The Goathland Sword Dance

Description

A descriptive account of the Goathland sword dance, with consideration also given to the Plough Stots and folk play traditions of the village. Fieldwork was carried out in March 1968, the principal informant being the then leader of the sword dance team. The study comprises six chapters. The first considers the origins of the custom, with sections on the growth of primitive religion, the development of the calendar and the principles of conservatism. Chapter Two discusses Plough Monday and the Goathland Plough Stots, with sections on the old team, the new team and the revival of the tradition, changes, revival and second death, the procession, Plough Monday customs observed elsewhere and the significance of Plough Monday. Chapter Three describes the Goathland sword dance, with sections on the dance and the team, the swords, the shoes and the steps, the music and accompanying song (with tune transcription), and dance figures. The fourth chapter describes the character and processional quality of the dance, with reference to the dance performed in Sleights. Chapter Five presents a general discussion of the English sword dance, with sections on origins, the sword, the dance, the Fool, the Lock, the sword dance and morris dancing, the development towards the folk play. The final chapter describes the Goathland folk play. Two appendices contain a transcription of a tape-recorded interview with the collector's principal informant, recorded on April 8th 1968 [tape not submitted with the dissertation], and a section describing the difficulties involved in performing the sword dance. A final section contains original and photocopied photographs of Plough Stot, sword dance and folk play teams performing in Yorkshire and at Teeside Eisteddfod (1937-1968, some undated). Reference is made in the Introduction to an appendix containing extracts from letters received by the collector from Major John Fairfax-Blakeborough. These have in the past been removed from the dissertation, and their whereabouts is unknown.

Metadata

Identifier t7lwprm9
IRN 410205
Class Mark LAVC/SRP/2/169
Level File
Type of Record Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/t7lwprm9
Collection(s) Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category Archive
Parent Record Undergraduate Dissertations
Creator(s) Ridden, G M
Date 1969
Size and Medium 90 unbound typed leaves; 9 b/w photographs.

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