Fascinating stuff, Kristin! I love how there was such pageantry around what would have otherwise been a mundane task. I was remembering scenes from the "Tudor Monastery Farm" series in which they gather rushes, plait them into floor mats, & strew herbs in the floor. On YouTube, starts around 1:15 in this video:
I feel like the ancients and the Medievals had a real knack for seeing & celebrating the beauty in the mundane! And I LOVE that your mind went to Tudor Monastery Farm - you're such a kindred. I was talking to @sleightholmfolk about rushbearing a couple years ago, and she pointed me to Tudor Monastery Farm because her mind made the same connection - so all my rushbearing art that summer was done while watching it, and I became totally hooked on Ruth Goodman!
Oh for sure, I love Ruth Goodman! I just learned this week, through my very nerdy YouTube algorithm, that "Tales from the Green Valley" exists. I thought I had watched all her historical farm series, so my cup overfloweth now with over 5 hours of 1620 Welsh farm re-enactment. Also, I did not know that Sleightholm Folk had joined Substack, so thank you! I own a nice little collection of her art, and have made sure that my mom & sisters do, too. So many kindreds here!
Oh my gosh, YES! I was over the moon last summer when I found Tales from the Green Valley on youtube. I just wish I could find a higher video quality version! It's probably my favorite besides Tudor Monastery Farm. And yes, so exciting to have kindreds like Heather here!
I'm so enjoying how organized your site is, Kristin...I'm catching up & ambling through your posts!
Seeing your quote from the Wilkes-Barre Library News-letter I did a little local research...
I found articles shared in our Pennsylvania papers dating as far back as 1857 -- telling about rush-bearing festivals in England. I'll have to do some more digging. I'm wondering if the articles were simply 'human interest' types of things or if they relate in some way to festivals in our local area churches?
Ooo thank you, I'm so glad the organization is working for you! I never know if what I tinker with will translate outside of my head well, haha.
That's SO exciting that you found some more articles in PA papers dating back that far - I'd love to read them. So far, I haven't seen anything about rushbearing festivals actually occurring in the US - usually just articles talking about trips to England (it seems there was a big resurgence of rushbearing in the 19th century, with folks like Wordsworth helping to drive the excitement).
Yes - I'll keep digging in the papers! I'm also working on aligning your information with my Lutheran liturgical calendar and also, German festivals -- this evening I was reading about Embertides and their importance to my ancestors. SO many rabbit holes!
Ooooo yes!! I'm so excited to see what you find with all those intersections. I *love* the Ember days and wish they had more presence in modern church!
Would you believe I have the tab to Ember Day Lore open and printed it last night?
In fact, probably while you were typing the above comment I was shouting to my son, "Did the final page print?" b/c I'm dangerously close to needing to put a new ink cartridge in and I was praying the whole document printed and I didn't have to change it so close to bedtime. Ha!
Somehow I'm not surprised, haha!! The collection of oral Ember Days sayings is incredible. I LOVE this one: "Kinner uf der Gwatember gebore kenne gschpuker sene. / Persons born on Emberdays can see ghosts."
I was also printing out an old floral directory for saints and realized there was an ink/paper problem partway through. Gah!
Fascinating stuff, Kristin! I love how there was such pageantry around what would have otherwise been a mundane task. I was remembering scenes from the "Tudor Monastery Farm" series in which they gather rushes, plait them into floor mats, & strew herbs in the floor. On YouTube, starts around 1:15 in this video:
https://youtu.be/5EuVCNwHlJ4
I feel like the ancients and the Medievals had a real knack for seeing & celebrating the beauty in the mundane! And I LOVE that your mind went to Tudor Monastery Farm - you're such a kindred. I was talking to @sleightholmfolk about rushbearing a couple years ago, and she pointed me to Tudor Monastery Farm because her mind made the same connection - so all my rushbearing art that summer was done while watching it, and I became totally hooked on Ruth Goodman!
Oh for sure, I love Ruth Goodman! I just learned this week, through my very nerdy YouTube algorithm, that "Tales from the Green Valley" exists. I thought I had watched all her historical farm series, so my cup overfloweth now with over 5 hours of 1620 Welsh farm re-enactment. Also, I did not know that Sleightholm Folk had joined Substack, so thank you! I own a nice little collection of her art, and have made sure that my mom & sisters do, too. So many kindreds here!
Oh my gosh, YES! I was over the moon last summer when I found Tales from the Green Valley on youtube. I just wish I could find a higher video quality version! It's probably my favorite besides Tudor Monastery Farm. And yes, so exciting to have kindreds like Heather here!
I'm so enjoying how organized your site is, Kristin...I'm catching up & ambling through your posts!
Seeing your quote from the Wilkes-Barre Library News-letter I did a little local research...
I found articles shared in our Pennsylvania papers dating as far back as 1857 -- telling about rush-bearing festivals in England. I'll have to do some more digging. I'm wondering if the articles were simply 'human interest' types of things or if they relate in some way to festivals in our local area churches?
Ooo thank you, I'm so glad the organization is working for you! I never know if what I tinker with will translate outside of my head well, haha.
That's SO exciting that you found some more articles in PA papers dating back that far - I'd love to read them. So far, I haven't seen anything about rushbearing festivals actually occurring in the US - usually just articles talking about trips to England (it seems there was a big resurgence of rushbearing in the 19th century, with folks like Wordsworth helping to drive the excitement).
Yes - I'll keep digging in the papers! I'm also working on aligning your information with my Lutheran liturgical calendar and also, German festivals -- this evening I was reading about Embertides and their importance to my ancestors. SO many rabbit holes!
Ooooo yes!! I'm so excited to see what you find with all those intersections. I *love* the Ember days and wish they had more presence in modern church!
Here's something you'll love on your rabbit hole journey (maybe you've already read it!): https://mhep.org/ember-day-lore/
More later - I have SO many thoughts to share in an email to you!
Would you believe I have the tab to Ember Day Lore open and printed it last night?
In fact, probably while you were typing the above comment I was shouting to my son, "Did the final page print?" b/c I'm dangerously close to needing to put a new ink cartridge in and I was praying the whole document printed and I didn't have to change it so close to bedtime. Ha!
Somehow I'm not surprised, haha!! The collection of oral Ember Days sayings is incredible. I LOVE this one: "Kinner uf der Gwatember gebore kenne gschpuker sene. / Persons born on Emberdays can see ghosts."
I was also printing out an old floral directory for saints and realized there was an ink/paper problem partway through. Gah!