Rites and Riots: Folk Customs of Britain and Europe

Increasing numbers of people take an interest in the popular culture of the past. The seasonal celebrations of the working people of country and town are now called 'folk customs' and are part of the broad subject of 'folklore' which includes superstitious belief, music and songs, crafts, stories and legends, and so on. Rites and Riots is one of the first books to give an up-to-date account of folklore customs which still take place in Europe. Earlier customs are described, similar to the ones still existing today, and their possible origins are suggested. The author hive us an idea of what the customs mean to other people who take part in them, as well as what they mean to the folklorists who examine them. The book details the types of customs that people have taken part in at various times in the year, which appear to cluster around either times of seasonal change or significance, or times of agricultural importance. The customs connected with times of change in the life of the individual such as birth, marriage and death are also included. The scope of the book is wide; it ranges further than the boundaries of Europe as the origins of some of the customs at least may well be as far away as Asia. Some customs have, of course, been taken from Europe to the American continent.