Custom transcribed: Leed’s Caribbean Carnival

“Carnival is the embodiment of their sense of being and purpose and its celebration is an essential and profoundly self-affirming gesture of a people.”

Dr Geraldine Connor, renowned ethnomusicologist and artistic creator of Carnival Messiah

I have reported on here about the Notting Hill Carnival, a giddying display of sounds and sights which is one of the jewels in the crown of our calendar customs. However, the oldest Caribbean carnival is the lesser known Leeds West Indian Carnival as it calls itself and despite being considerably less well-known is every way as vibrant and awe inspiring.

There is certainly a carnival feeling that has taken over Leeds as even in the city centre one could see suitably attired individuals jumping aboard buses heading to Chapeltown where the carnival is based. The buses do not go far though as soon they get diverted as all roads to carnival central are closed and the passengers pour out to make their pilgrimage on foot. Soon the excitement begins to build as one comes across sound system after sound system nestled in shop fronts, check by jawl with food stalls. The sounds of reggae, soca and zouk mixing with the smells of rice and peas, saltfish and jerk. People laughing and singing clearly getting into the party mood – however, they would have a long time to wait these sound systems were towards the end of the parade.

Hot, Hot, Hot

August’s bank holiday monday was warming up and so was the crowd. I arrived at the carnival’s centre which was Potternewton park, here acts filled the stage and large crowds relaxed, danced and enjoyed the atmosphere. Soon dancers and portable sound systems began to assembly to process out of the park and people line the route. The costumes were impressive and show the artistry of the community and one is astounded at both the complexity and challenge created to those wearing them! The dancing was mesmeric and addictive and yes as of course soca classics Hot Hot Hot and Follow the Leader boomed out of the trucks leading their dancers on – it could not be carnival without these – as well as blending with modern sounds of Afrobeat and RnB as one sound system departed the sounds being replaced by another.

Follow the leader, leader, leader – who was first?

The first British Caribbean carnival event did appear in London in 1959 and although there was such a presence in the 1966 Notting Hill Street fair but this was combined with with people from all over Europe in their national costumes. Thus the first West Indian carnival parade which was organised by Black Caribbeans comprising of largely Caribbean diaspora with steel bands was actually the idea of Arthur France, from St Kitts-Nevis in 1967. Together with Trinidadian Frankie Davis and Jamaican Tony Lewis, University of Leeds students organised the first carnival at what is now Leeds City College which is claimed was a few years before the first Notting Hill one; although other sources claim that was first held in 1966 although it may well have been a street fair rather than a parade!

Carn for all!

Carnival is important for Britain’s Caribbean community as stated by Arthur France interviewed in 1994 stated:

“Carnival also reminds us of our roots, the struggle our ancestors had to bear, the oppression of our leaders, and great role models, but not in vain, for while we continue to celebrate carnival their achievements will remain with us forever”.

However, Guy Farrar, Tim Smith, Max Farrar in their 2017 Celebrate! 50 Years of Leeds West Indian Carnival state that at first there was opposition from the local Leeds black community as the vast majority thought it was degrading and a low class activity. This is certainly not the view now and fast forward over 50 years the carnival continues to celebrate Caribbean culture but now it is even more inclusive as our community has become more integrated and diverse and everyone is welcome to celebrate the music, dances and above all foods. Notting Hill despite its view of being a gold standard, many eschew it as a result of its crowds and reputation (although you would be hard pressed to find any event with a million of so people and alcohol which would be trouble free I would say!), Leeds is certainly a worthy alternative and of course if you plan it well you could attend both.

Custom contrived: Blessing the Bread at Lammas, Southwark

Ask any tourist to name a London cathedral; I am sure they will name St Pauls and Westminster, but Southwark probably not. This is not really surprising for whilst the later too regal in pomp and regale in their tourist reputation, Southwark still has that feel of a community cathedral, one whose principle role is to serve as thus it is not surprising that it has established a custom which firmly links it to the thriving market that sits at its feet.

The tradition is one established on an older one and incorporated into a central ritual of the church; communion. The older tradition is Lammas. Lammas,  dates from Saxon times, deriving from the old English ‘hlaf masse’ for Loaf mass. It falls on 1 August was established as the thanksgiving for the first products of the wheat harvest. Southwark’s established custom, first begun in 2014, builds upon this celebration of the wheat harvest whilst cementing its ties to a local bakery which lays in its shadow.

Give us our daily bread

The custom begins with with the delivery of the grain which will be used for the bread. The
Dean of Southwark not only blesses this but they will also held mill the wheat to make the flour that will become the Lammas Day bread,  a harvest sheaf, a small loaf and several Cathedral loaves for use in the Lammas-tide ceremony. As he does so he recants:

“Moses said to the people ‘When anyone presents a grain offering to the Lord, the offering shall be of choice flour.’ Leviticus 2.1.

Jesus said ‘The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.’ Mark 4.28″

On the 1st of August or the day nearest too the bakery then prepare for the Dean’s visit to bless the final product. Details of the exact time of the Dean’s arrival were difficult to find so I hung around the area hoping to notice the colourful if rather short procession from the cathedral to the bakery. Sure enough lead by the cross bearer a small party of clergy arrived and entered the bakery where a the loaf awaited them on the table. The dean them blessed the bread and sprinkled holy water around the room stating:

“Let us give thanks for this grain of the new harvest to be milled to make choice flour which will be baked into the Lammas loaf. Lord of the harvest, bless the grain now in our hand bless the miller in their work bless the baker in their task bless the bread that will be baked bless the people to be fed bless the world you love so much and all in the name of Jesus our Lord.
All Amen”

And then asked the manager if there was anything else that needed blessing and he was soon guided around the bakery to bless the bakery, the bakers, all the staff, the millers, the farmers, flour and grain and as much machinery that he laid eyes upon.

 

Best thing since sliced bread

Everything suitably blessed, workers at the bakery took their newly blessed Lammas loaf and an array of other artistically designed breads and joining the Dean processed back to the cathedral where a Lammas day service was to be held. Dutifully the breads were placed upon the altar with the Lammas loaf central to the display with the Dean raising the bread up, in his presentation and saying:

“Brothers and sisters in Christ, the people of God in ancient times presented to the Lord an offering of first-fruits as a sign of their dependence upon God for their daily bread. On this Lammas Day, we bring a newly baked loaf from newly harvested wheat, baked by Bread Ahead in thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness. Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life; those who come to me shall never be hungry and those who believe in me shall never thirst.’ John 6.35

The Lammas loaf is brought to the President, who says:

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation; you bring forth bread from the fields and give us the fruits of the earth in their seasons. Accept this loaf, which we bring before you, made from the harvest of your goodness. Let it be for us a sign of your fatherly care. Blessed are you, Lord our God, worthy of our thanksgiving and praise.”

The bread is then broken and later in the service given for the communion. Sadly many churches use the communion wafer as they communion offering and there is something more evocative at seeing a real loaf baked locally used in a way which had been done for centuries. Southwark’s Lammas day blessing is a small custom but one which clearly has long links to the past and firmly embedded within its community and as such hopefully will long continue.

 

Custom demised: Glove silver at Lammas

Thistleton-Dwyer notes that:

“It was once customary in England to give money to servants on Lammas Day, to buy gloves”

He continues:

“It is mentioned among the ancient customs of the Abbey of St. Edmund, in which the clerk of the cellarer had 2d., the cellarer’s squire, 11d., the granger, 11d., and the cowherd a penny.”

It was thought be given in contra of the proverb that a cat in mittens no mice but it was also probably because winter was around the corner but as it was the landowners who gave them, the glove was a symbol of authority and benevolence. It became so customary that the term Glove Silver developed.

The custom appeared to have survived the reformation because in Robert Laneham’s account of the entertainment of Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle, in 1575, the rural bridegroom had:

” a payr of harvest gloves on his hand as a sign of good husbandry.” 

When the custom died out it is unclear but as far as I am aware no one gives gloves at Lammas.