Puck Fair
Jul 21, 2022, 07:07 PM
Speaker: John Ward
The royal charter from King James I in 1603 means little to the fair dwellers for they have their king, a wild mountain goat whose untamed and hardy nature reflect that of the fair itself. The festooned goat or 'poc' is crowned King Puck by the young fair queen on the main fair day before being hoisted 20 feet high above in his regal cage to survey the scene. As J.M. Synge noted 'He is kept in position, with a few cabbages to feed on, for three days, so that he may preside over the pig-fair, the horse-fair and the day of winding up.' Pamplona can have its charging bulls, we've got a grazing goat whose a damn sight more welcoming!
© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.
SPOTIFY: This platform has allowed us to be creative in ensuring you can access it on your smart phone with ease. Below are the Spotify options: -
Celtic Calendar playlist - no music, just audio of all four festivals.
Samhain folklore - music and lore for Samhain
Imbolc folklore - music and lore for Imbolc
Bealtaine folklore - music and lore for Bealtaine
Lughnasa folklore - music and lore for Lughnasa
The royal charter from King James I in 1603 means little to the fair dwellers for they have their king, a wild mountain goat whose untamed and hardy nature reflect that of the fair itself. The festooned goat or 'poc' is crowned King Puck by the young fair queen on the main fair day before being hoisted 20 feet high above in his regal cage to survey the scene. As J.M. Synge noted 'He is kept in position, with a few cabbages to feed on, for three days, so that he may preside over the pig-fair, the horse-fair and the day of winding up.' Pamplona can have its charging bulls, we've got a grazing goat whose a damn sight more welcoming!
© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.
SPOTIFY: This platform has allowed us to be creative in ensuring you can access it on your smart phone with ease. Below are the Spotify options: -
Celtic Calendar playlist - no music, just audio of all four festivals.
Samhain folklore - music and lore for Samhain
Imbolc folklore - music and lore for Imbolc
Bealtaine folklore - music and lore for Bealtaine
Lughnasa folklore - music and lore for Lughnasa