Sword Dancing in Yorkshire

Sword dancing in Britain is not entirely a phenomenon of Northern England, but of the dances that have survived, the majority are in the counties of Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland. Two forms exist, the Short Sword or Rapper Dance of Northumberland and Durham, and the Long Sword Dance of Yorkshire. Despite the similar name to the more Northerly dance form, that seen at Kirkburton, near Huddersfield, at New Year is of the latter group. The map of known places where sword dancing has occurred in Yorkshire (Figure 1.) shows that Kirkburton is on the extreme south-western boundary of the region, with Morris Dancing being the principal ceremonial further West. There appears to have been no overlap of the traditions in more recent years, except in name only, for the Grenoside performance was known as the Morris Dance.

The Kirkburton Dance

The earliest reference we have been able to find of the dance is a book, "Forty Years Ago", by A. L. (Arthur Lodge, a local historian), published in Huddersfield in 1869. In it the characters, based on persons living at the turn of the 19th century, re-enact the sword dance for their own amusement:

"'Come, come, Charley lad, tha can sing th'raper
doncer's song, do us a bit, an we'll help
thee with th' fol the dol loling,' said Davey.
'Well,' said Charley, 'I doent care soe mich,'
saying which he arose, taking off his cap,
fixing his eyes upon the rafters and playing
with his cap's tassel, he struck up his usual
ditty:
'The bridge is broken down, and I'm going to
mend it.
Fol the dol the di do, fol the dol, fol the
dol the day.'

'Come ger up all on you,' cried Davey, 'Tak
th' lead Charley, an weel march araend like
th' raper doncers do, I once worth'oud fooil,
I know yah to do, and it'ell keep us warm,
come chaps ger up on to one end.'
'How deep is yond river?' asked he, after the other
weavers had laughingly consented to join
in his march.
'Throw a little stone in, t'will soon find
the bottom.
Fol the dol the di do, fol the dol, fol the dol the day.'

sang Charley in his thick bass voice.

'How far is it to yonder castle?' cried another.
'It's nine miles there and its ten miles
back, sir.
Fol the dol the di do,----'

'An Ah'll fol the dol thee, tha gert soft
yed, if tha doesn't sit thee daen an be quiet,
doesn't ta see they're all makin fun on thee,
tha baet wit,' said the master, popping his
head again out of the door, who, in spite
of his anger, laughed when he saw Davey holding
on by Charley's coat tail, and capering behind
him, and the rest of the weavers walking
Indian file behind Davey,--"

There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the basis for this story. The song is so unlike other calling on songs, "We are the jolly actors who enter the town," etc., that it must have been unique to the village, or at least the district, at that time. The sentiment of breaking down and re-building a bridge, however, is common enough ("Oranges and Lemons" and "London Bridge is falling down" for instance), and riddle songs are well known but not in this context.

Alfred Easther in "A Glossary of the Dialect of Almondbury and Huddersfield", published in 1883, gives the following:

RUSH BEARING, the name of one of the Almondbury feasts, which occurs on the first Monday in August. In former times, I understand, a rushcart was drawn through the town, and on the cart were displayed such articles of silver as the neighbours would lend for the purpose; the cart too was attended by persons who danced as it was drawn along The festival is still kept, but shorn of this observance. The names of feasts in this neighbourhood are somewhat varied and curious; thus Almondbury Rushbearing, or Rush, Kirkheaton Rant (Yetton Rant), Kirkburton Trinity (because on Trinity Sunday and Monday), Longwood Thump. Meltham Bartelby (Bartholomew). Joss Armitage (little Joe A.), who formerly went about RAPER dancing, used to say the feast was on the first Saturday after old St. James's Day. T. B. says there was never much to do on the Monday till after the Reform Bill was passed; previously it was all on the Saturday from four till bed-time or so.

Although later informants, and the practice in other villages, lead us to believe that the ceremony is one of Christmastime, this piece suggests that the dance may also have been seen at local rushbearings in late Summer. If so, this is unique, for it was usually Morris Dancers who attended the rushcart There is no reason, of course, why both dance traditions could not have been present together, and this would be an exception to the statement made earlier that no overlap seems to have existed.

The dance was performed into living memory. Mrs. Rhodes, who celebrated her 90th birthday in October 1976, remembers the team round about 1900. They blacked their faces, perhaps wore waistcoats, and had trousers with flowing ribbons stitched down the side. Clogs were worn, and she can recall the sound of the team as they danced round in sand strewn on the flags, for the performances were indoors. Not much is known of either figures or music, except that the team danced over and under their swords, but since sword dance figures are fairly limited, this lack of knowledge was no bar to a revival of the tradition.

Rapier, Raper, or Rapper?

Whilst Raper Dancing appears to be the common term used in the early Nineteenth Century it is unknown in the village today. No other area uses the title, although it may once have been more widespread.¹ In "A list of Ancient Words at present used in the Mountainous District of the West Riding of Yorkshire", by Robert Willan, published in Archaeologia, Vol.17, 1814 ("My gleanings near the rugged hills of Westmorland and in the adjoining border of Yorkshire"), we see:

RAPIER DANCE. This is nearly the same as the sword-dance among the ancient Scandinavians, or as that described by Tacitus among the Germans. The performers are usually dressed in a white frock, or covered with a shirt, to which, as also to their hats or paper helmets, are appended long black ribbons. They frequently go from house to house, about Christmas, and are treated with ale after their military exercise. At merry-nights, and on other festive occasions, they are introduced one after another by the names and titles of heroes, from Hector and Paris, princes of Troy, down to Guy of Warwick. A spokesman then repeats some verses in praise of each, and they begin to flourish the rapier. On a signal given, all the weapons are united, or interlaced, but soon withdrawn again, and brandished by the heroes, who exhibit a great variety of evolutions, being usually accompanied by slow music. In the last scene, the Rapiers are united round the neck of a person kneeling in the centre, and when they are suddenly withdrawn, the victim falls to the ground: he is afterwards carried out, and a mock funeral is performed with pomp, and solemn strains.

The similarity to the title Rapper Dance of further North may or may not be coincidence. There has been much speculation as to the derivation of the word Rapper, and whether Raper is a missing link between Rapier and Rapper is open to conjecture. Both the Kirkburton tradition and the term Raper Dancing have been unknown to previous researchers and therefore unused in their deliberations.

In these days, when the written word seems to be of more importance than the spoken, the present team uses the spelling Rapier, which perhaps causes less confusion. However, the old pronunciation is still used, so does the spelling really matter?

The Mumming Play

A mumming play was performed in the village at Christmastime and probably lasted longer into the present century than the sword dance. Whilst they may have been combined at some time, there is no real evidence to say whether or not the dance and the play were originally part of the same tradition. Our guess is that they were usually performed by separate groups, the mumming play probably by youngsters.

The 1974 Revival

The first appearance of the present team was New Year 1975, when the village was toured both on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the final performance being outside the Royal at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. For a number of years, performances followed a similar pattern, dancing both indoors and outdoors at the New Year.

Over the years, the team has danced at a wider variety of events. Kirkburton were present at the revival of the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing in 1977 and have performed at the event several times since. We have also appeared at numerous Folk festivals including Whitby, Broadstairs and Sidmouth and have danced as far afield as Ireland, Belgium and Germany.

The costume is at present a white shirt, red kerchief, dark blue waistcoat and black trousers with ribbons attached down the side. Clogs are worn and the Captain carries a sword with ribbons attached at the point.

The Song

Arthur Lodge only gave three verses in "Forty Years Ago". However, it is evident from the text that the song should be longer. In the present performances four verses have been added, so that each dancer asks a question of the Captain who sings the answer. If the missing verses are ever found, they will, of course, be put back into place.

The Future

Tradition has always been in a constant state of decline and revival, and there is nothing new in the fact that a revival has occurred after a period of seventy years. There are four criteria which define a traditional ceremony:

• A continuity, perhaps of decline and revival;
• A fixed place where it happens;
• A fixed date when it happens;
• The basic form it takes, e.g. Sword Dancing.

We think that we have covered all these points in reviving the Kirkburton Rapier Dance, but only history can tell whether we have been successful in our aims, the only measure being the continuing performance of the dance and its acceptance once again into local life.

1. The Mummers at Brighouse were known by the name of "Raper Dancers", J Horsefall Turner, Our Customary Feasts, Brighouse Echo, 1913. (Brighouse is only ten miles from Kirkburton.)