The burning of the ashen (or ashton) faggot is a custom which was once common in many West Country inns and farmhouses, and still happens in the Luttrell Arms in Dunster – as it has done for centuries. I believe that this year unfortunately the custom will not be going ahead in Dunster. The ashen faggot is a bundle of ash sticks, bound together using ash withies; the number of bindings varies from five, to as many as possible.
The oldest labourer on the farm, the oldest customer of the inn, or the oldest member of the family, would enter the room in which the faggot was to be burned, carrying the faggot on his shoulders. The faggot was set alight, cider was served, and as each withy binding burst, a sip of cider would be taken and a toast would be made. In some places “cobbler’s punch” (a mixture of cider & gin) would be consumed, and a wish would be made at each burst binding. Breaking this custom is said to bring bad luck. While the faggot burns, carols are sung, including the Dunster carol; you can watch a recording here.
I mentioned the Dunster carol – I was unaware of this until recently. There is a blog post about it here and you can watch the Exmoor Carollers singing it in St George’s Church here.
There are several theories about the origins of the burning of the ashen faggot. One is that it began after King Alfred’s victory over the Danes at Ethanden when the victorious army feasted warmed by burning ash cut from the surrounding woodland. To the Norsemen the ash was the tree of life and was therefore associated with various worldwide winter ceremonies. In Wessex, warriors built fires of ash branches before going into battle – ash was the only fuel that would burn while green. In “The Poetry of Plants” the Reverend Hugh Macmillan says that ash was burned to transmit the vital heat of the old year to the new.
A religious explanation from the Brendon Hill area is that when Christ was born he was kept warm by a fire of ash, therefore it is a blessed tree, and that it why it will burn while green. Conversely, another story is that Christ was whipped with “a handful of green withy twigs” since when the ash tree has been cursed and rots more quickly than other trees. As with many Christian customs, the burning of the ashen faggot has its roots in pagan customs, and midwinter fire ceremonies were popular in many rural areas. Burning the yule log is a similar custom.
However you spend the festive season, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2022, and thank you for your interest in this website. I hope to add to it more frequently next year.
References
Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser – Saturday 2 January 1937
Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser – Saturday 9 January 1937 Western Morning News – Friday 23 December 1938
The Illustrated London News 1854
