(via The Burryman – Edinburgh, Scotland - Atlas Obscura)
FOR ONE DAY IN AUGUST, the residents and visitors of South Queensferry in Edinburgh, Scotland, are treated to a rather unusual display. A man is dressed from head to toe in burrs, a prickly part of a plant that is similar to thistles, and paraded around this port town along the Firth of Forth estuary. The exact origins of this spectacle have been lost to the mists of time, but there is speculation that is deeply rooted in folklore traditions.
It has been suggested that the Burryman is associated with pagan rituals involving the cycles of death and rebirth, often linked to harvest celebrations. The Burryman’s presence is said to ward off evil and promote good fortune to all those who pay him homage either in monies or alcohol. His appearance happens in conjunction with the town’s Ferry Fair Festival.
good morning
