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Apple Howling |
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Page updated 03 Jul 2011 |
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Procession to the orchard |
The Master of the Ceremony |
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Wassaile the trees, that they
may beare you many a Plum and many a Peare |
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Apple Howling or 'wassailing' is an ancient custom in which the 'evil' spirits are driven out and the 'good' spirits are encouraged to produce a good apple crop for the following year's cider. The Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men revived this tradition in the area over 30 years ago and it has become an essential part of Christmas for many people, especially families with young children, who seem to welcome the opportunity to make as much noise as possible! The ceremony was traditionally held on the eve of Twelfth Night, old Christmas Day, but we have settled on the first Saturday in January as a regular date for our event. The venue is Old Mill Farm, Bolney [Map] and we are grateful to Glyn Stevens, the owner, for making us welcome. The proceedings begin in the farmyard at 6pm with a torchlight procession down the lane to the orchard, where the wassailers encircle one of the oldest trees. The Master of the Ceremony begins the proceedings by leading an invocation, encouraging the tree to produce a bumper crop in the coming season. A spiced and cider-soaked wassail cake is placed in a fork of the tree and cider is poured over the roots to promote good growth. After some more words of encouragement for the tree, the Master of the Ceremony calls for beaters to thrash the trunk of the tree with sticks. This is one of the parts of the event that particularly appeals to the younger members - the harder they hit, the greater the stimulation! This is followed by a wassail song and a number of dances by the Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men. A collection is taken so that everyone may associate themselves with the occasion and its undoubted benefits. The high point of the ceremony now takes place with the ‘general hullabaloo’. This begins with a shotgun being fired into the air, at which point, everyone makes as much noise as possible. Bring your own ‘instruments’ - dustbin lids, old saucepans and football rattles - let your imagination be your guide! The hullabaloo ends with another gunshot - we used to use a whistle, but once the racket got going, no-one could hear it! The evening concludes back at the farmyard with spiced wassail cakes and English cider. As with last year, we are hoping to be able to sample some more of that wonderful cider from Old Mill Farm, where the ceremony is held. A few things to note:
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