Alot of the customs here in the UK can be found in lots of other European and World customs.

This stems right back to when paganism was the thang.

Take prossesional dances, alot of the steps can be found all over the world - and there are similarities in tunes and songs too.

The thing that happened I reckon, was when Christianity came along, they took the things they liked from paganism, and brought them into Christian stories.

Like the hobby horses (which could be the pagan horse god)

Like Wrenning - a fertility thing (poor wrens)

And as paganism was essentially one of the original religions (or whatever) all over the place, then it was only natural that there are simimlarities to be found all over the road.

Oooo too deep for me I will have to go and lie down after that thinking.

Ella

Oh my point...

That yes the English are open to all influences, but everyone has influenced each other at some point in time. Going right back to sacred rites, prossesions and all the mother earth stuff. So, I am not surprised to find similarities between cultures at all. So definately not surprised to find a hobby horse in Bahrain. It's all linked somehow sometime.

oh and double yeah I hope I get to be a septagenarian bodhran player too - prisoners of pop is so spot on, not to mention funny.

Regards

wrong side of twenty five something bodhran/whistle/flute/singer etc Ella