Burning the Ashen Faggot

This book is an account of the the traditional Christmas Eve celebration of the burning of the Ashen Faggot. A custom that survives in Devon and Somerset, and parts of Cornwall and Dorset. It has its roots in Scandinavian and Saxon practices and folklore, as well as local associations with Christmas celebrations. It is a mid-winter festival that links fire, warmth, drinking, good food, song, dance and carolling with a need to welcome back the warmth of the sun and a hope for prosperous times ahead for the community and their crops and animals.