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THE JACK-IN-THE-GREEN The Jack-in-the-Green, Jack o’ the Green or Jack i’ the Green was (and indeed is) a traditional participant in May celebrations and May Day parades in England. A large framework is covered in combinations of foliage and flowers and is often topped with an intricate crown of flowers. The whole structure is then worn by a participant who parades the Jack around. The tradition may stem from the creation of intricate garlands of flowers during the 16th and 17th Century which were carried by guilds during the may day celebrations. The garlands became more and more elaborate, indeed in the 18th Century milkmaids would carry garlands on their heads with ever expanding quantities of silver objects on them. As each guild tried to outdo the other participants (and receive more coins from the admiring crowds) the all covering structure now known as the Jack was created. Some believe it was first used by the Sweeps Guilds who were intent on earning as many coins as possible to help them through what was traditionally the quietest part of the year for their business, hence the continuing connection with sweeps. Varied musicians became involved as did dancers and general mayhem ensued. By Victorian times the practice began to die out but it has been revived in recent years in a number of places, often now linked with Morris Sides. The Whitstable Jack in the Green was revived in 1976, Rochester’s in 1980 as part of the sweeps festival and Hastings in 1983. Ilfracombe has had a Jack since 2000 and many other places have since followed suit including Bristol, Deptford, Oxford, Brentham, Knutsford and the City of London. A Jack is also an intricate part of the Pagan pride parade (or Beltane Bash) which takes place in May each year in Holborn London. Highworth in Wiltshire marked the 800th anniversary of their market charter with a Jack in the Green. The modern Jacks are often accompanied by musicians and Morris dancers or attendants sometimes known as bogies dressed in green rags adorned with leaves and flowers and with their faces arms and hands covered in green paint. Some Bogies interact with those watching the proceedings as the Jack is paraded by handing out small gifts to children or by adorning the watchers faces with some of “Jacks magic” which to the uninitiated may look remarkably similar to green face paint! Many argue that the Jack is in no way connected with the Green Men of Churches, particularly because there is no evidence of any extra attention being paid to the Green Men residing inside and outside places of Christian worship at this time of the year. Others are convinced that the connection is a strong one, and that they are merely different aspects of the ancient spirit of the wildwood, of re-birth and renewal and of the coming of Summer. More information on the annual May processions involving Jack in the Green can be found on the Events 2009 link Pictures of various Jacks can be found on our flickr pages (including a series of pictures taken at this years fantastic Bristol Jack-in-the-Green The continuation of these traditions is extremely important and we encourage everyone to head along to support their nearest Jack. We hope to work our way around to see and photograph each and every Jack possible, to create an archive of information and images and to provide as much publicity to these events as possible. If anyone knows of any Jacks we may have missed we would love to know, we would also be very interested in finding out more information about all the existing Jacks and the traditions that surround them. Please contact as at greenman@virgin.net For further reading we highly recommend “The Jack-in-the-Green” by Roy Judge ISBN 0 903515 20 2 and available via our book shop We also recommend Keith Leech’s fantastic book on “The Hastings traditional Jack in the Green” available from the Tourist Information Centre in Hastings who can be contacted at hic@1066.net or by phone on 08452741001 They are happy to post copies around the world and can take payment by credit card over the phone. More about each current (or recent) Jack-in-the-Green: Bristol Jack in the Green A Jack-in-the-Green was recorded in Bristol around 1865 by a lady who remembered seeing him with a sweep and a queen on the outskirts. The revived Bristol Jack in the Green appears on the first Saturday in May starting from the historic Harbourside (outside the Arnolfini) and leads a magical procession through the streets of Bristol eventually ending the day on Horfield Common where he is slain (and ripped apart by onlookers) to release the spirit of summer. Approximate route and timings of the Bristol Jack: 10.30 am Arnolfini (Bristol Harbour) Hasting Jack-in-the-Green The Hastings Jack-in-the-Green festival was revived by Keith Leech in 1983 and is now one of the biggest annual gatherings of Morris Dancers in the country. The Jack is “released” every year and is central to the festival. The main procession of the Jack takes place on the bank holiday Monday through the streets of Hastings Old Town starting from the Fishermans Museum. The Jack is accompanied by Mad Jacks Morris, the Green Bogies, dancers, giants, musicians and various others. The procession ends at the castle where Jack is slain to release the spirit of summer Approximate route and timings of the Hastings Jack: 10.15 am The release of the Jack from the Fishermans Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road Rochester Jack-in-the-Green The Rochester Sweeps festival was revived in 1981 and still has a Jack in the Green Ceremony where the Jack is awoken by dancers and sweeps on Blue Bell Hill at dawn on May Morning (approximately 5:32am) at the Bluebell Hill picnic area . The Jack is paraded through the street (usually on the bank holiday Monday) starting in Rochester Castle Gardens and taking a circular route.. The festival is attended by hundreds of Morris Teams Deptford Jack-in-the-Green The Fowlers Troop Jack was revived in the early 1980s by members of the Blackheath Morris Men and friends. It is a revival of a Jack in the Green from about 1906 which was paraded by the original Fowlers Troop. The Fowlers Jack goes out on the streets of South East London or the City of London each May Day. The Jack is usually dressed on April 30th and is paraded on May Day Whitstable Jack-in-the-Green Oyster Morris have their own Green Man who combines the roles of Jester and announcer dressed in white and green. The Jack is central to the Whitstable May Day celebrations Oxford Jack-in-the-Green A Jack in the Green who appears in Oxford on May Day (more information would be gratefully received) City of London Jack-in-the-Green Rather than a revival, The City of London Jack-in-the-Green is based on descriptions and illustrations from early writings. In the late 70’s Greenwood Morris who danced at Alexandra Palace would bring their Jack into the City for an evening tour of London Wall and Smithfield. Over a pint one lunchtime an all day event was discussed and the City of London Jack was born and was first paraded in 1984. Tradition has it that the City of London Jack only comes out on City working days. Knutsford Jack-in-the-Green May Day in Knutsford (Cheshire) is celebrated over the May Bank holiday weekend. The main focus is the May Queen but there is a Jack in the Green (more information would be gratefully received) Brentham Jack-in-the-Green Brentham has a big celebration every May which includes a Jack in the Green described as a walking talking bush who sometimes parades barefoot. (more information would be gratefully received) London Jack-in-the-Green (Beltane Bash) The parade starts from the Conway Hall Red Lion Square London WC1 led by traditional giants, the Jack-in-the-Green and Bogies Historical Jacks This is a list of locations where a Jack-in-the-Green has been sighted at some point, more information will be added shortly: Dorking Ealing Richmond Kingston Chiswick Notting Hill Merton Carshalton Clapham Wandsworth Chelsea Paddington St John’s Wood Tooting Kensington Primrose Hill Westminster Marleybone Picadilly Kentish Town Trafalgar Square Whitehall Kennington Oval Borough Croydon Camberwell Peckham Bermondsey Lewisham Deptford Limehouse Millwall Walthamstow Bromley Wanstead Flats Greenwich St Mary Cray Dartford Ware Much Hadham Cookham Dean Marlow High Wycombe Guildford Chertsey Uxbridge Wormsley Park Chislehampton Thame Aylesbury Halton Berkhamstead Amersham Chesham St Mary Bourne Hurstbourne Priors Burford Shipston-on-Stour Bampton Witney Bloxham Banbury Deddington Iffley Oxford Bicester Cheltenham Birmingham Coventry Leicester Cambridge Hereford Stratford-upon-Avon Bristol Rochester Whitstable Ramsgate Dover Hastings Southampton Poole Tavistock Plymouth Whittlesey Les Hommes de Feuile—Belgium Les Hommes de Feuile go out with the giants at the annual Ducasse festival held on the fourth weekend in August in Ath Belgium |
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Jack in the green am I and master have I none and whilst there are trees upon this land the woods shall be my home. |
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To the seasons kings I bow my head as they do bow to me, for my faces are as many as the leaves upon a tree. |