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Children 'amazed' by ancient Molly dance tradition

John Devine/BBC Michael Czarnobaj is wearing a tweed hat and tweed jacket with badges on. The jacket has extra ribbons pinned to it and he has a red, white and blue scarf around his neck. He has some black "soot" smeared on his cheeks and is holding a broom with the head near his. He is standing on a school playground.John Devine/BBC
Michael Czarnobaj said he thought it was important that children knew a bit about life in the Fens from centuries ago

Children were thrilled to see an ancient tradition revived in their playground on what is known as Plough Monday.

Sutton Primary School in Cambridgeshire hosted the Mepal Molly dancers - a group of men keen to keep history alive.

Plough Monday is thought to date back centuries and gave farm labourers an opportunity to make money when the land was frozen, by busking for the gentry and land owners.

Michael Czarnobaj, the group's leader, said it was wonderful to educate children in the ways of the past.

John Devine/BBC Members of Mepal Molly, a group of musicians and dancers standing in a school playground. They are all wearing traditional farming outfits that have been decorated with colourful ribbons, some are carrying brooms, and some have black soot smeared on their facesJohn Devine/BBC
Mepal Molly revived the tradition of Plough Monday back in 1977

"It's a very special day - Plough Monday," said Mr Czarnobaj.

To get a little money when the land was too frozen to farm, labourers would knock on doors and dance and sing.

"We use ceremonial brooms to sweep away the old year and bring the new one in," said Mr Czarnobaj, who has been recreating the tradition since 1977.

"We do disguise our faces, because in the old days people did not want anyone knowing that they were hard up and cadging for money, so some of us look a bit like chimney sweeps."

John Devine/BBC Victoria,10, has a black high collared coat on she is smiling and has her head tilted back. She has black hair tied up above her head.John Devine/BBC
Victoria, 10, said although she thought the dance routine involving brooms was "a bit weird" it was also "amazing and colourful"

The spectacle took some of the school pupils by surprise, but they also seemed to enjoy learning about the tradition.

Victoria,10, said "it was amazing, but a bit weird", and admitted she might "struggle" a bit to try some of the dance moves demonstrated by the troupe.

Betsy, also 10, said it was "just really, really good" and she had never seen anything like it.

"It was all dancing and broom sweeping," she said.

Both admitted it made them feel "very jolly".

Another pupil, Koen, 10, said: "I think it was really good - because I got to have a go at it. I really like all of it."

John Devine/BBC Molly dancers can be seen performing in front of a group of school children and parents or teachers. The dancers are dressed in old jackets and have string tied around their trousers. They are all wearing hats and some have brooms in their handsJohn Devine/BBC
Some of the children admitted a few of the Molly moves were beyond them

What is Plough Monday?

  • It is traditionally held on the first Monday after Epiphany (6 January), also known as Twelfth Night
  • Workers would tour the villages with a plough, singing, dancing or sometimes parading a Straw Bear
  • Householders unwilling to donate faced the threat of their gardens being ploughed up
  • Workers disguised themselves in costumes and by blackening their faces with soot to prevent identification
  • It was most commonly held in East Anglia and the East Midlands

Source: Calendar Customs

John Devine/BBC Koen is a young boy smiling at the camera. He has mid-brown hair sweeping in a fringe over his eyes. He is wearing a blue anorak and other children and dancers can be seen behind him in the playgroundJohn Devine/BBC
Koen, 10, said he enjoyed having a go at the traditional dancing

Mr Czarnobaj said the tradition "died out in 1933 in the Cambridge area" but was revived in the village of Mepal, near Ely, in 1977, and he said they had been dancing ever since.

"I like to maintain the tradition," he said.

"I think we've lost contact with the land and how our food is grown, but the land has got to be ploughed, it's got to be harrowed; we take everything for granted."

He said he was delighted to see all the children "enthralled".

The team of 14 travel around in a small bus and try to visit schools every year.

John Devine/BBC A man with a short clipped grey beard with red lipstick, oval sun glasses, a headscarf and black and white overcoat with orange feather boa plays a violin with children and fellow performers behind him.John Devine/BBC
Some of the children watching the demonstration said they might like to join the group in later life

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