Folklore: Crying The Neck

Subject: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Cats
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 10:37 AM

So many of you have sent messages to us wishing us good luck for the 'Crying of the Neck and Harvest Home'in our hamlet last night we thought we'd let you know how it went. The farmer at the lower farm picked us all up and took us up to the field on his tractor and trailer, which had been decorated with wild flowers and greenery in the late afternoon by Annie Ingham and Sarah Davies. We all sat on hay bales and sang on the way up. The field we used was on the top of the hill overlooking the moors and the valley and the views were breathtaking, especially as it was early evening and the sun just starting to drop. The oldest farmer in the hamlet was duly crowned as the Harvest King and wore a woven crown which Hawker had made. We poured good ale into the ground and passed the jug around for all to take a drink from. As the scythe was sharpened we sang Brian Ingham's 'The Mowing'. The Neck was cut, bound and held aloft and duly 'cried'. We sang John Bartlett's Harvest Neck while the ale continued around and as we walked back to the trailer we joined Hawker in 'Master fill the Cider Cup'. As we crossed the field, the moon rose and just hung over where the neck had been cut, dipped down almost as if it was touching the ground, then rose again. By the time we got back it was dark so we came back to the cottage for food, drink, singing and playing until the early hours of the morning. The local farmers are all very pleased and are now talking about 'when we wassail in January' and 'when we do this next year...' I know I'm biased but it was magic! I know this might sound odd to some of you out there but alot of people last night commented on how 'fresh and proud' the 16th century carving of the Neck decorated for harvest which is carved into our lounge ceiling looked.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Sue the Borderer
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 12:17 PM

Really does sound magical, Cats. Glad it went so well - and what an amazing day for it.

Sue

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 01:56 PM

Glad to hear you all had such a good time. I hope you sang "Sons of the land", too!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 02:06 PM

And decent weather over the weekend too ! Glad it went well Cats

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: GUEST,Rattler
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 03:41 PM

Sounds like something we ploughjags should be reviving in the North too. I'm not sure what our equivalent was but I'll look into it. Glad you had real harvest weather too. RB.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Cats
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 04:10 PM

Thanks, all. Yes, Kitty, I sang 'Sons of the Land' when we got back to the cottage. It went down well. Ploughjags ~ Crying the Neck still goes on on many farms in Cornwall and to some extent Devon, in an unbroken line. It used to happen in our hamlet but hasn't for 50 - 60 ish years. The farmer who cried it was the last known person to have seen it here. You might well have had the same sort of thing in the north ~ it's worth looking into.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Cats
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 04:13 PM

Sorry, I meant Rattler, but of you are a ploughjag it's not quite so wrong. Ooops.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Hawker
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 07:48 PM

It was a wonderful evening Cats, I never for one minute thought that when I wrote The Labourer's Year (Master fill the cider cup) that it would ever be sung at a proper crying ceremony, It was a delight to share it with such a fine company. The Harvest spread was fantastic too! Annes sticky prune cake was out of this world, I must wrestle the recipe out of her. Looking forward to the wassail!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Folklore: Crying The Neck
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 02:43 AM

What a fantastic idea, and how wonderful to have the songs sung in the right context. Well done to all concerned!