Crying The Neck is a harvest festival tradition once common in counties of Devon and Cornwall in the United Kingdom, in which a farm worker holds aloft the final handful of cut corn and a series of calls are chanted.
The tradition declined following the invention of machines such as the combine harvester,[citation needed] and is no longer known to be practised in Devon. In Cornwall, however, the tradition was revived in the early twentieth century by the Old Cornwall Society.[1]
In The Story of Cornwall, by Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin, the following explanation is given on the practice:
"In those days the whole of the reaping had to be done either with the hook or scythe. The harvest, in consequence, often lasted for many weeks. When the time came to cut the last handful of standing corn, one of the reapers would lift up the bunch high above his head and call out in a loud voice.....,
"I 'ave 'un! I 'ave 'un! I 'ave 'un!"
The rest would then shout,
"What 'ave 'ee? What 'ave 'ee? What 'ave 'ee?"
and the reply would be:
"A neck! A neck! A neck!"
Everyone then joined in shouting:
"Hurrah! Hurrah for the neck! Hurrah for Mr. So-and-So"
(calling the farmer by name.)"
Sometimes the ceremony is given in the Cornish Language, here between An Tregher (the reaper) and An Re erel (the others):
An Tregher: Yma genef! Yma genef! Yma genef! An Re erel: Pandr’us genes? Pandr’us genes? Pandr’us genes? An Tregher: Pen Yar! Pen Yar! Pen Yar! An Re erel: An Re erel – “Houra! Houra! Houra!
Robert Hunt wrote in his Popular Romances of the West of England that the neck would be hung in the farmhouse after the ceremony.[2]
Modern popular cultureedit
In a harvest scene in the third episode of the second series of the 2015 of Poldark, Francis Poldark performs the tradition at Trenwith, his estate.[3]
In a harvest scene in the third episode of supernatural drama The Living and the Dead (S01 E03), Charlotte Appleby performs the tradition at her husband's family farm, which she manages.[4]
^. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
^Hunt, Robert (1881). "Crying the Neck". Popular Romances of the West of England. London: Chatto and Windus. p. 385.
^Poldark. Series 2. Episode 3. 18 September 2016. 32 minutes in. BBC One.
^"The Living and the Dead Episode 3 Recap". 20 July 2016.
External linksedit
The custom as described in 1836 by W. Hone from the Legendary Dartmoor webpage
What exactly is a Corn Dolly? Picture of a Cornish Neck from The Guild of Straw Craftsmen website.
April 10, 2024
crying, neck, crying, neck, harvest, festival, tradition, once, common, counties, devon, cornwall, united, kingdom, which, farm, worker, holds, aloft, final, handful, corn, series, calls, chanted, crying, neck, columb, major, 2008, tradition, declined, followi. Crying The Neck is a harvest festival tradition once common in counties of Devon and Cornwall in the United Kingdom in which a farm worker holds aloft the final handful of cut corn and a series of calls are chanted Crying The Neck at St Columb Major 2008 The tradition declined following the invention of machines such as the combine harvester citation needed and is no longer known to be practised in Devon In Cornwall however the tradition was revived in the early twentieth century by the Old Cornwall Society 1 Contents 1 Ceremony 2 Modern popular culture 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksCeremony editIn The Story of Cornwall by Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin the following explanation is given on the practice In those days the whole of the reaping had to be done either with the hook or scythe The harvest in consequence often lasted for many weeks When the time came to cut the last handful of standing corn one of the reapers would lift up the bunch high above his head and call out in a loud voice I ave un I ave un I ave un The rest would then shout What ave ee What ave ee What ave ee and the reply would be A neck A neck A neck Everyone then joined in shouting Hurrah Hurrah for the neck Hurrah for Mr So and So calling the farmer by name Sometimes the ceremony is given in the Cornish Language here between An Tregher the reaper and An Re erel the others An Tregher Yma genef Yma genef Yma genef An Re erel Pandr us genes Pandr us genes Pandr us genes An Tregher Pen Yar Pen Yar Pen Yar An Re erel An Re erel Houra Houra Houra Robert Hunt wrote in his Popular Romances of the West of England that the neck would be hung in the farmhouse after the ceremony 2 Modern popular culture editIn a harvest scene in the third episode of the second series of the 2015 of Poldark Francis Poldark performs the tradition at Trenwith his estate 3 In a harvest scene in the third episode of supernatural drama The Living and the Dead S01 E03 Charlotte Appleby performs the tradition at her husband s family farm which she manages 4 See also edit nbsp Cornwall portalHarvest festival GuldizeReferences edit Crying the Neck in Cornwall Archived from the original on 29 June 2018 Retrieved 2 October 2020 Hunt Robert 1881 Crying the Neck Popular Romances of the West of England London Chatto and Windus p 385 Poldark Series 2 Episode 3 18 September 2016 32 minutes in BBC One The Living and the Dead Episode 3 Recap 20 July 2016 External links editThe custom as described in 1836 by W Hone from the Legendary Dartmoor webpage What exactly is a Corn Dolly Picture of a Cornish Neck from The Guild of Straw Craftsmen website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crying the Neck amp oldid 1211860370, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
