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Spoken: "Oss! Oss! Wee Oss!!"
CHORUS: NIGHT SONG
I warn you young men everyone,
Arise up Mr. ____ and joy you betide, CHORUS
Arise up Mrs.____ and gold be your ring, CHORUS
Arise up Miss ___all in your gown of green, CHORUS
Now fare you well, and we bid you all good cheer, CHORUS DAY SONG CHORUS
Arise up Mr.___ I know you well a’fine, CHORUS
All out of your beds, CHORUS
Oh, where are the young men that now here should dance-- CHORUS
Oh, where are the maidens that now here should sing-- CHORUS
Arise up Mr. ___with your sword by your side, CHORUS
Arise up Miss ____ and strew all your flowers, CHORUS
The young men of Padstow, they might if they would-- CHORUS
Oh where is Saint George, oh where is he, O-- CHORUS
With a merry ring and joyful spring-- CHORUS |
The famous Padstow May Day event takes place annually on May Day (May 1st), but the singing begins the previous night. (If May 1st falls on a Sunday, the Padstow May Day celebration will take place on May 2nd.)
I once had the pleasure of attending a class taught by as a respected musician and educator, John Langstaff (December 24, 1920 – December 13, 2005), Founder of the Northeast United States tradition of the “Revels.” Langstaff said that when he and his wife attended, the revelers could be heard singing all night, adding in different verses--depending on who they were serenading.
A webpage titled Padstow May Day - Visit Cornwall described the event:
Locals spend the night decorating the town’s streets with flags, flowers and greenery complete with a maypole and the following morning two "osses", one red and one blue emerge from their stables. The “osses”, swirling and dancing proceed through Padstow's streets taunted by a Teazer, who leads the dance with theatrical movements. The accompanying retinue are dressed all in white with their costumes decorated with ribbons and sprays of cowslips and bluebells. As the procession moves around the town, dancers perform a traditional gyrating dance to the sound of musicians and drummers. Last, but not least, are the followers, young and old who join the procession every year singing of the traditional May Song.--Padstow May Day, Visit Cornwall (CiC), accessed Friday, May 1, 2020
The word “Oss” means horse, but frankly I think--in photos and film--it looks more like a giant dancing hat. The quote above mentions two "osses" in different colors. I have only seen the dancing oss in black.
The speculations involving the origins of the customs and practices surrounding Padstow Obby Oss are numerous. Clearly the basic purpose of the event is to welcome the return of summer on May 1st. Many say the Oss is a fertility symbol. Others claim that it's purpose is draw the rains. It was quite popular a century or so back to claim this celebration had its roots in the dim and misty pagan times…
The lyrics above are a combination of what we sang in the class taught by Mr. Langstaff and the Obby Oss May Song lyrics in the 2020 Cornwall Guide.
Obby Oss May Song 2020 Cornwall Guide, accessed Friday, May 1, 2020