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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2004-07 > 1090778345


From: "Pamela" <>
Subject: Re: maypole dancing & Well Dressing
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 18:59:05 +0100
References: <002e01c4716c$b4c23690$205030d5@windhorn> <00bc01c47188$3e040bc0$4d6e4e51@richardnj90qxg> <099801c47194$9de49bc0$328a6c51@PAM1> <003301c4726e$83d10860$a8790650@packard>


There are quite a few Well Dressings I think its manly around the
Staffordshire Moorlands and Derbyshire area, but the nearest on to us in
about 2 miles away at Endon, there's May Pole dancing, even tho its normally
at the end of June, there's a fair, stalls, shows where most of the
community join in doing one thing or another, the small children really
enjoy themselves, here's a couple of pictures I've found, the well is
decorated in flower petals as you can see in the pictures
http://www.trinitycourt.co.uk/news/well_pictures.htm

http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/features/wells.htm

I looked the definition up and its:

well dressing
noun the decoration of wells with flowers, etc.: a traditional annual
ceremony of great antiquity in some parts of Britain, originally associated
with the cult of water deities

Pam

----- Original Message -----
From: "colleen morrison" <>
To: "Pamela" <>; <>
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 6:40 PM
Subject: Re: maypole dancing & Well Dressing


> I've never seen Well Dressing, Pam, what does it involve?
>
> Colleen
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pamela" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2004 4:39 PM
> Subject: Re: maypole dancing
>
>
> > On the same line, we have May Pole dancing usually only now in the
infants
> > schools but we also have Well Dressings where the water coming out of
the
> > nature sources is blessed.
> >
> > Pam
> > Staffordshire
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Susan Hembury Kellow" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2004 3:12 PM
> > Subject: Re: maypole dancing
> >
> >
> > > Good grief! Is that what they used to make us dance round at school?
> Me
> > > mum'd 'ave a blue fit! ;-)
> > >
> > > Actually, most of us learnt about the origins of Maypole Dancing when
we
> > > were about 13; this led to the variety of dance called
> > > Maypole-Dancing-With-Extra-Sniggering, especially when we had to dance
> to
> > > that perennial song, "Come lasses and lads...". ;-) Teenagers are
(and
> > have
> > > always been) pretty unsophisticated when it comes to humour.
> > >
> > > On a serious note, in Oxfordshire, where I lived as a child, they also
> had
> > > May Queens and garlands, etc. Does any lister know if Essex had
similar
> > > spring customs?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > Sue
> > >
> > > <snip>
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > OK I'll risk being a bit of a Boring Old ! Maypole dancing -
ribbons,
> > > > spider's web, all in a heap etc. - is in fact a revival, though
great
> > > > fun
> > > > nonetheless! The original maypoles (i.e. pre Cromwell and
presumably
> > > > when
> > > > restored after) were immensely tall. 70 foot was not unknown, and
> > > > ribbon
> > > > dancing was out of the question. Dance theuy did for sure, but not
> with
> > > > ribbons. It was far too phallic and fertile anyway to let
> > > > schoolchildren
> > > > loose on! The ribbons version wqith the small pole was part of the
> late
> > > > 19th century folk revival. Woops! End of sermon!
> > > > Anthony
> > > <snip>
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

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