On Friday 20th of August 2021, members and friends of St Ives Old Cornwall celebrated the traditional harvest ceremony of Crying the Neck at Trewey Farm, Zennor, Cornwall.
Wednesday 23rd of June 2021, Midsummer Eve, saw members and friends of St Ives Old Cornwall celebrate the traditional ceremony of the lighting of the bonfire on Carnstabba Hill, Halsetown. Vaughan and Tristan Bennett from Halsetown Trekking Centre deserve a huge ‘Thank You’ for working so hard to set the fire for us, at very short notice, manage the lighting of it and ensure it was safely extinguished. Thanks must also be extended to Dee Brotherton for being our ‘Lady of the Flowers’, Melanie Frankell for being our Cornish language speaker, Kirsty Arthur, our Mayor for lighting the fire and her Consort Suzanne Tanner for making the time to attend. Nick Widdows, the Mayors Chaplain, also spoke and lastly, but not least, Frank Stevens for being Master of Ceremonies. By passing down their knowledge of organising this event for many years Brian and Margaret Stevens have ensured the smooth running, and we thank them too. We were also joined by members of Hayle Old Cornwall and Penzance Old Cornwall societies, which was wonderful.
I have in front of me an excerpt from The Cornish Telegraph, June 1870 entitled ‘Ancient Midsummer Customs’: “Many years ago, on Midsummer’s eve, when it became dusk, very old people in the West Country would hobble away to some high ground, whence they obtained a view of the most prominent hills, such as Bartinney, Chapel-Carn-brea, Sancras Bickan, Castle-an-dinas, Trecrobben, Carn Galvar, St Ann’s Bickan and many other beacon hills far away to the north and east, which vied with each other in their Midsummer eve blaze.” Well, some of us who hobbled up Carnstabba Hill were old, but we also had many young people who strode up, and even a few babies in prams who were pushed up! The next part of the article is written about Cauncehead (now called Causewayhead) in Penzance - “Last night there was a satisfactory display of simple, home-made fireworks, which on the whole, are conducive to more enjoyment than expensive pyrotechnic devices. Our bonfires, torches and tar barrels, with the peculiar hand-in-hand dance around the blazing piles remind us of ancient times when similar customs were regarded as sacred by our forefathers.” It goes on to say “Good folks still believe that dancing in a ring over the embers around the bonfire or leaping (singly) through the flames is calculated to ensure good luck to the performers.” Well, last evening we didn’t have the home-made fireworks (Health and Safety would not have approved!), and we didn’t dance in a ring (Health and Safety again!) but we did have Vaughan and Tristan nimbly jump over the embers to much applause from the watching crowd. We also had community singing in both Cornish and English with Tristan, Vaughan and Toni Carver leading us. Although we couldn’t attract a large crowd, due to the necessary restrictions, many locals and visitors came to enjoy the spectacle at a safe distance, and we hope to see them attend and bring their friends in future years too, as this is a community event.
By 1870 the event was apparently in decline, but this has not been the case since the Federation of Old Cornwall revived the tradition in 1929. However, not as many societies as usual felt able to host the celebration this year for many reasons. But, I can say with certainty, that all who attended our bonfire had a lovely evening despite the sky not giving us a fiery sunset! “It was so nice to be able to get out and be part of the celebration” was the general consensus. The next event to be hosted by St Ives Old Cornwall will be the ceremony of ‘Crying the Neck’. No date has been set for this as yet as it depends on the weather. We all look forward to attending this celebration too and hope the weather is as kind to us as it was yesterday evening.
‘Crying the Neck’ at Trewey Farm, Zennor - Tuesday 13th August 2019
On Saturday 1st September 1928 the Western Morning News and Mercury newspaper reported the revival of an old Harvest rite which had been held at Towednack. The St Ives Old Cornwall Society, at Mr Hugh Dunstan’s invitation, met at Churchtown Farm Towednack to join in the ancient ceremony of the “neck-cake”. It was written that the neck... ‘was composed of the last ears of standing corn, was tied in a bunch and solemnly cut off, its straw being afterwards plaited and tied. Thus prepared the ‘neck’ was held high while the old cries and responses were each made three times – “I have un! – “What have ‘ee”? – “A Neck” – “ Hoorraw!”’ In 1928 this ceremony ‘was followed by “crowst” in the harvest field, where sheaves were made to serve as seats’ , and all joined in singing the appropriate songs”.
Mr Hamilton Jenkin, in a lecture at Penzance later that year, gave this explanation. “At one time this old custom was general all over Europe and not merely confined to Great Britain. It dates back to Pagan days but the introduction of the mechanical reaper marked the death knell of this old custom, and the unbroken tradition of countless centuries was snapped”.
No longer is the tradition broken! On Tuesday 13th August about 50 St Ives Old Cornwall Society members and friends mustered at Trewey Farm, Zennor by kind invitation of Mr Harry Mann and his family. The light rain had cleared away leaving a clear blue sky for us to witness the cutting of the last stands of barley with the sharpened scythe. Having deftly cut the stalks, the last handful was held aloft for the traditional rousing cries to the four compass points: the cries being made in both English and Cornish! Little Zemirah aged 4 and her Mum, Helen, helped Harry to build a shock. Mr Brian Stevens had previously explained the meaning of the ceremony to the gathering so it was left to Dee Brotherton to say the prayer in Cornish and Frank Stevens to say it in English. Mr Chris Knowles from nearby Trink Farm was among the spectators and he explained to a growing number of interested people which grains are now grown at Trewey and how they are used.
The 2019 harvest ‘croust’ did not take place in the field as in 1928 but in Zennor Village Hall. The neck was carried in and laid at the front for all to see alongside the St Ives Old Cornwall banner. Mr Frank Stevens led the service with the singing of 2 hymns and the reading of a parable. Mrs Nora Mann, aged 90, donated her home made ‘hevva’ cake to that made by Mrs Margaret Stevens, hot pasties, saffron cake and Cornish Fairings completed the offerings, washed down with tea or coffee. Traditionally the neck was plaited into a corn dolly or decorated with ribbons and placed above the fireplace. This was to bring good luck for the following year’s harvest. All who attended had an enjoyable time learning new facts and chatting to old friends.
The St Ives Old Cornwall Society would like to extend their thanks to the Mann family for sharing this custom with us.
‘Crying the Neck’ - August 8th, 2018 at Trewey Farm, Zennor
The St Ives Old Cornwall Society 'Crying the Neck' celebration that took place at Trewey Farm, Zennor in 2018 has been put into a downloadable pdf. It contains a lot of interesting historical information as well as images and text about the event. Download or read this by clicking the following link.
