Flamborough Sword Dance Boxing Day 2010 - 1

Image: © Humphrey Bolton Taken: 26 Dec 2010

The following is a quote from http://www.rapper.org.uk/relations/longsword.php "The fishing village of Flamborough is home to a longsword tradition still practised locally today. The dance was traditionally performed a few days before and after Christmas by local fishermen, with an appropriate costume of dark blue jerseys and cloth caps, white trousers and black shoes. The Flamborough dance is performed with wooden swords, and is not known to have ever used supporting characters. Some of the figures, such as Double-Threedling and the Straight Hey are said to be inspired by the movements required to make and repair fishing nets! Cecil Sharp visited Flamborough and published the notation of the dance in The Sword Dances of Northern England (volume 2, 1912), and since then the Flamborough dance has been very popular with revival groups." Wishing to have the feeble daylight behind me, I found myself next to the junior team. However that was good, as it turned out that a video, which can be seen on YouTube, was being made of the men's team. Also it was the juniors, first the Girl Guides, then the local school-children, who carried on the tradition through the mid-20C. The men's team was revived in 1977. The first figure of the dance includes the making of the sword lock, which involves a skilful interlocking of the swords. The tunes are played on accordion and recorder, with rhythm from a tambourine.

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