Guldize

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Guldize, Gooldize or Goel dheys is the harvest festival of the Cornish people. Guldize is Cornish language for "The feast of ricks". The festival itself was held at the end of the wheat harvest and took the form of a vast feast usually around the time of the Autumn equinox. The ceremony of Crying The Neck took place before the feast the kneck being formed into a Corn dolly which presided over the celebrations. [1]

[edit] Historical description

A. K. Hamilton Jenkin wrote in his book Cornish homes and customs,

“ "On the evening of the day on which the neck was cut the harvesters would repair to the farmhouse kitchen. Here numerous company in addition to farmers own family would sit down to a substantial meal of broiled pork and potatoes, the second course consisted of Apple pie, cream and 'fuggans' the whole being washed down with cider and spirits." ”

[2]

The playing of music and communal singing followed sometimes throughout the night.[3]. A number of songs in particualr have been recorded as being sung on these occasions, including "Green Brooms", "Here's a health to the barley mow", and "Harvest Home".

The earliest reference to Guldize was in 1602 by Richard Carew in his survey of Cornwall [4].

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ * AK Hamilton Jenking Cornish Homes and Customs 1932
  2. ^ * A K Hamilton Jenkin Cornish Homes and Customs 1932
  3. ^ * A K Hamilton Jenkin Cornish Homes and Customs 1932
  4. ^ * Richard Carew 1602 survey of Cornwall