Monday 19 December 2022

Nowt so queer as "folk"

 









6 comments:

William James Tychonievich said...

I’ll bite. What are we looking at here?

Bruce Charlton said...

@WmJas - Just a collection of rather weird-looking 'folk' customs, mostly from England. The sort of thing that 'inspired; The Wicker Man movie. I have a few big 'artsy books' of this stuff.

I find these very imaginatively potent. One of the most world famous, and perhaps most ancient, is in Allendale, up in the Pennine Hills - not far from here. I've never been there for the New Year's Eve ritual, but the idea of it happening (by and for the locals; regardless of outsiders) is powerful.

https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/explore/seasons/winter/tar-barl




Epimetheus said...

That fellow in the second picture looks like a film actor. Forget his name at the moment.

Serhei said...

I feel blessed to have seen and enjoyed this post before there were any comments on it. Having any form of context or explanation beyond the intentionally-cryptic title rather changes the effect.

Torquaymada said...

Toby Jones

Bruce Charlton said...

@Serhei - Such is the nature of humour.

@T - The one on the right is indeed Toby Jones, from By Our Selves (2015) - himself an example of queer folk. The one on the left is a Straw Bear.