The mystery and history of the Whittlesea Straw Bear festival

Mystery surrounds the true origins of the Straw Bear Festival in Whittlesey.

Perhaps like its counterparts in Germany, where Strohbar festivals celebrate the character of the bear or wild man, he began as a harbinger of the seasons. To burn such a figure would then symbolise the death of winter, and the birth of spring.

Undoubtedly, in Whittlesey during the 1800s, the ritual of the straw bear and its costume was a way to honour the agricultural communities. But was it always that way?

Like many of the wild man festivals in eastern Europe, perhaps its origins are far older, a remnant of primal human fears of the unknown, of the ‘other’, of the wild.

Gary Cooke festival director said: “Some people think the straw bear dates back to Medieval times, but we’ve no proof of that yet, and have only been able to trace it back to the mid 1800s.”

As with festivals across Europe, the character of the straw bear in Whittlesea, as it used to be spelt, has been accompanied by a ‘bear tamer’ figure since the 19th century - perhaps due to the popularity of travelling shows at the time.

In some European traditions, the straw bear was a symbol of rural life. Along with many of these characters, Whittlesey’s straw bear also used to collect money and gifts from villagers for the benefit of the farm workers during the winter months when work was scant.

"Some of the workers used to dress in straw to hide their identities and were known to play pranks on the villagers who didn’t give them bread or beer,” explained Gary.

Indeed, it was due to this ‘cadging’ that the festival was cancelled in 1909, as the Whittlesea Straw Bear group states: “The tradition fell into decline at the end of the 19th century, the last sighting being in 1909 as it appears that an over-zealous police inspector had forbidden 'Straw Bears' as a form of cadging”.

Thankfully, it was revived by volunteers from the Whittlesey Society in 1981, with less local mischief and a much less torturous costume for the wearer. Modern costumes see the straw attached to a strong garment, and the head supported by a frame that sits on the shoulders. But historically, it was a costume that no man wanted to wear – having straw and sticks wound uncomfortably around the person.

The group’s website includes what is known of the local custom’s history. An excerpt reads: “The face was quite covered and he could hardly see. A tail was provided and a strong chain fastened around the armpits. He was made to dance in front of houses and gifts of money or of beer and food for later consumption was expected."

While no-one is really sure when the festival began, at some point it was known to have been held on the first Tuesday after the Twelfth Night. A newspaper in 1882 reports that the straw bear was then taken around the town “to entertain by his frantic and clumsy gestures”.

As with today’s festival, now held the first Saturday after Plough Sunday, the straw bear was traditionally accompanied by a procession moving to a drum beat, with folk dancing and music adding to the atmosphere.

So what can you expect from this year’s event?

Douglas Bell from the festival group explained: “We are ready for weekend with two bears (big and little) ready to go. We have 28 dance teams joining us on the day to bring lots of colour and movement to the streets of Whittlesey starting from the Manor Leisure Centre at around 10.30am for a procession into town. We have a storyteller based in Queens Street Methodist Church with sessions at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.

"The dancing continues at various dance spots around the town until the finale at 3-3:30pm, after which the bear will return to Manor to have a rest. The burning event takes place on Sunday (11am-noon) at the Decoy Lakes (no dogs allowed).”

This year, for the first time, they will also have the use of a drone to capture the two straw bears along the route.

Douglas added: “It is looking to be a cold one so wrap up warm if you are planning to join us.”

For more details visit their website, or Facebook page.