Rough Music - by Liz Williams (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Taking in a range of traditions from ancient Britain to the present day, a revealing look at the bristly underside of British folkloric culture.

Rough Music explores transgression and shame in British folklore and customs. It takes in a wide array of examples including Bonfire Night, Wassail, Morris dancing, Mari Lwyd, and Twelfth Night, along with happenings like Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake, and street football. Liz Williams explores the roots and roles of violence, mockery, protest, and public shaming. She also addresses alternative culture and modern protests, such as the Battle of the Beanfield and the Stonehenge Free Festival. The interaction between racism and traditions involving blackface, alongside the emergence of all-female Morris sides, is also examined. Finally, Rough Music looks at folklore's evolution in the digital age, highlighting new developments such as ghost bikes. This engaging book offers an entertaining yet rigorous look at British folklore and culture.

Review Quotes

Shortlisted-- "The Folklore Society's Katharine Briggs Award"

"Despite the digital age, people across the UK still embrace centuries-old folk customs that bring communities together. . . . Rough Music [shares] . . . the enduring history and modern forms of popular folk traditions."-- "Sunday Post, Scotland"

"But while there are several books that will take you through the British year and its customs and tell you in great detail about their past, Williams's is one of the first to discuss the significance of such rituals for contemporary Britain and to concentrate, unapologetically, on their dark and rough side."-- "The Critic"

"Williams casts a refreshing twenty-first-century eye over a range of vibrant customs and traditions, questioning ideas of timelessness and exploring the relevance of folklore in society today. Her book is an engaging and thoughtful contribution to the current New Wave of folklore studies in Britain."--Owen Davies, professor of social history, University of Hertfordshire, and author of "Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells"

"A lively and well-informed account of traditional British popular customs, with a novel and valuable pair of twists: showing the close relationship of those customs with subversion and disorder, and following their observance up into the current time. It is thus a revealing commentary on both past and present."--Ronald Hutton, professor of history, University of Bristol, and author of "Pagan Britain"

About the Author

Liz Williams is a writer and journalist. She lives in Glastonbury, where she co-owns a witchcraft shop and lectures in creative writing. Her books include Miracles of Our Own Making: A History of Paganism, also published by Reaktion Books.