Dawn breaks; a golden globe rises into the sky casting a glow over the ocean.
Summer solstice is here: the longest day of the year.
In the small fishing port of Falmouth, Cornwall, a wash of colourful Morris dancers hop and jump into the air. Their hankies fly high up towards the sky as their troupe of musicians serenade them. This is the first stop on their longest day of dancing in their calendar. They begin at dawn meeting by the sea and they end at dusk on a hill in the nearby town of Penryn.
These Morris dancers are The WAD, an all-female progressive Morris side based in Falmouth. The WAD performs traditional dances but has taken its costuming and the ‘beasts’ that dance alongside them in an alternative direction. For this dawn dance, they are clad in shades of blue and white, with flame-like headdresses that lick upwards into the sky. They are joined by Sunny Jim, a huge pouting sun made from felt, who twirls around them as they wave their hankies. Their costumes are all handmade by Penny MacBeth, who also plays as one of The WAD’s musicians.
Although Falmouth’s summer solstice celebrations are a very recent addition to the folk year, Cornwall has a long history of marking St John’s Eve, which falls on 23 June and is believed to be associated with ancient midsummer celebrations. Traditionally, fires were lit at beacons across the region, and herbs were cast into them to ensure good luck for the coming season. St John’s Wort, rue, southernwood, vervain and rosemary were all popular choices, each carrying their own particular associations for the type of luck they’d bring – some would ward off evil; others would guarantee abundant harvests or success in love the following year.
As well as the herbs, weeds and flowers would also be thrown into the flames by a woman known as the Lady of the Flowers. As the fire consumed the plants she would recite the following words:
“In one bunch together bound,
Flowers for burning here are found,
Both good and ill,
Thousand fold let good seed spring,
Wicked weeds, fast withering,
Now let this fire kill!’
It was also customary, as it was in parts of southern Ireland, to leap over the bonfires - a dangerous feat believed to bestow good luck on those brave enough to attempt it.
Today, The Old Cornwall Society has revived some of these lost traditions, and once again bonfires burn bright across Cornwall around the time of summer solstice. A striking parallel can be found in the Ukrainian custom of Ivan Kupala Night, which happens on old St John’s Eve on 7 July, where young women and men jump over fires and throw herbs into the flames to protect themselves from evil. Fire, and the sun itself, have long been associated with protection, purification and warding off harmful forces.
Back in Falmouth, once the dawn dancers have leapt and twirled the glowing orange sun into the sky, they disperse into the sea for a refreshing dip and then make their way to work.
In the evening, they gather once more at Verdant Taproom in Penryn, a Cornish brewery where they practise every third Wednesday. As the light falls, they dance the sun down, whooping and whirling around hordes of happy pub-goers. For this dusk dance, they are joined by a different beast, the Owl Woman, a wicker head with velvet wings. She is based on the legend of the Owl Man of Mawgan Porth, a strange mythical beast who is said to haunt a nearby coastal churchyard. The Owl Woman flaps around the dancers, hooting as she goes.
This is a new tradition for a modern era of folk.
You may be wondering how you, too, can celebrate the return of longer summer days. Take inspiration from the old Cornish fire customs by selecting three herbs traditionally cast on to the solstice bonfires: rosemary to ward away evil forces, St John’s wort to dispel negativity and vervain for protection in the coming season. Place the sprigs in a jar by your bed and enjoy their scent as you wake each morning and fall asleep each evening.
Words by Lally MacBeth.
Photography by Camilla Greenwell.
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