is a
hobby horse
The term "hobby horse" is used, principally by folklorists, to refer to the costumed characters that feature in some traditional seasonal customs, processions and similar observances around the world. They are particularly associated with May Da ...
that was part of a
folk custom
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
found in parts of Ireland, particularly in the area of
County Kerry, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The Irish term "" translates as "White Mare". This meaning is identical, and the pronunciation similar, to the
Manx hobby horse custom known as the ''Laare Vane''. It also has similarities to the
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''
Mari Lwyd
The Mari Lwyd ( cy, Y Fari Lwyd, ) is a wassailing folk custom found in South Wales. The tradition entails the use of an eponymous hobby horse which is made from a horse's skull mounted on a pole and carried by an individual hidden under a sac ...
'', a hobby horse found in southern Wales, which has been translated as "Grey Mare".
Most records of the tradition come from
County Kerry. There are various reported instances in which the accompanied the
Wren Boys during their Christmastime activities.
An example of a is in the collection of the
National Museum of Ireland.
Although the origins of the hooded animal traditions in the British Isles are not known with any certainty, the lack of any late medieval references to such practices may indicate that they emerged from the documented elite fashion for hobby horses in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this, the hooded animal traditions may be comparable to England's
Morris dance
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may ...
tradition, which became a "nation-wide craze" in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries before evolving into "a set of sharply delineated regional traditions".
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lair Bhan
Irish folklore
Folk plays
Ritual animal disguise