Dancing with Horns - an ancient English tradition

Many customs and traditions have been preserved in England for many centuries. Among such very old and puzzling rituals is undoubtedly the "horn dance." "Horns" that take part in the dance are actually reindeer antlers. The unusual dance takes place every year on the first Monday (Wakes Monday), falling after September 4, in the small village of Abbots Bromley in Straffordshire.

The origin of the dance

Carbon analysis of the antlers has shown that they have been in use since the 11th century. However, it is possible that the current one replaced a previous, even older one. The dance may have its roots in pagan times and has been linked to the Mercia dynasty that ruled England, which had extensive hunting grounds in the Abbots Bromley area. According to one hypothesis, the rulers organized magical rituals to ensure a bountiful hunt each year. The tradition survived into Christian times and continued to flourish. According to another theory, the dance was created to celebrate the right the villagers received to hunt in the Needwood forest.

The course of the performance

The date of the event is always between September 6 and 12. The dance begins at eight o'clock in the morning at St. Nicholas Church, where the antlers are kept. It initially takes place in the village square, and then goes out of the village - but not the community - to Blithfield Hall. The dancers make the rounds of the surrounding houses and pubs, a total of nearly 16 kilometers. Around 8 pm, the antlers return to the church and the day of "dancing with horns" comes to an end. Until next year.

Dancers

Twelve dancers take part in the dance. Six of them carry antlers, or the "horns" of the title. They are accompanied by a man in a horse costume - Hobby Horse, a boy with a bow, a mottled clown - Fool, Maid Marian in a woman's costume, an accordion player and a boy playing the triangle. Traditionally, the dancers are men alone, but in recent times it is common to see a girl with a bow or a triangle. Until the late 19th century, the dancers were members of the Bentley family; today this is no longer observed.

"Horns"

"Horns" are six reindeer antlers, three white and three black. In 1976, antler samples were examined and their origin was determined to be 1065. Since reindeer had long been absent from England and Wales in the 11th century, in view of this, the antlers must have been imported from Scandinavia. Who did this and why remains a mystery. It is possible, however, that reindeer had somehow survived in England by that time.

Whatever the reasons and circumstances behind the creation of the "horn dance," it takes dancers and spectators today to England's distant past, when myths, magic and folklore reigned everywhere.