Crying The Neck - A Harvest Celebration

Madron Ceremony 2006. (c) George Pritchard
Each year a number of Old Cornwall Societies hold Crying the Neck Ceremonies. Below are the details of events taking place this year and their venues. Others may be added nearer the date so please check back for details of an event near you. If you would like to purchase a booklet on the history and details of the celebration itself then scroll down the page for details.
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Luxulyan Old Cornwall Society Cryin’ the Neck Ceremony Thursday, 20th August, 2009, at 6.30 p.m. at Great Prideaux Farm in Luxulyan parish, pasties and tea provided. The charge will be £2 per person. For any further information please contact our secretary.
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Redruth Old Cornwall SocietyCRYING OF THE NECK
Friday August 28th 2009. It will begin at 7-0pm. After the ceremony a service will be held in Carnkie Chapel followed by a pasty supper.
View Redruth Crying the neck in a larger map In order to get directions click to bring up the larger map. ***************************
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St Ives Old Cornwall Society Crying of the Neck ceremony 2009 At Trewey Farm, Zennor. Wed 26th August at 2:00pm and will be signposted. Afterwards there will be a service and refreshments at the Village Hall.
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Picture credit © Phil Ellery St Columb OCS St Columb Old Cornwall Society 'Crying Of the neck' The event will be held on Wednesday 23rd September at Rosedinnick Farm, Talskiddy (by kind permission of the Rodliffe Brothers). The ceremony will start at 7pm and will be followed by a short Harvest Service in St Columb Church and a pasty supper in the adjacent Columba Centre, admission £4 per head. |
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Madron Old Cornwall Society
'Crying of the neck' Will take place at 6.30pm on September 3rd 2010in a field Close to Madron Well Penzance town Band will be supplying the music After the field ceremony we go to Madron Church for a short service and the sheaf is left there for one year. We then have a pasty supper at the Landithy Hall Click to get larger map and directions. |
Crying The Neck, Madron, 2006
On the 1st of September 2006 at 6.30pm the Madron & Penzance Old Cornwall Societies held a "Crying the Neck" ceremony at Boswarthen Farm, Madron. The banners of both Madron (Doreen King) and Penzance (Burt Prigg) Societies were paraded.
The M.C. was Don Liddicoat, Vice Chairman of Madron Old Cornwall Society and the hymns were accompanied by Penzance Silver Band.
The first hymn was "Praise the Lord! Ye heavens adore him".
This was followed by a prayer which Pat Snow read in Cornish with the English translation being read by Pastor Russell Buley of Trenere Chapel, Madron.
Don Liddicoat then gave an explanation of the ceremony.
'The standing corn was then cut by Mr. Tony Jenkin. After the last cut was made Mr. Jenkin then gathered and bound the corn into shocks and then arranged them into stooks.
The last of the shocks is called 'the neck' and this was raised on high by Tony Jenkin who cried:
"I hav'n; I hav'n; I hav'n."
Everyone then cried together:
"What hav'ee; what hav'ee; what hav'ee?
Tony then replied:
"A neck; a neck, a neck." and the crowd gave three hearty cheers.
The ceremony was then repeated in Cornish.
Tony: "Ma genef; ma genef; ma genef. "
All present: "Pandr' us genes; pandr' us genes; pandr' us genes?
Tony: " Pedn yar; pend yar; pedn yar. "
All present gave three hearty cheers.
The final hymn was then sung "We plough the fields and scatter" followed by the closing prayer.
The ceremony was followed by a service in Madron Chapel with Pastor Russell Buley conducting the service and giving the lesson.
This was in turn followed by a traditional pasty supper.
The ceremony was led by (L.to R.) Pat Snow (Cornish Prayer), Tony Jenkin (Reaper), Don Liddicoat (M.C.) and Mr Russell Buley (English Prayer) . Photo: George Pritchard
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A revised booklet on the 'Crying The Neck' ceremony with a colour cover and the words of the celebration of harvesting the final sheath of corn for the season in both English and Cornish can be obtained from the online shop:
Price £1. Please add £1-00. post & packing to each book in the U.K. Elsewhere price on request.
Photos by Sandra and George Pritchard
Click on one to see enlarged version.