Date of publishing:
15.12.2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21104/CL.2024.4.03
The Český lid provides open access to all of its content under licenseCreative Commons Attribution NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.
Abstract:
On 7 May 2022 a crowd formed around the war memorial in the village of Randwick, Gloucestershire. The crowd grew in numbers and in excitement, with photographers from local news outlets manoeuvring to capture the event. It was the second Saturday of May which, for the inhabitants of Randwick and the surrounding villages, meant that it was the day of the Wap. Through qualitative interviews with organisers, participants, and attendees as well as field work observations of the Wap and its contemporary format, I will show the custom’s importance in the local cultural calendar and investigate how it has become entwined with the village’s identity. I will focus directly onto the community, through first-hand accounts, and use their words to best explain the ongoing importance of this custom and others like it. Through exploring how the Wap is viewed and celebrated by those involved, I argue that co-creation and observance of a custom allows a community to represent and reassert itself.
Keywords
Customs; Folklore; Oral History; Community; Identity; Belonging; Locality; Co-creation; Heritage.
Article Text
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