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embers in the fires.’ It was perhaps through these informants that
Douglas learned that this dance was once the only dance permitted on Good Friday, that the throwing of the remnants of the food into the sea was linked to ‘a very ancient Celtic ritual’ and that it and the dance are a ‘survival of a very ancient Gaelic ceremony of propitiation or sacrifice to powers of the sea.’
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to make a fire on the beach, in which "arran-traaie" barleymeal cakes were made and baked in the hot ashes and flitters were baked in their shells. After the meal accompanied by milk, the remains were thrown into the sea with the words: ‘Gow shoh as bannee orrin’ (‘Take this and bless us’) spoken as
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and in particular from Ada
Skillicorn and a Mrs Radcliffe of Maughold, who were able to provide the actual steps of the dance. The distinctive stamping step involved is not found in other traditional Manx dances and it was noted by Douglas as being ‘presumably used to stamp out any remaining live
74:‘some kind of prayer or charm.’ It was after this that the Flitter Dance was performed, by pairs of dancers to ‘wind to and fro in the shape of an S,’ however, no steps or details of the actual dance were recalled by Mrs Callow.
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The dance is in two halves: firstly, the distinctive stamp steps; then two sets of side-steps and the Manx
Balance (a distinctive swinging of the foot in a kicking motion), before re-joining the same partners and repeating.
92:. The first known modern performance of the Flitter Dance was given by the Manx Folk Dance Society, under Mona Douglas’ supervision, on 18 April 1960 at a performance in Ballakermeen School for the visiting members of the
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The tune for the dance was also collected by Mona
Douglas, who noted that 'the air belonging to this dance strikes me as very ancient, probably the oldest of all our Manx tunes.'
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in 1983. No mention is made here of an S-shape to the dance; rather, it is described merely as ‘in processional form.’ It is in this form that the dance is performed today.
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in particular for breakfast, after cooking them in the fire without the use of iron. A dance was collected in connection to these customs by
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The dance was brought back into performance in the 1960s by the Manx Folk Dance
Society, who also revived the custom of Manx dancing at
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Because of its simple and repetitive form, the dance is popular today for beginners and young dancers alike.
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By 1957 Douglas had completed the collection of the dance, thanks to material from a Mrs Teare of
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Moore, A. W. (1891). "Chapter VI: Customs and
Superstitions Connected with the Seasons".
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Douglas, Mona (1965). "'Tomorrow Will Be My
Dancing Day!': Springtime Lore and Custom".
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169:'Manx Folk Dances - Their Notation and Revival' by Mona Douglas (1937) in
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The traditional custom on Good Friday on the Isle of Man was to gather
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Mona
Douglas: Manx Folk-Song, Folk Dance, Folklore: Collected Writings
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Mona
Douglas: Manx Folk-Song, Folk Dance, Folklore: Collected Writings
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in the 1940s or 50s and is popular among younger Manx dancers today.
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Her informant at this stage, a Mrs Callow of Cardle Veg,
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edited by
Stephen Miller, Onchan: Chiollagh Books, 2004
198:'Some Ritual Dances of Mann' by Mona Douglas (1957) in
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edited by Stephen Miller, Onchan: Chiollagh Books, 2004
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310:The Flitter Dance tune performed by Nish as Rish
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104:The Flitter Dance was first published in
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346:European folk dances
248:This is Ellan Vannin
208:7 June 2011 at the
179:7 June 2011 at the
154:Manx Reminiscences
143:. London: D. Nutt.
356:Easter traditions
351:March observances
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322:Archived
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