Minehead Hobby Horse
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In the coastal town of Minehead, located in the southwest English county of Somerset, there is a folk custom on May Day entailing the parading of a brightly decorated hobby horse around the locality.
The Hobby Horse in 2008
The Padstow 'Obby 'Oss
Hobby horse
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In folklore, a hobby horse is a costumed character that features in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. In England, they are particularly associate
Minehead Hobby Horse
…town of Minehead, located in the southwest English county of Somerset, there is a folk custom on May Day entailing the parading of a brightly decorated hobby horse around the locality. The origins of the custom are unknown. The earliest known record of the practice dates from 1830…
Painting of a hobby horse with Morris dancers beside the River Thames at Richmond, London; detail of Thames at Richmond, with the Old Royal Palace, c. 1620 (Fitzwilliam Museum, unknown artist)
The Old 'Oss capturing a young woman during the May Day festival at Padstow, Cornwall
Some modern dance sides have reinterpreted the hobby horse: this hooden horse is a zebra