Hobby Horse Dance Research Paper

The Hobby-Horse Dance is a form of ceremonial dance found in the West Country of England. The central figures of the dance include a man covered with a cloak and wearing a horse mask. The most famous example I read about from Rippon was this, ”In England the hobby-horse is very much alive still at Padstow and Minehead celebrating the coming of spring. And throughout all the written references we can't fail to perceive in all the animal guisers bringers in of fertility at the turn of the year” (Rippon 12). I found it very interesting that there are so many different customs and variants that include this sort of traditional hobby-horse dance, ranging from England, Austria, Belgium, France, and many more. In terms of folklore and how