9104 large 13025l View asset

1973. The Burry Man. South Queensferry, Midlothian.

10 August 1973. The Burry Man, South Queensferry, Midlothian. On the second Friday of every August a member of the community is dressed in a flannel suit covered with burrs. He then parades round the town throughout the day with his two attendants. By the end of the day when he disrobes his skin will be marked with weals caused by the rubbing of the burrs. The Burry Man is a possibly unique survival of an earlier scapegoat ritual. For example, in N.E. Scottish fishing communities the ritual was only enacted after a particularly poor fishing season, when the unfortunate Burry Man would be driven permanently from the village, taking the bad luck with him.

Date

Fri Aug 10th, 1973

Medium

35mm Slide

Reference Codes

US.54.001

Original Reference

US.54.001

people

Richard Demarco

collections

The Burry Man
South Queensferry
Scotland

tags

Event, The Burry Man, N/A, Places, South Queensferry, Midlothian, Country, Scotland