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Minehead Hobby Horse
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Minehead Hobby Horse
The origin of the Minehead Hobby Horse Festival has been lost in history although it's thought to have started as warding off evil Vikings or is a commemoration of the wreck of a vessel at Minehead, or a phantom ship which entered the harbour without Captain or crew. Either way the tradition continues today and can be traced back to at least 1792 when it was recorded in Dunster Castle's ledger. On 1 May Minehead is woken by the beating of a drum. The Hobby Horse dances its way around Minehead and on up to Dunster Castle. As it makes its way back to Minehead it collects donations. The culmination of the festival is the "booty" on 3 May where tight fisted spectators can expect to be laid down in front of the horse and has to escape before the horse turns his tail on them!
The May Day celebrations reflect pagan traditions, as a hobby horse stalks the streets of Minehead and Dunster. The Hobby Horse usually starts from the Old Ship Aground pub around 6pm, except on Mayday when it starts at 5am, and then goes to Dunster Castle in the evening. Always associated with Quay Town is Minehead’s Hobby Horse, a genuine remnant of the Middle Ages. The brightly decorated ‘Horse’ with its long tail – used to encourage donations from passers-by – appears in the streets each May Day. It is worn on the shoulders of a local inhabitant who thrusts his head through a hole in its back, his attendants accompany him with a drum and an accordion. This custom has been maintained without a break from time immemorial and may well have been a part of the ancient May Games. Many local folk believe that the Hobby Horse existed at a much earlier date and tell of marauding Danes, who when confronted with the Hobby Horse charging towards them, hastily retreated and put to sea in flight.
Minehead Hobby Horse
A popular ancient local tradition involves the Hobby Horse, which takes to the streets on the eve of the first of May each year, with accompanying musicians and rival horses, for four days. The first of May has been a festival day in Minehead since 1465. Minehead's May Day celebrations reflect pagan traditions, as a hobby horse rampages through the town. The festivities start on "warning night," the night before 1 May (unless that day falls on a Sunday, in which case it's held on the Saturday).
At around six o'clock, the hobby horse, a kind of "dummy horse" and a symbol of fertility, is placed outside an inn and a group of musicians with drums and accordions gather outside and begin to play. Then they continue to the Hobby Horse Inn, playing the "Hobbyhorse Song".
The horse dances down the street, occasionally trapping a bystander against a wall and butting him or her with its prow, soliciting contributions; for women it may dip its head and tap them with its feather. Anyone who fails to give a contribution may get lashed by its "tail" (a long rope). The attendants also collect money from the crowd. When the party reaches the Hobby Horse Inn, everybody stops in and drinks.
The Minehead Hobby Horse
On May Day itself, the horse dances through the town, meeting with and battling the "town horse" before making its way to nearby Dunster Castle. On 2 and 3 May, the celebrations are repeated. Each day the horse party is up early and ends the day in a tavern drinking; the last evening is said to be particularly rowdy, so steer clear if you don't want to be caught up in the fun. In 1912, Ralph Vaughan Williams arranged the Minehead Hobby Horse Dance tune for orchestra and in 1923, he composed his 'English Folk Song Suite' for military band, which is better known in the orchestral version arranged in 1924 by Gordon Jacob. Its first section is based on 'Seventeen Come Sunday', the second on 'My Bonny Boy', and the third is a romp through 'Folk Songs from Somerset'.
Minehead Hobby Horse
Each May Day Eve the Minehead hobby-horse prepares to stalk the town as it has done for centuries. Accompanied by beating drums and with its own signature tune, it swirls and swaggers through the streets in a flurry of ribbons and ostrich feathers, bowing to the women, chasing the children and accosting men to give money. Its tour lasts for three days. 'Sailor's Horse' painted on the side suggests association with the local seamen and the earliest description of 1830 states that they, and the fishermen, used to bring out several hobby-horses each May Day and punish anybody who refused donations with ceremonial beating. Anyone refusing to contribute some money is subjected to the ceremony of booting or pursing; this is done by some of the attendants holding his person while one of the figures inflict ten slight blows on him with the top of a boot; he is then liberated and all parties give three huzzas: the most trifling sum buys off this ceremony, and it is seldom or never performed but on those who purposely throw themselves in their way and join the party, or obstruct them in their vagaries. This custom has prevailed for ages, but what gave rise to it is at present unknown: it probably owes its origin to some ancient custom of perambulating the boundaries of the parish.
Minehead Hobby Horse
Other hobby-horse traditions have been recorded from the same stretch of coastline in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many have disappeared with Minehead and Padstow the sole survivors of this curious and colourful tradition. The Hobby Horse was recorded in a 1792 ledger entry at Dunster Castle; 5 shillings was paid. The Hobby Horse is made from a wooden frame draped with sacking, and from 1905 a second horse was introduced, the earlier known as the Sailor's horse, and the latter as the Town Horse.
Minehead Hobby Horse
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Contributed by: Helen Brown
