Wassailing

The British Midwinter Blessing Custom

With legends going back over a millennia, Wassailing is a fascinating and colourful part of the folklore and traditions of Britain. From the Apple Wassails of Devon and Somerset, to the Doll Wassails of Yorkshire, this ancient blessing tradition has adapted itself to every level of society from agricultural workers to Lords, even featuring in four plots to murder the Monarch of the day. This book by Simon Reed, author of The Cornish Traditional Year, examines every aspect of Wassailing with the hope that it will inspire people to revive and enjoy this important tradition.

Available in the following editions:

Paperback Edition: Gloss laminate cover, cover art by John Caple 

Standard Hardback Edition: a ‘Dark Green’ sewn case binding with gold foil blocking to the front and spine, ‘Claret’ endpapers, and burgundy and gold head and tail bands

Size; all editions Demy format 216 x 138mm

Pagination: 132 pages, 17 illustrations and figures

Introduction

Origins and Development of the Wassail
Wassail in Legend and Beyond
The Wassail Develops
The Visit Wassail
Crop Wassailing
Ashen Faggot Wassail
The Wassail Bowl
Wassail Dolls
The Wassail Today
Our Journey Through Wassailing

Appendix A – Specimens of Wassail songs
Appendix B – Locations of known Wassail traditions

Paperback Edition

£12.50 plus shipping

For shipping information click here

Standard Hardback Edition

Please note: this edition is now sold out, but we will shortly have stock available of the new Dust Jacketed Hardback edition of this book. We are introducing these editions as a replacement for our foil blocked Standard Hardbacks. We will be continuing with our Special Limited Edition books for future releases.

Hardback clearance Sale

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