The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is an English folk dance that is performed in the village of Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. The dance takes place each year on Wakes Monday. The date varies, so it is between the 6th and 12th of September.

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is danced by 12 dancers. 6 of them carry horns. These horns are actually reindeer antlers. Three are white and three are black. This group of dancers is accompanied by a man playing an accordion, Maid Marian (man wearing a dress), the Hobby-horse, the Jester and two young men (one carrying a bow and arrow and another carrying a triangle).

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance is rather simple. After all, the horns are quite heavy. According to the English folklorist Cecil James Sharp (1859-1924) the dance includes 6 figures. Nowadays the dance is performed in double column.