TITLE: Discordant Comicals - The Hooden Horse of East Kent
AUTHOR: George Frampton
PUBLISHER: Ozaru Books
ISBN: 9780993158773
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Mark Norman
If you have listened to our episode on hobby horses, you may remember that various regions of the UK have particular types of horses.
In East Kent uniquely we find the tradition of Hoodening, an ancient house visiting custom which uses a horse on a pole which is similar in many ways to the Mari Lwyd. We can certainly find records of hoodening customs back into the eighteenth century, but there have been few serious studies made of the custom since the first decade of the twentieth century.
At least, until this comprehensive work from George Frampton. Because you could not ask for a more in-depth look at the custom than this one. George has performed in and researched folk dance, music and theatre for many years and has published widely on the topics in various journals and other publications. But this book is arguably his most meticulous and full-formed examination of a folk tradition.
It is fair to say that in some sections, the level of detail may be more than is needed for a lay-reader on the topic, but don't let that put you off. Discordant Comicals is accessible for all that detail and will give you a broad overview of the custom of Hoodening, its possible origins and development through the folk revival periods.
Mention should be made also of the quality of publication put out by Ozaru Books in this work. It is beautifully presented in hardback with a paper stock as white as the driven snow and more colour than can be found in your average book of its type. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs (many of which have been colourised) but unusually, quoted text is also printed in a coloured font to help to distinguish it from the body of the work. For all that, its price tag is still reasonable for a book of that form of presentation.
The information in Discordant Comicals is further enhanced by a number of appendices giving traditional songs used within the custom, links with mumming, details of the individual horses known and used and many other supplementary categories. Even the most experienced Kentish hoodener will learn more than they ever thought they knew from this book.
AUTHOR: George Frampton
PUBLISHER: Ozaru Books
ISBN: 9780993158773
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Mark Norman
If you have listened to our episode on hobby horses, you may remember that various regions of the UK have particular types of horses.
In East Kent uniquely we find the tradition of Hoodening, an ancient house visiting custom which uses a horse on a pole which is similar in many ways to the Mari Lwyd. We can certainly find records of hoodening customs back into the eighteenth century, but there have been few serious studies made of the custom since the first decade of the twentieth century.
At least, until this comprehensive work from George Frampton. Because you could not ask for a more in-depth look at the custom than this one. George has performed in and researched folk dance, music and theatre for many years and has published widely on the topics in various journals and other publications. But this book is arguably his most meticulous and full-formed examination of a folk tradition.
It is fair to say that in some sections, the level of detail may be more than is needed for a lay-reader on the topic, but don't let that put you off. Discordant Comicals is accessible for all that detail and will give you a broad overview of the custom of Hoodening, its possible origins and development through the folk revival periods.
Mention should be made also of the quality of publication put out by Ozaru Books in this work. It is beautifully presented in hardback with a paper stock as white as the driven snow and more colour than can be found in your average book of its type. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs (many of which have been colourised) but unusually, quoted text is also printed in a coloured font to help to distinguish it from the body of the work. For all that, its price tag is still reasonable for a book of that form of presentation.
The information in Discordant Comicals is further enhanced by a number of appendices giving traditional songs used within the custom, links with mumming, details of the individual horses known and used and many other supplementary categories. Even the most experienced Kentish hoodener will learn more than they ever thought they knew from this book.