Traditional pursuits in October – part 3

 

Traditional pursuits in October – part 3

St George's church, Hinton St George

In villages across Somerset the tradition of Punkie Night is upheld. One of the best-known, if not the best-known is at Hinton St George, a small village surrounded by farmland, woods and orchards. It has a population of about 450 but retains all the amenities a community requires – church, pub, primary school, shop, post office and village hall. On the last Thursday of October the village celebrates the Somerset tradition of Punkie Night.

Punkie is an old English name for a lantern which has been carved from a root vegetable like a swede or turnip or mangelwurzel. The Jack-o’-lantern has a lighted candle in it. Nowadays, a pumpkin is often used (and is easier to carve, I can attest!)

This year, 2023, Punkie Night falls on 26th October. Starting at the village hall at 6:00 pm children form a procession that sets off to travel through the streets of the village. They are led by the Punkie King and Queen and travel from house to house, swinging their punkies and maybe hoping for a treat or two.

As they go they sing traditional songs like the following:

It’s Punkie Night, tonight,

It’s Punkie Night, tonight,

Give us a candle, give us a light.

If you don’t you’ll get a fright.

 

It’s Punkie Night, tonight,

It’s Punkie Night, tonight,

Adam and Eve wouldn’t believe

It’s Punkie Night tonight.

Legend holds that in the Middle Ages, all the men of Hinton St George went to a fair. When it came to evening and they had not returned, the village women went to look for them, lighting their way with punkies. The punkies gave protection from evil as well as light. Farmers of old would put punkies on their gates to fend off evil spirits.

Punkie Night has echoes of Hallowe’en. The children often dress up, sometimes in something like mediaeval dress, but more likely these days in ‘spooky’ costumes. The procession stops along the way for Morris dancing and the singing of Punkie songs and finishes later at the Village Hall where the Punkies are hung up to be judged. There are first, second and third prizes for the best punkies in different age groups.

Once upon a time

 

Once upon a time

In a field full of fat, round, juicy pumpkins, six mice had found a perfect place to tarry awhile and enjoy a feast. They called themselves the Pumpkin Mice. They were related, as all mice are, but they were cousins rather than siblings. They were descendants of mouse aristocrats, the Fancy Mice, and some of their ancestors had won prizes at Mouse Fancy Shows and had their photographs taken with a big silver trophy.

Though the Pumpkin Mice were not show mice, they had beautiful, large ears and bright blue eyes which were quite remarkable, having never before been seen in the mouse world. The length of their tails varied considerably and most of them were pink but one was a startling green and quite the longest tail ever seen in Mousedom.

They had scurried away to hide inside the pumpkins when they heard movement in the field. Too many of their friends and relations had met an unpleasant end at the teeth and beaks of larger creatures. Quaking and shivering, they awaited their fate. After a very long time, they emerged blinking into the daylight and gazed around, thankful still to be alive, but what was this? The pumpkins were no longer in the field but lifted high on a tower. They peered over the edges, wondering if it would be safe to attempt an escape. Where would they go? Everything was so unfamiliar. They decided it would be safer to stay where they were, with shelter and food.

As the days went by they noticed that lots of passers-by stopped by the pumpkins on the tower. When they realised they were quite safe and that the little children and their parents were just looking and didn’t want to take their pumpkins away they became braver and began to peek at the people.

The mothers said, ‘Look at the little mice’ and ‘Aren’t they sweet?’ and the little children said, ‘Ooh’ and ‘Ahh’.

The Pumpkin Mice were happy in their new home. The squirrels didn’t worry them, as squirrels don’t bother with pumpkin when there are so many other delicious things to eat. The crows and magpies noticed them but didn’t disturb them. Life was sweet, just like the pumpkins.