MEAVY based Dartmoor Border Morris has had a busy month by attending five wassails in one month, raising money for Dartmoor Search and Rescue, its nominated charity for 2020.

The first event was on New Year’s Day, when around 200 people attended the Cornwood Wassail. Dartmoor Border Morris danced outside the Cornwood Inn whilst the organisers gave out free hot mulled cider that had been grown in the millennium orchard.

Dartmoor Border Morris played rousing tunes and it was noted that there was a lot of people not just from the village of Cornwood itself but plenty of children in wellies of all ages armed with cooking pots, wooden spoons, trumpets, car horns and anything to make a noise.

Cider was duly poured on the roots, toast placed in the branches, along with ribbons and jars with small candles, and a blessing made on each tree before revellers headed back to the newly opened Cornwood Inn for cider and pasties.

Dartmoor Border Morris performed a simple mummers play, which has roots in medieval England, telling the story of how good overcomes evil, played out in the Great Barn of Buckland Abbey.

This play had been slightly adapted so instead of St George fighting the old dragon they had Sir Francis Drake fighting King Philip of Spain, aided and abetted by all of their men, plus Queen Elizabeth I, Mother Dolly, a executioner and a good doctor with his old nag called Chatterley. 

Following some Morris dancing in the square, Dartmoor Border Morris led 850 spectators to the Great Barn for more dancing.

Dartmoor Border Morris collected £132 for the Dartmoor Rescue group.

The following weekend, members of Dartmoor Border Morris travelled up to Stroud in Gloucestershire for a another style of wassail, where with the aid of another 30 Morris sides, over £1,800 was collected for the foodbank in Stroud and a housing charity.

A day of Morris dancing and revelry in the evening, involved the infamous Stroud Broads, who look a bit like wild hogs but are made of sackcloth and cardboard, running amok in the streets of Stroud with other Morris beasts in tow.

On Saturday, January 18, members wassailed in Bere Ferrers, where with burning torches and ably helped out by the Tavy Tars, they blessed the orchard ensuing a bumper harvest, again involving many children.

Over 100 locals enjoyed the singing and dancing around the orchard before returning to the village hall for hot pasties and apple cider made out of the apples collected in the orchard. 

Dartmoor Border Morris are involved with the Tavy and Tamar Apple Group, who put on a apple day in Bere Ferrers on the first Saturday in October, where amongst the Morris dancing, you can meet apple tree specialists, bring your own apples to be crushed into juice, taste apple pies and chutneys and watch a local wood carver turn apple wood into ornaments. 

The term ‘wassail’ is a old English term meaning ‘your health’, which was said when passing the ceremonial drinking bowl or cup; — the reply was ‘drinkhail’.

From this tradition, developed the wassailing of the orchard, to wish the trees health and abundant crops in the forthcoming year. After cider is poured on the roots and cider-soaked toast tied to the branches to ‘feed the tree’ a gun is often fired to awaken the orchard and ward off the evil spirits. 

Musicians play while everyone sings the wassailing song. The crowd then makes as much noise as possible to frighten any bad spirits, this is often called ‘apple howling’. Afterwards, much cider is drunk, both in celebration of the previous years harvest and in anticipation of the next season. It is thought that wassailing might have been introduced by the Saxons.   

The blessing that gets shouted out by everyone in the orchard is ‘Here’s to thee, old apple tree, that blooms well, bears well.

‘Hats full, caps full, Three bushel bags full, an’ all under one tree. Wassail.’

Meavy based Dartmoor Border Morris held its last wassail of 2020, at Shaugh Prior Village Hall on Sunday, January 26 and despite the pouring rain of the morning, members still did some Morris dancing, then blessed the apple trees in the two orchards, attended by lots of villagers. 

This is the final event for Dartmoor Border Morris until Easter, when they will perform their Easter mummers play in the Great Barn of Buckland Abbey.

However, you can find the Morris side deep in practice in Meavy Parish Hall every Wednesday night from 8pm. For more information go to www.dartmoorbordermorris.com or their Facebook page.