HEL8T0N FURRY DAY. 265 



day, i.e. May 8, the feast of the Apparition of S. Michael, which 

 came in conveniently. We have a similar case in the observance 

 (as at Penzance) of the Midsummer bonfires not only on 

 Midsummer but also on S. Peter's Eve, i.e. the eve of what in 

 the Middle Ages was a great festival. 



To sum up what I mean, I regard the Helston Furry Day 

 neither as Canon Eogers seems to put it as a survival of the 

 Roman Floralia nor even as a Cornish festival arising from the 

 Roman Floralia, but a survival of an ancient pre-Christian Celtic 

 festival in honour of Taran or Taranucno, to whom the cow-horns 

 were blown in Cornwall in May, not only on the first day but 

 during the first week of May, — a custom the survival of which 

 many in Penzance regret, for though very antique and poetic, 

 it is anything but euphonious ; and that the festival was observed 

 for convenience probably at Helston on the feast of the patron 

 coming just after, i.e. the apparition of 8. Michael. 



The Furry Dance itself belongs rather to the continental 

 processional May dancers than to our old English Maypole 

 dance. It would seem as if the Latin and Slavonic nations 

 preferred processional dances not unlike the Roman floralia. 

 Maypoles it would seem were never common in France. Aubrey, 

 who enquired much into May customs at the time of Charles II, 

 says : — "I never saw a Maypole in France ; quaere if there are 

 any there." Yet in Holland there were May booms, and in 

 Germany there are some of the most artistic Maypoles in the 

 world, e.g. in the villages between Munich and Salzburg. 



The idea in England generally, and perhaps in Germany, 

 was dancing around the Maypole, but in many parts of the 

 continent the custom of dancing onwards prevailed, as in ancient 

 Greek festivals. But it would be incorrect to think that in 

 England such processional dances were unknown, Spenser 

 writes :-^ 



" I saw a shole of shepherds outgo 



With singing and shouting and jolly chger, 



Before them yode a lusty Tabrere 



That to them many a hornpipe played 



Whereto they dancen each one with his maid. 



To see these folk make such jovisance 



Made my heart after the pipe to dance." 



This is not so unlike, after all, a description of our Helston 

 Furry Day. 



