Overview

Hoodening is an ancient calendar custom unique to East Kent, involving a wooden horse's head on a pole, carried by a man concealed by a sack. The earliest reliable record is from 1735, but other than Percy Maylam's seminal work ""The Hooden Horse"", published in 1909, little serious research has gone into the tradition. George Frampton has rectified this, by taking Maylam as a starting point then cross-referencing dozens of newspaper reports, census records and other accounts to build a comprehensive picture of who the Hoodeners were, why (and where) they did it, how it related to other folk traditions, and why the custom appeared to die out from time to time. He then goes beyond Maylam to look at the 'demise' of Hoodening in around 1921, its widely heralded 'revival' in 1966, and discovers that this narrative is in fact quite misleading, as several Hooden Horses were still active throughout that period. He includes descriptions of the current teams, and supplies plentiful appendices detailing past participants, places visited, songs performed, events on Hoodening's timeline, and the horses themselves. Full indices make it easy for modern Men and Maids of Kent to check whether their ancestors might have been involved, and detailed references make this an invaluable resource for social historians too.

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9780993158773

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Reviews

more than repays attention ... thought-provoking for all those interested in Christmas customs ... well-researched, interesting and readable ... a valuable addition to folklore and hobby horse literature (Stephen Rowley, Folk Music Journal )

"""a good read for the interested layman [and] a valuable resource for anyone interested in the custom... thorough gathering together of all available information... needed to be written, and it is fortunate that the task fell into the competent hands of George Frampton."" (Morris Dancer) ""very readable research is backed up with generous quotations... much more valuable and interesting than the common practice of citations and precis... a welcome and important addition to the rather small canon of literature exploring our ""beasts of disguise"" traditions... a tale of rich cultural heritage."" (Living Tradition) ""thoroughly researched... very well presented... full of previously un-published interviews with traditional Hoodeners... in depth analysis... extremely interesting and a valuable resource for anyone interest[ed] in the folk traditions"" (Around Kent Folk) ""numerous anecdotes that reveal experiences with and attitudes towards [the tradition] during these decades in which it has not been examined... provides a sense of the scope and history of the rarely studied practice, with substantial direct quotations... offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive starting point for any scholar... documents the adoption and repurposing of local and international calendar customs to suit the needs and interests of various individual performers and communities... sheds light on the roles of kinship, gender, race, class, material culture, and regional identity"" (Journal of Folklore Research) ""attractively published... a comprehensive sourcebook... gathers together all the available historical records... quoting them in full within a readable linking narrative... clear insight... admirable spadework and academic endeavour... copious references"" (Master Mummers) ""left no stone unturned in his research... very useful index, which helps make this a book to dip into profitably"" (Archæologia Cantiana) ""many admirable strengths... richly illustrated with colour photographs... handsome volume... [with] comprehensive appendices, the richness of source material contained in this book makes it a valuable resource for anybody interested in folk customs."" (Dancing On) ""gold mine for researchers and enthusiasts... extremely well indexed... liberally illustrated with both modern and historical photos"" (Kris Hughes) ""a treat for the eyes... meticulous and detailed account... compelling and intriguing volume"" (Tykes' News) ""more than repays attention... thought-provoking for all interested in Christmas customs... well-researched, interesting and readable... a valuable addition to folklore and hobby horse literature"" (Folk Music Journal)"

"""a good read for the interested layman [and] a valuable resource for anyone interested in the custom... thorough gathering together of all available information... needed to be written, and it is fortunate that the task fell into the competent hands of George Frampton."" (Morris Dancer) ""very readable research is backed up with generous quotations... much more valuable and interesting than the common practice of citations and precis... a welcome and important addition to the rather small canon of literature exploring our ""beasts of disguise"" traditions... a tale of rich cultural heritage."" (Living Tradition) ""thoroughly researched... very well presented... full of previously un-published interviews with traditional Hoodeners... in depth analysis... extremely interesting and a valuable resource for anyone interest[ed] in the folk traditions"" (Around Kent Folk) ""numerous anecdotes that reveal experiences with and attitudes towards [the tradition] during these decades in which it has not been examined... provides a sense of the scope and history of the rarely studied practice, with substantial direct quotations... offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive starting point for any scholar... documents the adoption and repurposing of local and international calendar customs to suit the needs and interests of various individual performers and communities... sheds light on the roles of kinship, gender, race, class, material culture, and regional identity"" (Journal of Folklore Research) ""attractively published... a comprehensive sourcebook... gathers together all the available historical records... quoting them in full within a readable linking narrative... clear insight... admirable spadework and academic endeavour... copious references"" (Master Mummers) ""left no stone unturned in his research... very useful index, which helps make this a book to dip into profitably"" (Arch�ologia Cantiana) ""many admirable strengths... richly illustrated with colour photographs... handsome volume... [with] comprehensive appendices, the richness of source material contained in this book makes it a valuable resource for anybody interested in folk customs."" (Dancing On) ""gold mine for researchers and enthusiasts... extremely well indexed... liberally illustrated with both modern and historical photos"" (Kris Hughes) ""a treat for the eyes... meticulous and detailed account... compelling and intriguing volume"" (Tykes' News) ""more than repays attention... thought-provoking for all interested in Christmas customs... well-researched, interesting and readable... a valuable addition to folklore and hobby horse literature"" (Folk Music Journal)"

Author Information

George Frampton was born in Hampshire, but found himself seduced by Kent culture upon seeing the Seven Champions Molly Dancers at Sidmouth Folk Week in 1979. He joined their team and moved to Kent, continuing to perform as dancer and musician for the next 30 years in groups as diverse as the Fabulous Fezheads (a self-proclaimed unit of sand dancers), Rabble Folk Theatre, the Thomas Clark Quire (singing the music of rural Kentish parish churches, 1780-1830), and Surrey-based barn dance band Stockbroker's Belt. He once even guested as an 'honorary member' with the St Nicholas-at-Wade Hoodeners. He has researched, written and delivered lectures on Plough Monday customs, the Oak Apple Day tradition, numerous other folklore-related topics, and Kent life in general, via journals such as Folk in Kent, Bygone Kent, Morris Matters, and Living Tradition. While in Kent, he was Artistic Director for the Kent Gathering in Frittenden, and he currently chairs the Volunteer Inn 'In the Tradition' music sessions at Sidmouth Festival. Ben Jones won a scholarship to Oxford University to study Japanese, then lived in Japan for a few years. While there he started translating, in fields ranging from business and technology through to avant-garde drama and the Bujinkan martial arts (he was the interpreter for 'Ninja grandmaster' Hatsumi Masaaki at seminars around the world). He has since continued this work in the UK, becoming head of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting's Japanese Network, and now runs a successful languages business from his home in Kent. He also runs the boutique publishing house 'Ozaru Books' and performs as a professional musician.

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