School: Stillorgan (roll number 2472)

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1. The May Bush (continued)

   

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   flame arose and the bush withered and burned away. And from that time the May bushes are lit by fire and left to burn, and the people used to dance round them, and pass their children and cattle through the smoke to preserve them from the spell of witchcraft.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

2. The May Day Dance

   

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   The May-Day Dance. Dancing was the most important of the saced rites in all ancient religions; and the circular serpent-dance round a tree has been practiced from the remotest antiquity. In Ireland it is still retained as the favourite pastime of the people on May-Day, when all the young men and maidens hold hands, and dance in a circle round a tree hung with ribbons and garlands, or round a bonfire, moving in curves from right to left, as if imitating the windings of a serpent.

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   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. May (~639)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Eamon Byrne

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Stillorgan, Co. Dublin