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The Burryman or Burry Man is the central figure in an annual ceremony or ritual, the Burryman's Parade, that takes place in South Queensferry, (Gaelic Cas Chaolais) near Edinburgh, on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, on the second Friday of August. The custom is associated with, but separate from, the town's Ferry Fair.〔Hole, Christina (1978). ''A Dictionary of British Folk Customs'', pp53–54, Paladin Granada, ISBN 0-586-08293-X〕 The meaning of this ceremony has long been forgotten, but it has been the cause of much speculation.〔(''The Burryman'': ) article at Scotsman.com (accessed 21 September 2009)〕 It is sometimes said that the custom was first recorded in 1687 (when the right to hold the Ferry Fair was originally granted〔(The 1687 Proclamation of the Ferry Fair )〕), but it is widely believed to be much older.〔〔(Flora Celtica )〕 ==The ceremony== According to folklorist Christina Hole, writing in 1976, the day of the Burryman ceremony (the second Friday of August) is the day before the town's Ferry Fair.〔 but the present (Ferry Fair website ) suggests that it comes at the end of a week-long fair. On the Friday morning, a local man is covered from head to ankles in burrs (the sticky flowerheads or seedheads of two species of burdock, ''Arctium lappa'' and ''A. minus'')〔 that grow locally. The stickiness of his burry covering means that he has to walk awkwardly, with legs apart and arms held out sideways but he is nevertheless paraded around a seven-mile route through South Queensferry for nine hours or more.〔(2007 Burryman route )〕 He supports his aching arms on waist-high poles decorated with flowers. Two attendants (dressed in normal clothing〔) guide him through the town and help him through his ordeal. They visit the town's pubs, some factories, and the provost's house, at each of which the Burryman is given a drink of whisky, but because of his sticky facial covering he can only drink through a straw. He is not allowed to speak. By the end of the day he is exhausted.〔 Tradition holds that he will bring good luck to the town if they give him whisky and money, and that bad luck will result if the custom is discontinued.〔 Only men born in the village can take on the role of the Burryman. Although local residents must apply annually to the local council for the honour,〔 the office is commonly held by the same person for a number of years. Alan Reid was the Burryman for 25 years (until 1999); his successor, John Nichol, took over till 2011.〔 Other past holders of the position have included James "Kitter" Magan, Mr. J. Hast, Sam Corson and Arne Fredricksen. From 2012, the position has been held by Andrew Taylor. In 2005, the Burry Man inspired an avantgarde folk song by Daniel Patrick Quinn and narrated by local man Duncan Grahl.〔("The Burryman featuring Duncan Grahl": ) (accessed 25th July 2014)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Burryman」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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