I got hit in the teeth at England's oldest ritual

[00:00] There were signs as I drove

[00:02] saying there might be delays

[00:06] There was still mist on the ground

[00:09] and I parked up in rural Staffordshire.

[00:11] More than a dozen videos into this series,

[00:14] that I haven’t yet talked about

[00:18] So, those signs felt like a good omen.

[00:21] (background chatter)

[00:26] It’s busy in the village already.

[00:30] And my instructions are:

[00:32] go to the church and look for the people

[00:37] There were already lots of people there.

[00:39] I didn’t have any special access here:

[00:41] with lots of people inside

[00:44] and there were two types

[00:46] folks from the village

[00:48] who clearly all knew each other,

[00:51] and a lot of…

[00:53] Tourists is the wrong word.

[00:55] There were definitely tourists,

[00:57] But mostly, the outsiders were people

[01:00] here to broadcast, not to save memories

[01:04] The man with the jingling bells is Terry,

[01:08] In the meantime, the folks in costume

[01:12] Look, there’s a lot that I’m gonna need

[01:15] If I talk about it all now,

[01:16] we’ll be in the church for most of

[01:19] But in nearly every shot here,

[01:22] maybe a small GoPro,

[01:24] maybe a 360 camera

[01:26] longer than mine, but never mind.

[01:28] Or maybe it’ll be some odd hybrid camera

[01:30] which appeared to take

[01:32] while also having a modern flash attached?

[01:34] I wish I’d asked him about that.

[01:36] Or it’ll be a full professional camera,

[01:37] either someone from the local newspaper

[01:40] who’s come along to get some footage

[01:43] And all of us with cameras are...

[01:48] not wanting to interfere with proceedings

[01:50] but also not wanting

[01:53] With the antlers down,

[01:55] and all the photographers off at the side,

[01:57] the vicar welcomed everyone

[02:00] Bless all who visit this parish today.

[02:03] Give them joy in their hearts

[02:08] And bring them safely

[02:11] Amen.

[02:13] For anyone who’s used to more vocal

[02:16] the gentle mutter of “amen”

[02:20] actually it was positively enthusiastic

[02:24] Anyway, up went the antlers,

[02:26] and everyone headed outside.

[02:28] Everybody ready?

[02:31] -Are we ready?

[02:32] And we were off.

[02:34] (accordions playing ‘A Hundred Pipers’,

[02:39] The oldest village tradition

[02:42] and immediately a taxi decides to turn

[02:46] because the high street’s

[02:48] The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

[02:51] first, walking down the street in a line.

[02:54] -Morning Jill, you all right?

[02:56] You all right? Morning, you all right?

[02:58] And as this happens, the locals

[03:01] or follow along.

[03:02] Whoa!

[03:03] Second: stepping back and forth,

[03:06] in what seemed like a very simple routine

[03:08] but which, I would find out later,

[03:12] And third: parading around in a circle

[03:16] (music continues)

[03:21] Eventually, they turned off the main road

[03:25] because this is not a single

[03:28] I don’t think I appreciated

[03:32] this actually is for them.

[03:34] Because, like, I’m running around

[03:35] as are so many other people around here.

[03:37] Oh, it’s okay, it’s been about 15 minutes.

[03:40] They’re going to be walking

[03:43] They’re going to be playing

[03:45] Like, they’re not finished

[03:50] Also, there’s quite a few car drivers

[03:54] Like most English towns and villages,

[03:56] you can track the architecture

[03:59] as you head away from the centre.

[04:00] Also, let me explain that triangle

[04:04] The Horn Dance has a cast of characters.

[04:06] Along with the dancers and the musicians,

[04:08] there’s the jester, Terry,

[04:10] There’s the hobby-horse.

[04:11] There’s the kid with the bow and arrow,

[04:13] which she’s usually blank-firing

[04:15] it’s just very quiet compared

[04:17] There’s Maid Marian,

[04:20] And there’s the kid with the triangle.

[04:21] Because that’s a very young kid,

[04:23] I think they got swapped out

[04:25] because the level of triangle skill

[04:28] seemed to change quite a lot

[04:30] both in timing and enthusiasm.

[04:33] After 45 minutes or so

[04:37] they made it to their first pit stop.

[04:39] (applause)

[04:43] There were bacon rolls and drinks,

[04:45] and even occasional tots of what I think

[04:48] being given to the folks in costume.

[04:49] There were still a few folks

[04:51] although a lot of the press photographers

[04:54] and some of the villagers

[04:56] or to take their kids to school.

[04:58] And everyone moved out of the way

[05:01] While they were stopped,

[05:04] How long have you been doing this?

[05:06] This will be my 46th year.

[05:08] 46th year, so did you start out

[05:12] Or has it been...

[05:18] where the dancers were

[05:22] -Right!

[05:25] -Yep.

[05:28] and I’ve done it ever since.

[05:30] And the history of this

[05:33] (laughter)

[05:34] Yeah, it’s a mystery.

[05:35] Nobody really knows what it’s all about.

[05:37] I mean, there’s one story that says

[05:41] ’cos it’s just after the harvest

[05:44] And then other people say

[05:48] Right.

[05:49] Like when you see the horns

[05:52] it represents two male stags

[05:55] -Right.

[05:58] And then the circles as we do.

[06:01] But that’s all a guess, presumably?

[06:03] There’s no written, definite thing.

[06:07] All we’re interested in,

[06:10] The dance used to be on Christmas

[06:13] and at some point it switched

[06:16] which is a holiday date that seems

[06:18] and it would be far too much of a tangent

[06:21] And all the history of that has been lost.

[06:25] That’s the mystery of the dance.

[06:29] As you can see this morning, I mean…

[06:31] Yeah! I mean, there’s been a steady

[06:34] who presumably like me,

[06:38] because you’re finishing

[06:39] -Yeah.

[06:41] I mean, you’re talking about

[06:45] They finish...that’s the dancers, not me.

[06:50] Oh, yeah, because they’re going

[06:52] I’m too old for that! (laughs)

[06:54] So, they’re all walking a half marathon

[06:57] Why are they doing it?

[06:59] Because that’s what happens every year.

[07:01] The first written record that includes

[07:04] in The Natural History of Staffordshire.

[07:07] I don’t have a physical copy of the book,

[07:08] even modern reprints

[07:11] But in there, it says

[07:13] “a sort of sport called

[07:17] which included the dancer on the horse,

[07:19] “six others, carrying on their shoulders

[07:23] It’s clearly an earlier version of this,

[07:26] with lots of things in common,

[07:27] but what stood out to me, and maybe

[07:31] but it looks like a fundraising event.

[07:34] The record talks of a pot,

[07:37] held by the chiefs of the town,

[07:39] And “all people who had any kindness

[07:43] would give a little bit of money

[07:46] and the poor people of the town,

[07:47] which is still happening.

[07:49] I didn’t get any footage of it on the day

[07:52] but there was a collection going round

[07:54] and I bought a t-shirt, because I felt

[07:59] And there are plenty of places across

[08:03] whether it’s the local rotary club

[08:05] having Santa touring round

[08:07] or some other charity parade.

[08:09] To be clear, actual folklore scholars

[08:14] Wild reindeer have been extinct

[08:17] The antlers have been carbon-dated

[08:19] to somewhere around

[08:21] so, about a millennium old,

[08:23] but that doesn’t mean they’ve been

[08:25] There’s a decent chance that they

[08:28] although why and how they ended up

[08:32] This paper with the carbon dating

[08:35] and none of them have

[08:38] Its conclusion is basically,

[08:40] I did find a photo dated 1899,

[08:43] and the metadata there says

[08:45] “celebrates the granting of the Charter

[08:49] That’s a law that restored

[08:51] But that idea seems to come from the notes

[08:55] by documentarian, Sir Benjamin Stone,

[08:57] and the language in there seems to imply

[09:00] decided that?

[09:02] It says that the dance “clearly indicates

[09:05] and that “clearly, therefore,

[09:08] “was to assert certain rights”

[09:10] That seems to have as much evidence

[09:12] as my idea about it being

[09:15] We all interpret what we see

[09:18] Anyway, they let some of the spectators

[09:21] they continued along country roads,

[09:24] performing in someone’s front garden.

[09:25] You can see there’s fewer cameras out now,

[09:27] it’s more locals and some enthusiastic

[09:30] The sun started to get higher in the sky

[09:33] There was also a performance at a country

[09:36] where the riffraff like me

[09:40] (music continues)

[09:41] As we moved through quieter country lanes,

[09:43] the discipline of the dance wasn’t held

[09:47] often they were just out for a walk

[09:49] although cars were still getting stuck

[09:53] -Oh, that car timed it wrong, didn’t he?

[09:55] The music occasionally got

[09:58] (‘Dam Busters March’

[10:08] (crowd applauding)

[10:10] Did I hear the Dam Busters

[10:13] You’ll hear all sorts of things

[10:16] (laughter)

[10:17] Anything from Nelly the Elephant…

[10:20] Yes, I slipped up there.

[10:21] I didn’t mean to play

[10:23] And then, at the next pit stop,

[10:25] they called for more spectators

[10:27] so I volunteered.

[10:29] That turned out to be

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[11:30] With most of the crew

[11:32] I volunteered to be one of

[11:35] So I handed my camera

[11:37] and picked up some antlers.

[11:38] -One hand there.

[11:40] -And then, so this hand down.

[11:43] However’s comfier.

[11:45] If…okay, yep. This…

[11:47] It’s heavier and both much less balanced

[11:51] This could be an 800+ year old set

[11:55] Oh easily yeah.

[11:56] That I’m just holding

[11:57] Yeah, you’ll be fine.

[11:59] Thanks! (laughs) No pressure.

[12:02] That’s…that’s stable. I’ve got that, okay.

[12:06] At least I hope I’ve got that.

[12:08] -Has anyone told you what to do yet?

[12:10] -Okay, good.

[12:12] -Good. Same here.

[12:13] -Same!

[12:15] Oh, apparently you’re holding the one

[12:18] Oh, my God. I think I’m holding

[12:21] -Yes, that is the lightest one.

[12:23] -That’s why you’ve given it to me.

[12:25] -The delicate girly.

[12:27] -Alright.

[12:29] -And I’ll follow you.

[12:30] What about when we’re doing

[12:33] Ah, it’ll make sense as we go.

[12:34] (laughter)

[12:36] Okay!

[12:37] Right!

[12:38] (music starts)

[12:52] There is one thing I’m worried about

[12:56] There are plenty of British traditions

[12:59] thanks to the internet.

[13:00] The annual cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill

[13:05] but back in 2010 a rush of publicity

[13:08] due to overcrowding,

[13:10] The Lewes Bonfire is now so overcrowded

[13:15] trains don’t stop at the local stations,

[13:18] The Horn Dance is a little protected

[13:21] there’s less fire and spectacle,

[13:23] and it’s a gentle, all-day event

[13:26] But you saw how many cameras there were,

[13:28] all of us jostling to try and make it look

[13:32] because that’s less authentic.

[13:35] I do have a duty of care

[13:38] Anyway, here’s where I get hit

[13:40] The real trick is how close

[13:42] It’s fine, we got it, we got it!

[13:45] -Without getting dizzy of course.

[13:47] Already dizzy, already dizzy.

[13:50] -Oof!

[13:52] -Oh, my...

[13:55] My concerns, in order: first, do I still

[13:59] Second, are the horns okay?

[14:01] Yes, they’ve survived centuries,

[14:04] They’re literally made by deer

[14:07] Third, did I get that on camera?

[14:09] Yes, I did.

[14:11] Oof!

[14:11] But the dance must go on,

[14:13] even if holding the camera out made me

[14:19] Mornin’.

[14:20] And you’ll notice that when we cross over,

[14:22] the experts have learnt to duck

[14:26] having the exact sort of collision

[14:29] (cheering applause)

[14:35] (music stops)

[14:38] -Yeah, thank you so, so much.

[14:40] -That is so kind of you.

[14:43] Whoo! (laughter)

[14:45] -Survived, did it?

[14:48] -I’m intrigued to see that, actually.

[14:57] Next time, or right now

[15:01] I help wind and fire