Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse

Subject: Animal Guising &the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 09 Jan 23 - 09:09 AM

Details of a book & forthcoming exhibition at Maidstone Museum.


Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse
By James Frost
With contributions from Geoff Doel and Ben Jones ("George")


Hoodening is an ancient calendar custom unique to East Kent, involving a wooden horse’s head on a pole, carried by a man concealed by a sack. The earliest reliable record is from 1735, but little serious research had gone into the tradition between Percy Maylam’s seminal work “The Hooden Horse”, published in 1909 (and reissued by Ozaru Books in 2021), and George Frampton's 2018 update, "Discordant Comicals". The current book, published to accompany a four-month exhibition at Maidstone Museum (8 February — 17 June 2023), further expands the field.

The text, accompanied by over 60 full colour illustrations — many never seen before in print — describes what hoodening was, what the hooden horse is, and how it can be seen in the national context of animal guising. It covers historical records and artifacts, revival groups, "Autohoodening" performances which reimagine the old tradition in a modern context, and related practices such as the Mari Lwyd, Obby Osses, various northern beasts, and stag guising. Appendices contain the text of numerous contemporary verses and plays.

The author, James Frost, is a Lecturer in Performing Arts at Canterbury Christ Church University, as well as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has also made numerous hooden horses and similar beasts, and performed with the Canterbury Hoodeners

Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse - Ozaru Books


Details of the exhibition

Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden HorseWed 8th Feb 2023 to Sat 17th Jun 2023

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jan 23 - 12:51 PM

I remember at early Broadstairs Festivals late 1970s, a guy always appeared in the parade as the hooden horse.

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 09 Jan 23 - 01:23 PM

More information on hoodening, including details on George Frampton's book 'Discordant Comicals:The Hooden Horse of East Kent' can be found here:

www.hoodening.org.uk

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 19 Sep 23 - 03:03 AM

I did not manage to get to the exhibition.

There is a short video available on Youtube

Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse exhibition virtual tour

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 19 Sep 23 - 03:03 AM

I did not manage to get to the exhibition.

There is a short video available on Youtube

Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse exhibition virtual tour

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 12 Dec 23 - 05:36 AM

Article from The Guardian last week. Mentions The Mari Lwyd.


Shock of the old: 10 demonic depictions of Europe’s disturbing Christmas customs

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: rich-joy
Date: 16 Dec 23 - 07:02 PM

Thanks for this interesting thread, Rain Dog!

James Frost has just posted on YT :
"I’ve got a smaller version of the exhibition concentrating on the hooden horse at The Seaside Museum, Herne Bay, until 13th Jan."


I note he also has this talk posted on YT :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60quA_gNy0&list=PLo7iqE6hhiRC-DbNboZIpwFLoAo37PFXb&index=6

Hoodening talk by James Frost, curator
posted 25April2023


Cheers, R-J
(Down Under)

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: Rain Dog
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 09:31 AM

Thanks for the link rich-joy

Hoodening & Wassail - Sandwich Kent 6th January 2024


Details

A day of free activities in and around the Sandwich Medieval Centre.

Pop-up exhibition
Find out more about the history and heritage of Hoodening, Wassailing and connected customs.

Øst Centingas
Wassailing has roots in Old Norse and Middle English. Meet re-enactors Øst Centingas during the day to find out more about the people behind the custom.

Hoodening Walk & Orchard Wasssail
A village-to-town walk with a Hooden Horse and company. Performances from Trudgepig with on-the-hoof wassailing. Meet at the St Crispin Inn for the walk or join us for a performance.
2pm at St Crispin Inn, Worth
3pm at Time and Tide Taphouse, Sandwich
4pm back at The Sandwich Medieval Centre

Wassail & Cheer from 4pm
Celebrate the return of the Hooden Horse and company with hot wassail cup and music from the Hospice Session Band.

Supported by Bringing Alive Sandwich Heritage, Sandwich Medieval Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University

Subject: RE: Animal Guising & the Kentish Hooden Horse
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 10:06 AM

Not dissimilar to the horses of the Dingle wren on St Stephen's day:


Music and song at Dingle wren - RTE