Mr. ..... and reach me your hand,

For summer is acome unto day,

And you shall have a lively lass with a thousand pounds in hand.

In the merry morning of May.

Arise up Miss ..... all in your cloak of silk,

For summer is acome unto day,

And all your body under as white as any milk,

In the merry morning of May.

O! where is St. George,

O!, where is he O,

He is out in his long boat on the salt sea O.

Up flies the kite and down tails the lark O.

Aunt Ursula Birdhood she had an old ewe

And she died in her own Park O.

Now fare you well and bid you all good cheer,

For summer is acome unto day,

We call no more unto your house before another year,

In the merry morning of May.

[edit] Similar Hobby-Horses

'Obby 'Oss traditions also exist in nearby Barnstaple and Coombe Martin. There is documentary evidence of an 'Oss' at Penzance in the late 19th century, made with a caped stick and skull, similar to the Mari Lwyd in Wales. There are some similarities between this festival and the Lajkonik hobby-horse festival in Kraków, Poland. In particular the idea that young women my be captured or struck with a stick in order to bring them "luck" or fertility suggests a pagan, or at least medieval origin. Lajkonik is 700 years old. Rather more recent is the Banbury Hobby-Horse festival, which started in 2000 ^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Riding a cock horse (html). Fortean Times. Retrieved on 2007-11-21.
2. ^ BBC - Cornwall - About Cornwall - Obby Oss Day
3. ^ Hobby Horse Festival

[edit] Bibliography

"Padstow's Obby Oss and May Day Festivities" (1999), Donald R Rawe

[edit] External links

• About Padstow and 'Obby 'Oss
• Video of the "Old Oss" emerging from its stable