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Archiver > CORNISH > 1998-02 > 0887342493


From: Marcia Rothman <>
Subject: Re: Furry Dance AKA Flora Dance - Helston
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 20:01:33 -0800


I'll answer this, can I ? can I? oh please let me :->........This one is just up my
alley
David visit my site and see a little bit more on the Furry
http://www2.whidbey.net/rothman/marcia/culture/music/furry.html
marcia

The Helston Furry

Celebrating the arrival of May has long been an important tradition in England
dating hack to times
when people believed that certain rites had to he followed in order to ensure the
fertility of the fields
for the coming year.

Many wonderful customs existed to usher in the spring. One of the most noteworthy
survivals comes
from the town of Helston in Cornwall. There a select group of townspeople dress in
formal attire and
dance through the entire town in a long serpentine procession. The dancers wend
their way not only
through streets, but also through houses—in the front door and out the hack.

At one time the procession had elements of a spring cleaning or purification rite,
as dancers carried
sprigs of May blossoms with which they brushed various objects as they passed
through the houses.
Local legend also has it that the dance originated as a device to scare away the
devil!

The procession still takes place annually on May 8th, Old May Day or Furry Day as it
is
called—from the Latin feria meaning holiday. The tune below is the traditional
favorite for the Furry
dance.

Daniel Hocking wrote:

> I would appreciate any information about the Helston May Day, Flora, Furry Dance
> tradition in Helston, Cornwall..
>
> Regards,
> Daniel Hocking
> http://freud1.home.ml.org
>
> Get your FREE, private e-mail
> account at http://www.mailcity.co

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