Jack in the Green

Although the day started a little gray, it brightened up for the ceremony this afternoon. This is the end of the procession through Bristol. The air had wafts of blossom from hawthorn and cut grass and you could feel some of the heat of summer to come.

This was a zoomed picture down the common - the first sighting of Jack. He's just to the left of the tree:




Pulling back the view as Jack makes his way to the top of the common:



Jack comes to a stop and the dancers gather round him in a circle:



The man with the green beard holds the spear that will be used to 'kill' Jack and release the summer into the air:




The climax of the Jack in the Green ceremony - the dance comes to an end and Jack must be killed to allow his spirit to become free:






After Jack has been killed the crowd moves in to strip Jack bare and release the summer into the sky:



The author gets a 'greening' from one of the dancers.