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At Abbots, or now rather Pagets
Bromley, they had also within memory, a sort of sport, which
they celebrated at Christmas (or New-year, and Twelfth-day)
call'd the Hobby-horse dance, from a person that carryed the
image of a horse between his leggs, made of thin boards, and
in his hand a bow and arrow...
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...with this Man danced 6 others,
carrying on their shoulders as many Rain deers heads...with
which they danced the Hays, and other Country dances.
To this Hobby-horse dance there
also belong'd a pot which was kept by turnes, by 4 or 5 of
the chief of the Town whom they call'd Reeves, who provided
Cakes and Ale to put in this pot; all people who had any
kindness for the good intent of the Institution of the
sport, giving pence a piece for themselves and families; and
fo forraigners too, that came to see it. -
-Robert Plot, The
Natural History of Stafford, Oxford, 1686, p.434, Chap. X.
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That Long Tall Sword is a longsword
and mumming team from the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts.
Founded in 1989, we perform an English longsword
dance and mummer's play of our
own devising, based on traditional longsword dances
from the north of England. We also dance the the Abbott's Bromley
Horn Dance (pictured above) and the medieval Matachins mock
sword dance.
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- PRACTICE is Wednesday evenings 7-9 pm from
October to February at Amherst College.
- PERFORMANCES are for local community
groups, schools and colleges, country dances, fairs and festivals,
weddings, birthdays, funerals, and other ceremonial events such as the Stag King's Ball.
- PICTURES of past performances will be
posted sometime before the next millennium.
- PLEASE CONTACT US to arrange a performance
for your group--or to join our merry band of
ragamuffins!
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| Steve Howe | home 413-586-7602 | work
413-268-7426 x3
steve@cdss.org
PLEASE VISIT: |
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