Blossail

'Blossail' is a word I hadn't encountered until last year, but then it's not really surprising as I subsequently found out that the folk singer, Jim Causley, had invented it and he very kindly has given Mythago permission to use it for our latest folkloric venture. From the 1700s through to the mid 19th century Sussex had spring time traditions of both wassailing blossom and honey bees. Although mention of it is made in the historical records very little has come through as to how they were actually celebrated bar one bee chant which, by its very sexist nature, wasn't seeing the light of day in anything we performed!

One of our primary motivations is to see old traditions reinterpreted and brought back to life and this particular combination has been on the wish list for quite some time. It was just a question of finding the right place which foxed us for a while. Last summer at an unrelated event when I ran into our contact for the January apple howling we do who is very passionate about the community orchard and saving Sussex heritage apples. Normally I wouldn't do this sort of thing, but for unfathomable reasons I heard this disembodied voice asking if he would be interested in us holding a Spring blossail for the local community...with horror I realised that those words were mine and he was already agreeing subject to the steering committee's approval the following evening. Talk about serendipity...things just fell into place from that Sunday last July and yesterday was the day. Our Squire is a very talented writer and once again he's pulled it out of the hat by putting together some beautiful words for the celebration and composing a bee wassail song. We have indeed invented a new tradition, but one which draws on our local past and incorporates several snippets of related folklore. 

We were blessed with beautiful weather and amazingly for an untested event 125 people of all ages turned up. Some are regulars in January, but we were a bit concerned that the attendees might be a bit reticent about joining in with it being during the day. We needn't have worried....folk didn't hold back. They threw petal confetti, blessed the trees with apple juice, hollered, sang and tied their ribbons on the metal cages round the saplings [it was a gentle way of showing people that tying things to any trees can damage them]. As one who loves to discreetly people watch I was intrigued at the amount of care many took in choosing which tree guard to tie their strip of cloth and bless. Many seemed to draw a lot from the experience even though we present it as a piece of theatre. Am delighted to say that we have had the loveliest feedback with many commenting on how much they enjoyed the level of audience participation and what fun they had. It's already been agreed that we will be doing it all again next year weather permitting.

I seem to have amassed many tales which are waiting to be told, but they will need to wait until I return from a short adventuring break that I have planned with David for the remainder of this week.

꩜Aril꩜