Walking the wild side of Merrie England

Francis Young

EVERY JANUARY, IN A TOWN CLOSE TO where I live, an obliging member of the community climbs into a specially constructed frame covered in straw. This is closed over the volunteer’s head while their arms and legs protrude, allowing them to parade through the town as a “Straw Bear”. Evoking the travelling bear-baiters of times past, another performer leads the dancing “bear” on a string through the streets while soliciting donations of money and, in the pubs, beer. The whole proceeding ends, Wicker Man-style, with the ritual burning of the Straw Bear (volunteer safely removed), until it is resurrected the following year. The Whittlesey Straw Bear is just one example of the many peculiar “calendar customs” that fill Britain’s traditional year, and which are the subject of Liz Williams’s new book…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025

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