Book Review: Britain's Folklore Year by Mark Norman

 

I love folklore. As a result (and as you might expect) I've read quite a lot about it, and in quite a lot of detail. This book is best considered as an introduction. If you're looking for a something that delves into the social and psychological origins of folklore in any depth you will probably be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you're a folklore novice, or you just want a fairly simple round-up of local traditions, then this is pretty much spot on. 

It's a chronological consideration of Britain's folklore, beginning in spring (with more than a nod to both the ecclesiastical and agricultural calendars) and rounds off at the end of winter, and it looks at different traditions, where they occur, how they vary and what they have in common. 

It's wide-ranging in scope and therefore doesn't allow itself the luxury of looking at some of the more significant customs that persist in different variations across the UK (for example, the Mari Lwyd and Plough Monday are two ancient traditions that deserve a lot more exploration than the author has space for). But again: if it's an introduction you're looking for then that is what you've got. 

The range of traditions is also extremely wide, from the ancient pre-Christian rituals associated, in particular, with the transitions between the seasons, to very much more modern 'traditions' that are artificial and which, while they might one day become long-standing and historic, are currently very much what I would consider commercial events rather than folkloric celebrations. That includes such things as the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championships and the International Festival of Worm Charming. 

It's a quick, fun gallop through some of the quirkier aspects of the UK's heritage, some of it more authentic than other parts, and I thoroughly enjoyed it -- without, I have to say, finding myself hugely better-informed as a result.