North West and Carnival Morris - 1938

[watervole]

 Just discovered this old movie footage from 1938 of the Peeover Rose Queen.

Look at the male morris team and their pom pom style sticks.  I've never seen ones like that before on a traditional side.  I wonder if modern sides actually avoid that look because we now associate it with carnival morris/majorettes/cheer leaders...

Also, look at the women's side performing at the same time.  Identical style pom pom  sticks.

"VTS 01 1" (Watch on YouTube)

 The men's Morris side who are featured both years are the Over Peover Morris Dancers. The women's Morris side are thought to be the Magpie Morris Dancers.

There's also a nice little maypole dance 5 1/2 mins in, shows figures that you don't see children dancing nowardays.

Comments

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is really an iteresting document. You are right, this choreography and especially the pom poms really remind of a combination of majorettes with their leader and cheerleaders.
Also the average age is lower and it seems to me that there are more dancers those days...of course. All looks like a really important public event.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I noticed the high number of performers as well. The choreography is what I would expect from North West morris, though faster and more fluid (probably because the dancers are younger).

The event is a Rose Queen - I remember them from when I was a little girl. The same as a May Queen, but usually held in June when the weather is a bit better. A local girl gets crowned as queen and bands and dancers, etc. all get involved.

Do you have anything similar?

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

This is a beautiful tradition.
We do have a tradition that reminds of yours very very distantly, of course the meaning and background are completely different. But it may be interesting for you and you can speculate over the roots of this Ride of the Kings. I know that the ride is based on a legend about a young king who escaped his enemies disguised like a girl:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_of_the_Kings

Look at the costumes, there are fabulous! Even now, this tradition is a pride and joy of those villages!

[watervole.livejournal.com]

How fascinating. I've never heard of the Ride of the Kings before. What beautiful costumes. I wonder where the rose originates!

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

I have found a study about this tradition. They say that the rose is a symbol of innocence, dignity and superiority of the king. He must hold the rose in his mouth as a sign of silence. Also he must not hold the reigns of his horse and must has his arms akimbo.
BTW this tradition was added to a list of UNESCO World Heritage several years ago...