Traditional pursuits in July in UK
I am indebted to Andrew for inadvertently suggesting this post.
Roast swan was a favoured dish in the Tudor courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Swans are no longer eaten but the ownership of all mute swans is shared between the sovereign, the Vintners’ Company (Vintners are people who make and sell wine) and the Dyers’ Company.The Swan Master, by Diana ThomsonThe annual tradition of Swan Upping has been practised for 900 years. This year, 2023, it commenced on Monday, 17th July in Sunbury-on-Thames and will finish five days later in Abingdon, covering a distance of seventy miles. The King’s swans are recorded by the Marker of the Swans. They are marked with a ring linked to the British Trust for Ornithology. Those belonging to the Vintners and Dyers have an additional ring on the other leg. Originally, the swans’ beaks would be nicked with a metal tool to indicate who owned them, which was probably no more painful than clipping one’s nails.
Worshipful Company of Dyers' FlagSwan Upping provides an opportunity to count, weigh and measure the young cygnets, as well as ringing them. They are also checked for injury, as often birds have been caught and damaged by fishing lines and hooks.
The Royal Swan Marker commences swan upping in SunburyThe Royal Swan Uppers wear a scarlet uniform, under the guidance of the King’s Swan Marker, who wears a swan feather in his cap. The Vintners wear white and are commanded by their Swan Master and the Dyers wear blue and are under the control of the Barge Master. All travel in a small fleet of skiffs under the royal flag of King Charles III. The skiffs work together to pen the birds so that they can be picked up. The cygnets are pulled from the water onto the river bank, quickly checked and marked and returned to their parents. The cygnets belong to the same owners as their parents.
Avian flu had a devastating effect on swans in 2022, hundreds dying from a disease that is so easily spread in the wider bird population. There is concern that it may still be wreaking terrible harm. Swan Upping may provide some answers.
Why is it called Swan Upping? The King’s Swan Marker, David Barber, says that is so called because the skiffs travel ‘up’ the Thames and pick up the cygnets from the water.
"PROCLAMATION OF THE LAWS OF MAN. The famous Tynwald Hill from which the laws of the Isle of Man are annually proclaimed in Manx and in English, is situated nine miles from Douglas, and is supposed to be in the very centre of the island. The hill itself is made by the hand of man, and is said to be composed of earth brought from each of the twenty-four parishes of the island. On July 5th, the eve of old Midsummer Day. the quaint and ancient ceremony of proclaiming the laws takes place. The ladies, as is proper in a land where women have long exercised a vote, play a prominent part in the ceremony. It is not till the Acts of Tynwald have been proclaimed from the Tynwald Hill that they become law. The name "Tynwald" itself recalls the language and the history of a very ancient day. It is the same as the Danish Thingvalla and the Icelandic Thingwall and means the "Field of the Popular Assembly."Another tradition in the UK in July is the annual observance of Tynwald Day, (Laa Tinvaal in Manx) in the Isle of Man, on 5th July.
On this day, there is an open air ceremony at Tynwald Hill in the small village of St John’s. The Governor of the Isle of Man officiates, unless the Sovereign or another member of the Royal Family, attends. You can read more about it here and here.An interesting tradition that takes place in Derbyshire between May and September is well dressing, also known as well flowering. Wells and springs are decorated with mosaics created from flower petals. The origins of the practice are not clear, and range from a pagan custom offering thanks to the gods for a consistent water supply, a celebration of water purity after the Black Death, or gratitude for the constancy of water during a long drought in 1615.
Bradwell, Derbyshire, 2007In 1840, Buxton introduced well dressing in thanks to the Duke of Devonshire who arranged and paid for the supply of water to the town. Over time, well dressing was extended to include piped water taps. Although principally a Derbyshire tradition, it has also been adopted in various parts of Staffordshire, South Yorkshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Kent.
Whitwell, Derbyshire, 2012To dress the well, wooden frames are covered with clay and a design is traced onto it. Usually, the design is religious in nature, and is completed with flower petals and mosses, sometimes with the addition of seeds and other natural materials.
I have never heard of these but I like the well dressing and the swans being taken care of.
ReplyDeleteI knew a little about the swans. The Isle of Man tradition sounds interesting but I love the Derbyshire well decoration.
ReplyDeleteThe wells are very colourful and eye-catching.
DeleteVery interesting post ! I knew that swans belonged to the Queen/now King. Can't get used to Charles III ! when I read Charles III my first thought was : who is that ?
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking 'Charles II' - King Charles sounds strange to me.,
DeleteI thought all swans belonged to the sovereign. Such a shame that the avian flu has killed so many. The Derbyshire well dressings are amazing, seeing them up close and being able to see all the petals which have been used shows the dedication to getting the design just right.
ReplyDeleteYes, I always thought all swans belonged to the sovereign, so was surprised to find otherwise.
DeleteWe just missed the well dressing in the village where we stayed in Derbyshire last week.
ReplyDeleteI confess, I've always wondered what swans taste like. As good a goose?
Cheers, Gail.
I should think swans taste very similar to goose but I'll never find out!
ReplyDeleteI have never had roast swan, of course, and I am certain I never will. They are a wonderful part of our avifauna, however, despite being non-native and aggressive to other species. They are simply grand.
ReplyDeleteWe have three swans in UK, mute, which are native to UK and are present all year and do not migrate. Bewick's and Whooper swans, which breed near the Arctic in summer and are winter visitors to UK. We also have the Australian black swan, presumably escapees from private collections. Swans are so graceful on the water.
DeleteYour information re the swans is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteIn a town near me, Dawlish, we have the famous black swans! They were introduced to the town in the 1940s when a game warden from Uganda presented a pair to the town! However, it is said that previous to that, in 1906, there had been black swans introduced by a man from New Zealand, but they died out!
I also loved reading about the tradition of the ‘well dressing’!
Black swans are quite striking and such a contrast to the white mute swans.
DeleteOh I just love all those time honoured traditions Janice. But I especially love swans & loved reading all about the swan upping - how fascinating. xx
ReplyDeleteSwan-upping is a very colourful tradition and necessary, too, to monitor the birds' health.
DeleteSwan upping is so interesting to read about. And dressing the wells too. Such cool customs to carry on. As I scrolled past the post I came to the OK dressing and thought it was for the swans. LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteIt would make an interesting accompaniment - ha ha.
DeleteStill cannot post on MY OWN blog, but so happy to read your interesting posts.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear, Linda, that is not good.
DeleteWater purity and abundance are still critical today. The pagans (and on) celebrated it very wisely.
ReplyDeleteWe don't seem to value it highly enough at present in UK - far too much nasty stuff being emptied into the rivers far too often.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard of swan upping, but had no idea of its origins. The other two were unknown to me. Well flowering/dressing sounds particularly lovely. Yet another interesting read, Janice, thank you for sharing. xxx
ReplyDeleteWell dressing is a lovely communal/community tradition. It must take hours to complete the displays. x x x
ReplyDelete