Catching up on Beltaine Weekend

[rowanf]

Rowan-Teaser-Beltane-1.jpg
Originally uploaded by rowanf.

Friday Kurt & I got together and watched Oss Tales, the videos about the Padstow May festival compiled together. Then he donned the Berkeley Oss and we worked on routines for Oss and Teaser. Alas, I didn't realize they had stripped the Padstow May Song from the ritual. Really it isn't the same without it. I hope Sabina reinstates it next year. But we were ready if they'd had it. *sigh*

Saturday I headed up to Live Oak Park, arriving at noon as instructed. Only to find I was the first one there. Luckily it was a rainy day and we had no competition for the spot beneath the oak tree. A score of folks braved the rain (it was really a gentle mist not unlike Merry Olde England) and came out to dance the maypole and be blessed by the Oss.

Go see this fun action pic that Gregg took - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rigphoto/3505920997/ - oh, go look at the whole set http://www.flickr.com/photos/rigphoto/sets/72157617737449984/

After that I headed over to the At Home at the House and brought the statues I had bought in NYC. And ate an amazing number of sweets - everyone had baked cookies or brownies it seems. Mama K was working on an amazing lwa flag as usual. I wish my hands would let me do that sort of thing these days.

Sunday I went with mr_kurt's household to see the film, Wolverine. It was a fine action pic, delivering its promise. I need to go watch the first X Men again to see how they mesh.

Monday it was back to work which is quite busy at the moment.

I have been playing a lot of WoW, finishing Noblegarden and trying to get my Children's Week achievements together. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail at CW, but I have spent a fair amount of time trying. I really am not keen on player-vs-player action. On Sunday our Guild did the Jenkins achievement, so I am now Roszfianna Jenkins. And as long as we were in UBRS, last night Rel & I got the spider and worg pup pets. Busy!

Comments

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Sent here by herbmcsidhe in response to something I posted in a Craft community on LJ:

Me:
Is there anywhere online, or in book form, a design for building a 'Obby 'Oss?

I know a fair number of Morris dancers in the Boston area, and their style of Hobby Horse is not what I'm looking to create. I do not want something that looks like a carousel horse that hangs at waist level on the wearer.

I'm looking to build something like the Old Obby Oss of Padstow.

In Boston, every year on 1 May, the Morris sides and revelers come out to greet the dawn. They are NOW met by Harvard students who hold a formal (black tie and white tie) ball on 30 April until dawn, toasting the dawn with champagne; we all meet in a receiving line which was dubbed "the Appollonians receive the Dionysians" this year.

I'd like to have something like the Padstow Oss for next year - not an exact duplicate of its face - that's too much.

Any suggestions?

herbmcsidhe:A description of the one used in the SF Bay area is at http://www.conjure.com/TRINE/hobbyhrs.html. I don't remember if Russell is on LJ, but you can likely contact him through rowanf for help with construction questions.