In May, me and a friend attended a ‘Knights, Damsels, and Peasants’ festival. What was this in aid of? It was a celebration of 800 years since St Mary’s Church (dedicated to St Mary the virgin) was founded. English history must be preserved and commemorated at all costs.
Hook’s History
The church is situated in the village of Hook, East Yorkshire. Utilising A Dictionary of English Place-Names (Oxford University Press) the area’s name has a historic variety of spellings ‘Hook/Hooke/Huck/huc’. All of them somewhat relating to a hook in the land, bend in a river or hill. The 12th century Old English word ‘huck’ as in river-bend (huc), indicates the village’s namesake origin. This makes sense due to the geography of the area, placing the village next to where the River Ouse bends in a hook shape. Hook has a rich history from its Viking settlers, a hermit inhabiting the place as its village founder, Admiral Frank Sotheron’s Grade II Listed Hook Hall (a man said to have sailed with Nelson), and of course the Grade II listed 13th century church.
I personally enjoyed conversing with one of the longbowmen reenactors. He was an amicable chap with a solid grasp on many of England’s historic battles. One in particular being the Battle of Towton, the bloodiest battle in English history, its site only 26 miles North-West of Hook village. I had the honour of practicing with an English longbow, whilst also examining various swords such as a Scimitar.
Festival
Afterwards, the reenactor began preparing for an archery showcase, which we all enjoyed as spectators, that afternoon. Amongst the festivities, several food trucks hosted a range of food and beverages, most notably a hog roast.
Later in the day, whilst consuming a delicious lager under a scorching sunshine, knights on horseback entered the outdoor arena. In the crowd we witnessed several jousting exhibitions. Admittedly, we were all desperate to see some big hits, but only a few points were scored with minor contact between the knights competing. Inside the church itself a lady (adorning medieval attire) was playing some beautiful music on a harp. Wonderful sounds were emitted, providing a relaxing ambience. This created a nice juxtaposition to the hectic festival outside in the heat. I gained much respect for the reenactors. They were all very sociable and knowledgeable. Also, despite their thick and heavy attire, none of them seemed bothered by the sweltering weather.
Community
It is vital that as a people we come together and celebrate our proud heritage. England has such a vast lore that should be celebrated all year round. Days like this provide our community with a wholesome and cohesive spirit that is so badly needed in modern Britain. Cheers to many more British cultural celebrations!
