Heptonstall, UK. 30th March, 2018. A traditional Pace Egg play is performed in Heptonstall’s Weavers Square on Good Fridays, attracting hundreds of visitors to the village. The origins are uncertain, but some version of the plays have undoubtedly been performed over many hundreds of years. In the play St George takes on contenders such as Bold Slasher, the Black Prince of Paradine and Hector. Credit: Steve Morgan/Alamy Live News
30/03/18 Heptonstall , nr Hebden Bridge , West Yorkshire , UK . A traditional Pace Egg play is performed in Heptonstall’s Weavers Square on Good Fridays, attracting hundreds of visitors to the village. The origins are uncertain, but some version of the plays have undoubtedly been performed over many hundreds of years. In the play St George takes on contenders such as Bold Slasher, the Black Prince of Paradine and Hector. The costumes — in particular the strange headgear comprising a towering edifice garlanded with flowers, peculiar to the Calder Valley — are as much a part of the fun as the action, where violent sword fights predominate but, as ever, good triumphs over evil. The name pace is derived from Latin pascha ('Easter') ( the adjective paschal). The drama takes the form of mock combat between the hero and villain, in which the hero is killed and brought back to life, often by a quack doctor. In some the plays the figure of St George smites all challengers, and the fool, Toss Pot, rejoices.
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Photo credit: © Steve Morgan / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: customs, egg, folk, friday, george, good, heptonstall, pace, play, st, traditional, yorkshire
