Beltane, Mayday and some festival that's origins and date of how old is unknown even today.
Hello Everyone.
Well after such a cold winter where even the southern most parts of our glorious land was white with snow, however that time of year is upon us again, where the spring flowers are open and the festivals of summer and Beltane are here again once more. I feel though that this blog is going to focus on one particular festival in a small fishing port on the north coast of my favourite part of the country, Cornwall. This small yet famous place is of course Padstow.
Here is a short video from 1951 that is on you tube which tries to explain the Padstow Mayday Festival.
Now you have acquainted yourself with what happens in this little fishing town, we got there on the Sunday and the town was all quiet yet the locals had been busy preparing the maypole and the flags. there was a silence yet the spark of anticipation was electric for Monday was may eve.
On May Eve after playing tourist we went for some food at an amazing chip shop and bumped into a local man who was so warm and nice, he told us his life story in a heartbeat. This is what I found with Padstonians, even though outsiders are not normally as well received but I made sure my intentions was to honour the lineage and tradition of one Charlie Bate who was in the video above. The Local man then warmed at the sound of his name and explained well the Old Oss is steeped in tradition and that's what you want to be is red.
Now for those who have never been to Padstow there are two Osses. the Original and the Blue Ribbon Oss. The latter being formed to make a more puritan version of the festival that was steeped heavily in pagan roots and of course drinking.
Anyway I digress back to this wonderful local man who was assisting us in our first mayday explaining that the Bate family all assist in the Original Oss and wear red. He also explained we should drink in the Golden Lion as the ancestors of the Bate family and those before did on may eve and at midnight take part in the night song.
Now after a few pints of Cornish ale and talking with many people we had just met, the pub had a huge energy of responsibility over its roof and that's when you heard the band come in playing their tune of the may song sung each year along with some old fishing and Cornish folk songs too.
Quarter to midnight and the people congregate outside with the band and at the stroke of twelve the band and the people sing the night song to the landlord and his family honouring tradition that has gone on for centuries if not millennia. We all the continue up to Prideaux Place at the top of the town singing to locals as we travel adapting the night song to those we meet.
The next day is stunning weather and the harbour was amazing to eat breakfast by as you can see.
And the Maypole energy was astounding.
So the order of events were that the children of Padstow would parade their Oss first showing that no matter what age they would follow in the footsteps of those before them.
And at 11 am the main Osses would appear, therefore to honour the heritage and tradition we waited outside the Golden Lion and as the crowd grew and the band appeared we all sang the day song until the part when the Oss Burst our of its stable for all to see, trying to capture maidens and following its teaser in its merry merry dance on the morning of may.
This carries on all day until at 10 pm the Oss 'dies' until next year.
I felt honoured to witness this ancient Cornish tradition and was honoured to meet locals whose families have carried this on for generation after generation.
I could feel the importance of this tradition as soon as the Oss burst our the door and that everyone was united in the rite singing in the may at night and festivities and chanting to the Oss in the day, children following in their father's footsteps as their father did, learning the music or dancing as the Oss.
For anyone who is as into traditions as I am this is a must to tick off and see.
and as the local Padstonians would sing.
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 merrie morning of May.
I do hope you enjoyed this blog, until next time.
Sigrid Skadi.
(All pictures are copyright Karina Clarke and not to be used for publication. words and lyrics to the day song are copyright to all Padstonians and must not be used for anything other than singing in the may. The video on YouTube can be found as follows. The film is available on DVD through Media Generation (media-generation.net) alongside the following shorts:
Oss Tales (2007) 25 min: Re-engages the Padstow May Day in 2004. The film includes footage from Oss Oss Wee Oss and commentary by Peter Kennedy and Ronald Hutton, and people of Padstow.
Oss Oss Wee Oss Redux: Beltane in Berkeley (2004) 14 min: a portrait of a contemporary pagan group in Berkeley, California, that yearly re-enacts the custom of the hobby horse as part of its May Day revelries.
About the Oss Films (2007) 11 min: George Pickow and Peter Kennedy talk about making the 1953 film and John Bishop and Sabina Magliocco discuss the making this DVD.
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