Folklore Rising : An Artist’s Journey through the British Ritual Year

Description

Ben Edge has travelled the length and breadth of Britain recording the weird and wonderful folk customs alive in communities all over the country. In this book, the first trade edition of his art, he shares over 200 paintings and photographs, along with real-life stories, anecdotes and legends. He talks about how connecting with our incredible living folklore helped him recover from depression, and also introduces his idea of folklore activism, suggesting that the current massive folk revival represents ordinary people’s desire to find new ways of envisioning community and caring for and connecting to nature. Readers will be enchanted and inspired by the images and description of:Mass events that are attended by thousands such as the solstices at Stonehenge, the Padstow ‘Obby ‘Oss parade, the Burry Man’s Day and the Straw Bear of Whittlesea.

Practices to celebrate the turning wheel of the year, from wassailing and well dressing to moon-phase rituals and Beltane fire-making.

The progressive all-female Morris dancing side Boss Morris.

The Green Man – how this has become an icon of modern spirituality and eco-consciousness. Standing stones.

Overall the book explores the psyche of British folklore, showing how this has fed into his art and what this means in the context of contemporary life. It’s a book about reconnection with nature, each other and the past through art and folklore.