background preloader

The Burryman

Facebook Twitter

The Burryman. The Burryman, in full regalia, takes a rest, supported by his two attendants (10 August 2007) The Burryman or Burry Man is the central figure in an annual ceremony or ritual, the Burryman's Parade, that takes place in South Queensferry, (Gaelic Cas Chaolais) near Edinburgh, on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, on the second Friday of August. The custom is associated with, but separate from, the town's Ferry Fair.[1] The meaning of this ceremony has long been forgotten, but it has been the cause of much speculation.[2] It is sometimes said that the custom was first recorded in 1687 (when the right to hold the Ferry Fair was originally granted[3]), but it is widely believed to be much older.[1][4] The ceremony[edit] Burrs are the hooked, sticky flowerheads of various species of burdock Tradition holds that he will bring good luck to the town if they give him whisky and money, and that bad luck will result if the custom is discontinued.[1] Details of the costume[edit]

A Pagan Place: The Burryman of South Queensferry. Scotland has several fascinating pagan traditions. This by Peter Ross for the "Scotland on Sunday" newspaper details Burryman Day in South Queensferry, when the Burryman, a man dressed in a costume made from burrs (bristly seedpods) 'cleans' the town of evil. The event takes place on the second Friday of August, which this year will be on the 13th of August. Naturally, a fair amount of whisky also enters the proceedings. By Peter Ross JOHN Nicol, a South Queensferry man living in Leith, returned to his home town on Thursday to make final practical and psychological preparations for the lead role in Scotland's oddest ceremony. Nicol is a well-built, 35-year-old, six-two in his socks, but disappearing fast behind a jaggy veneer of 11,000 seed pods, or burrs, from the burdock plant being stuck all over his body by friends and family who could not be more chuffed about the ordeal he is about to endure.

Nicol has been Burryman for 11 years and has his eyes on the record of 27 years. The Burry Man. We refer to the annual procession of the BURRYMAN , got up on the day preceding the annual fair amongst the boys of Queensferry, and traced back to time immemorial, to the distraction of anti quarian research, although and object of which are lost in antiquity, and long ago foiled the antiquarian research of Sir Walter Scott. Tradition at present connects the custom with the erection of Queensferry into a Royal Burgh, which did not take place till the time of Charles I, and even points to the previous constitution as a Burgh of Regality, alleged to have originated under Malcolm Canmore, in which case the representations of the Burgh by the "BURRYMAN" would amount to a whimsical pun. The custom in question can be traced back to the last Battle of Falkirk; for an old person of eighty now living, whose deceased mother was aged thirteen at the date of the Battle (1746) states that the observance has remained unaltered from then till now.

Extract from Book by W W Fyffe.  The Burry Man | Amanda Steen Photography. The Burry Man. Queensferry Burry Man. There is no-one else like the Burry Man – a man encased completely in a costume composed of thousands of burdock heads, wearing a flowery bowler hat. He has two attendants who help him through the long day, and uses staves to support his arms and stop them sticking to his body. He walks the streets of the town for hours, covering about 7 miles in what is believed to be a luck-bringing custom. Whisky is regularly offered to him on his rounds (also for luck) and because his face is also covered with burrs attached to a knitted balaclava, he drinks it through a straw.

The Burry man is associated with the local Ferry Fair which takes place the following day with parades, concerts, fancy dress, bands and the crowning of the Ferry Queen. In 2016 the Burry Man will be out on Friday 12th August. Click here to find out more including the route with approximate timings : Many thanks to Geoff Doel for providing the 3 photos of 2012! View larger map. Untitled Document. William Milliken & Sam Bridgewater Birlinn, 2004 The book Flora Celtica - Plants and People in Scotland, now in its third printing, documents the continuously evolving relationship between the Scots and their environment.

Based on a mixture of detailed research and information provided by the public, this book explores the remarkable diversity of ways that native plants have been, and continue to be, used in Scotland. ”This is a fascinating, handsome and beautifully illustrated book, a real treat!” The project This book was the culminating output from a project run at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, aiming to document and promote the roles of plants in Scottish society. How to buy Flora Celtica - Plants and People in Scotland is available from online retailers such as Amazon and Birlinn<, as well as from selected high street bookshops. Scotland on Screen - Ferry Fair (Clip) A local fair day in South Queensferry featuring the Burry Man and the crowning of the Queen. The fair has been held since 1930, but was reinstated from an earlier event which dates back to King Charles I in 1687.

The film features shots of the "Burryman" and the crowning of the Festival Queen Margaret Anderson. The Forth Rail Bridge is seen in the background. Questions: Why is he called the ‘Burry Man’? Activities: History / Religious Education: Look into the traditions of the Burry Man and the Green Man and the pagan rituals they belong to. English / Creative Writing: Write a story about the Burry Man. History / Social Studies / Art and Design /Music: Invent a new tradition for your town. Business / Social Studies / Art and Design: Devise a school fair and a character to present your school? History: Note down the heraldic and pageantry references you see in the film. To search for related items, click any highlighted text below. Edinburgh Museums - Living Traditions: The Ferry Fair and Burry Man.

Queensferry cherishes its burgh traditions, and the Museum’s collection represents these through objects and photographs The Queensferry community keep the ancient traditions of the burgh alive, including the annual Ferry Fair, with its crowning of a Ferry Fair Queen, and the custom of the Burry Man, said to bring good fortune to the town. The Ferry Fair The Ferry Fair has taken place in Queensferry for centuries. Originally held for farmers to hire labour for the harvest, the fair is still held every August. Today, the focus is on socialising, and a range of activities are arranged to bring the community together. The crowning of a Ferry Fair Queen has taken place every year since 1930, except 1940-1947. The Burry Man The Burry Man is a unique Queensferry tradition, although it has links with rituals designed to bring good fortune throughout the world. Images related to Queensferry can be found on Capital Collections.

The Future of Things Past: Dark Into Light | All Hail The Burry Man. The first time I was aware of the Burry Man was watching a Channel 4 documentary ‘The Future of Things Past: Dark Into Light’ (1986) directed by Elizabeth Wood. The Burry Man was featured along with many other luminaries of British folklore traditions. I was entranced by the vision of the Burry Man and vowed to photograph him one day. Twenty four years later I check into the Staghead Hotel, South Queensferry, with a great view of the two bridges spanning the Firth of Forth, where the Burry Man will get into costume (and character) the next morning at 7am in the back bar.

You can read about the Burry Man on the Ferry Fair website Over 11,000 burrs, the seed pods of the burdock plant, have to be collected in the preceeding week for the costume. Encroaching urbanisation and the use of insecticides are making the annual harvesting of the burrs for this tradition increasingly difficult. Which I guess can show how traditions can act like monitor fish for nature, the land and the environment. The Burryman of South Queensferry, Midlothian. It’s one of Scotland’s oddest, most colourful, and most mysterious traditions. In a ceremony dating back to time immemorial, the Burryman walks awkwardly around the town, completely decked in spiky burdock burrs (the prickly heads) and festooned in flowers. For nine hours, he is paraded around the cobbled streets, calling at houses, pubs and shops, accepting blessings and gifts of money and whisky in exchange for bringing the town good fortune.

Local children are warned it’s bad luck to look into the Burryman’s eyes, but that doesn’t stop them following in his trail like a carnival procession. It’s a fabulous, fun event; the highlight of South Queensferry’s annual August fair. No one knows where or when the tradition began. Cobbled charm But even if you miss the Burryman’s annual appearance, there’s still plenty to draw you to South Queensferry.

Don’t forget to look back at its elegant and much more modern cousin, the Forth Road Bridge, which also commands the South Queensferry skyline. Burry Man; Once a Year: Some Traditional British Customs | Homer Sykes. Edinburgh, Fife and East Scotland - People & Places - The Burryman returns to Queensferry. Edinburgh, Fife and East Scotland - In Pictures - The Burryman. The Burry Man of Queensferry - Everything Scottish: Scottish Heroes and Legends - Scottish Clans Tartans Kilts Crests and Gifts. The Burry Man of Queensferry from Leslie T: Ex-Member (deleted:true_thomas) on Thu 01/07/10 15:08 The Burry Man procession takes place around the Royal Burgh of Queensferry (part of Edinburgh), also known as South Queensferry, which lies between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

The Burry Man is a tall man dressed in an overall cotton suit and hood, onto which over 10,000 sticky 'burrs' (burdock seed cases) from the local woodland are attached, until the entire costume is covered with them, an endeavour which takes two hours to complete. He is then given a floral crown, a Lion Rampant flag is wrapped around his midriff and he is given two staffs topped with flowers and Lion Rampant flags. The Burry Man is then paraded around the entire town and burgh all day, assisted by two helpers, without him he would possibly fall over, during which time he is greeted by the townspeople and local businesses.

The origins of the tradition are obscure. The Burryman - News. EVERY year on the second Friday of August, during the Ferry Fair, a strange spectacle can be seen walking round the town of South Queensferry, West Lothian. What appears to be an accident between a man, a big jar of honey and a gorse bush wanders round and round collecting money and getting drunk. It could only happen in Scotland. The Burryman is an ancient tradition, dating back to at least 1687, and is said to bring luck to the yearly fair. During the day, a local man is dressed in a full-body costume made of flannel, before completely covering himself in burrs – (the hooked fruits of Arctium Lappa and Arctium Minus, to be precise). Where this outlandish tradition came from is a bit of a mystery. Whatever the origins, his function is clear. The Burryman starts his day early when he sets out with his two attendants.

It is considered lucky to give him money and a drink, and that is how his day starts. It is an odd job, requiring stamina and a certain degree of nonchalance. Burry Man solves the very prickly problem of toilet stops - News. IT'S a mystery as old as the ancient tradition itself. Every year, the Burry Man is plied with whisky as he plods the streets of South Queensferry to help ward off evil spirits. But all that drinking leads to one big problem - how do you go to the toilet when you are sewn into a suit made from 11,000 spiky seed cases? Now some of the mystery surrounding the tradition, which is said to be more than 900 years old, can at last be revealed. Current Burry Man John Nicol, 32, finally dispelled rumours that he relies on a catheter to see him through the 17 to 20 drams. On the eve of yesterday's event, the Leith man, who was brought up in South Queensferry, revealed the solution was much less sophisticated - a pair of scissors.

The Burry Man walks for 11 hours with arms outstretched visiting pubs and friends in the town on the second Friday of August each year. People who meet the Burry Man along the way traditionally offer him a glass of whisky, which is said to bring good luck. The facts. Scottish fact of the day: Burry Man - Heritage. Sunday 2 June 2013 Log in Register Sponsored by Scottish fact of the day: Burry Man The Burry Man and his two attendants. Picture: Jayne Emsley Published on 03/04/2013 15:44 The Burry Man is the name given to the character central to South Queensferry’s Burryman Parade. Covered from head to foot in a bristly suit made of burdock plant burrs, a local man walks through the town and is offered whisky and money by the residents in the hope of bringing good luck to the area.

Each August the Burry Man is dressed for the occasion and helped through the town on his gruelling 8-hour journey by his attendants. The nature of the suit means he must walk uncomfortably and hold his arms out throughout his seven-mile slow walk. On his trip, he will visit a number of places throughout the town, with his arms holding decorative flowers for the duration. The tradition is thought to have begun in the Seventeenth century, although some believe it could be older and the exact meaning has been lost through the ages. The Dandy Gilver Web Site: The Burry Man’s Day. Constable & Robinson , 2006. ISBN 978 -1-84529-592-9 The crowds grew thicker as we made our way along beneath another terrace, past the bank and the butchers, towards the town hall, where quite a hundred people were gathered laughing together and humming with interest.

It was mostly women, old men and children - since all others were at work - and quite a few of the elders were bent double exhorting their young charges to bravery. ‘What are you to say, Isa?’ Asked one young woman whose daughter was wiping her grubby face against her mother’s pinny and threatening to weep. ‘I don’t like it,’ said Isa, pushing out her lip ‘Och wheesht,’ her mother replied. ‘I don’t like it,’ said Isa again stoutly. ‘They’re always feart the first time,’ said an old man.

Just then, the clock on the Town Hall tower struck nine and the door swung open. ‘Hip, hip, hooray! I do not know what I had been expecting, and I felt foolish for being surprised. The Burry Man | Document Scotland. Renowned London-based editorial and reportage photographer David Levenson has had a small zine published via Cafe Royal Books , showcasing his photographs of the Burry Man tradition in South Queensferry, Scotland . We thought it a great little set of images, and nice to see archive work finding new uses.

We asked David via email if he’d be so kind as to let us showcase the work and talk us through it, and to our great pleasure, he agreed… The Burry Man by David Levenson, 2013 16 pages, 14cm x 20cm, b/w digital Numbered edition of 100 Document Scotland- David, Thank you for letting us showcase your work on the Burry Man of South Queensferry. Can you tell us a little about the background to the custom, and how you first heard about it or became interested to photograph it ? David Levenson- The Burry Man is the main figure in an annual ritual that takes place in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh every August. ‘Burry Man’, Scotland. DS- Where can people buy your very reasonably priced zine ? The Burry Man Writers Center - freelance writing jobs, playwriting, fiction, screenwriting.