Golowan

Golowan is a midsummer festival and generally is held two days after the astronomical solstice & is a feast of light and rejoicing! As such, it has activities revolving around bonfires, dances and celebrations. While it was wiped out by the church at some point it has been revived in 1991 as Mazey Day in Penzance. 

The Mazey Day celebrations feature a Mock Mayor election, serpent dancing and Penglaz the Penzance 'Obby 'Oss.

The Mock Mayor

Penglaz 'Obby 'Oss

Revived Serpent Dance

The firey theme is for protection from evil intentions - people jumped over fires in dances to get rid of anything hanging on. Hemp seeds were also scattered for luck and children wore wreaths of St Johns Wort. The serpent dance was and still is the staple, described by "T.J.R" thusly -

“Then comes the finale : no sooner are the torches burnt out, than the inhabitants of the quay-quarter, (a great multitude) male and female, young, middle-aged, and old ; virtuous and vicious, sober and drunk, take hands, and forming a long string, run violently through every street, lane, and alley crying “An eye! an eye! an eye!” At last they stop suddenly ; and an eye to this enormous needle being opened by the last two in the string, (whose clasped hands are elevated and arched) the thread of the populace run under, and through: and continue to repeat the same, till weariness dissolves their union, and sends them home to bed: – which is never till near the hour of midnight.”

Golowan is in part a feast for St. John, however it’s pre-christian roots may go deeper. The serpent is an aspect of Cornish folkcraft and is the familiar spirit of red magic - the magic of potency, protection and empowerment. Even the use of the word "mazey" links to the old Cornish way of getting mazed - intoxicated, entranced, maddened and frenzied. 

Some sources -

The Cornish Traditional Year, Simon Reed (pages 3-20)

www.golowanfestival.org

vimeo.com/171285080