Half way up Snaefell Mountain on Boxing day, when we got just around the corner Manannan’s cloak descended on Snaefell and we could not see more than a metre in front of us. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page – Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag: Boxing Day
Hunt The Wren 2012 – St Stephen’s Day Manx Tradition (Boxing Day)
I took this image this morning opposite the Woodbourne Hotel in Alexander Drive in Douglas. The custom of ‘Hunting the Wren’ has long been an Isle of Man tradition, and is still kept alive each St Stephen’s Day. It is thought that it is descended from Celtic mythology and the tradition may also have been influenced by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking invasions of the 8th and 10th centuries. Historically, groups of young men known as ‘wren boys’ would hunt a wren and then tie the sacred bird to the top of a pole, decorated with holly sprigs and ribbons. With blackened faces, the group would sing at houses and receive for money, presents or food for their efforts. Those that gave money to the boys would receive a feather from the wren as thanks. The collected money was then used to host a village dance. Superstitious Manx fishermen were known not to venture out to sea without having first secured a feather to ensure their safe return. Wrens’ feathers were also considered a general preservative against witchcraft. The image was captured on my Nikon S8200 Camera resized and cropped in Adobe Photoshop CS6. Feel free to make any comments either on this website by clicking the “Write comment” below or by logging onto my Facebook Page – Click on the image for a larger view.
Hunt The Wren – St Stephen’s Day Manx Tradition (Boxing Day)
The custom of ‘hunting the wren’ has long been an Isle of Man tradition, and is still kept alive each St Stephen’s Day. It is thought that it is descended from Celtic mythology and the tradition may also have been influenced by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking invasions of the 8th and 10th centuries. Historically, groups of young men known as ‘wren boys’ would hunt a wren and then tie the sacred bird to the top of a pole, decorated with holly sprigs and ribbons. With blackened faces, the group would sing at houses and receive for money, presents or food for their efforts. Those that gave money to the boys would receive a feather from the wren as thanks. The collected money was then used to host a village dance. Superstitious Manx fishermen were known not to venture out to sea without having first secured a feather to ensure their safe return. Wrens’ feathers were also considered a general preservative against witchcraft. The images were captured on my Fuji X10 camera, resized and cropped in Adobe Photoshop CS5. Click on the images for a larger view!