History Daily – Episode 1273: Saturday Matinee: Gone Medieval
Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Matt Lewis (from Gone Medieval)
Guests: Dr. Eleanor Janega, Jim Causley, Theo Gray, Abigail North, local wassail participants
Episode Overview
This special Saturday Matinee episode of History Daily takes listeners to Devon, England, for an immersive exploration of "wassailing"—an ancient, festive tradition rooted in medieval Yuletide folklore. Host Matt Lewis and co-host Dr. Eleanor Janega travel to Gray's Cider Farm in Halstow to witness and participate in a modern revival of the ceremony. Alongside local cider makers, artists, musicians, and community members, they delve into wassail’s origins, rituals, songs, and its enduring role in fostering both community and connection to the land.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Setting the Scene: The Tradition of Wassailing
- Wassailing Defined
- A centuries-old tradition primarily in rural England.
- Involves singing to apple trees to bless them for a good harvest (orchard wassailing) or going door-to-door with songs (house wassailing).
- The term originates from the Old Norse phrase "vas heil" meaning "good health" or "be healthy."
- Blend of superstition, community, and celebration—“complex tradition that blended celebration, superstition and community spirit.” (Matt Lewis, 07:37)
2. History and Layers of the Ritual
- Origins and Evolution (11:47–16:36)
- Wassailing has multiple forms:
- In wealthy households, it was a lavish feast or ball with a central wassail bowl.
- In rural settings, it was a practical ritual to ensure good harvests, involving singing to trees or door-to-door singing for food or drink.
- Some traditions waned, especially during disruptive periods like WWII, but have since been revived.
- Wassailing has multiple forms:
- On the Fluid Nature of Tradition
- “It doesn't make something nontraditional to bring it back. It just means there was a gap there. And I think that's as legitimate as anything else.” (Dr. Eleanor Janega, 16:02)
- Local adaptations and reinterpretations are a hallmark—no single "correct" wassail.
3. Modern Revival: Halstow Wassail
- A New Wassail from Ancient Roots (10:16–15:55)
- Initiated in 2020 as a community art project by Simon Pope.
- Focuses on the "unseen elements" of cider—natural fermentation using wild yeasts, bacteria, and the connection between land, community, and production.
- Revival supported by written and filmed historical records.
- Ceremony includes pouring cider on tree roots, singing custom songs, and sharing from a communal wassail bowl handcrafted from farm clay.
4. Songs, Superstition, and Festivities
- Song as Core Ritual (25:43–27:08)
- Distinct songs for different types of wassail—house-visiting (for people) and orchard (for trees).
- Many lyrics retain echoes of older superstitions, like invoking good harvests or driving away evil spirits, albeit with less emphasis in modern times.
- Local shanty singing groups integrate into the ceremony, highlighting the musical and rhythmic aspect.
5. Cultural Significance: Community, Mindfulness, and Nature
- Why Do Wassails Matter Now? (24:29–25:32)
- Provides communal gathering points in a fragmented society.
- Stimulates reconnection with cycles of nature and deeper mindfulness: “A great example of just being in the moment, getting closer to nature, being with the community around you ... mindful.” (Matt Lewis, 25:17)
- Celebration of both human and microbial communities—the “great good unseen.”
6. The Cider-Making Process: Past Meets Present
- Traditional Methods at Gray’s Cider Farm (30:23–37:36)
- Interview with Theo Gray, 13th generation cider maker (family at Halstow since ~1660).
- Only apples grown on farm used; all-natural, wild fermentation; no added chemicals or commercial yeasts.
- “We just see apples, mill them, squash them, and make cider.” (Theo Gray, 36:00)
- Emphasis on the continuity of place and process, mirroring centuries-old practices.
7. Community Voices on Wassail’s Meaning
- Wassailers Speak (41:07–46:18)
- Shanty singers, locals, and long-time wassailers share their experiences.
- A recurring theme: the importance of “community gathering,” continuity of tradition, and enjoyment of simple pleasures (cider, song, warmth around a bonfire).
8. Ceremony and Ritual: From Bonfire to Bowl
- On the Night (48:08–53:36)
- Participants circle the apple tree, sing incantations, and fire shotguns to wake the spirits.
- Cider is drunk communally from a special bowl made of farm clay, emphasizing connection to the very land they’re blessing.
- “Being able to drink out of a bowl from the clay in the ground here with the cider that it's been produced, that's just incredibly moving. It's a wonderful thing to be a part of, and it's so nice to see a tradition this alive.” (Eleanor, 53:21)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Ancient Purpose of Wassailing:
“Imagine the thunderous knocking on the feudal lord's door. The boisterous demands of peasants for figgy pudding and ale … a reminder of the social upheaval that Christmas temporarily allowed.”
— Matt Lewis, 07:37 -
On the Resilience and Revival of Tradition:
“It doesn't make something nontraditional to bring it back. It just means there was a gap there.”
— Eleanor, 16:02 -
On Community and Mindfulness:
“There is some kind of deep human need to relate to nature, to our neighbors. And I think this is just such a beautiful example of that.”
— Eleanor, 24:47 -
On the Practical Cider-Making Process:
“We just see apples, mill them, squash them, and make cider.”
— Theo Gray, 36:00 -
On the Modern Wassail’s Essence:
“It's apples and Devon. That's all you need. Exactly.”
— Theo Gray, 36:57 -
On the Ceremonial Bowl:
“To have a bowl that is made from the earth of the farm … it's a really nice touch.”
— Matt Lewis & Abigail North, 51:00 -
On Tradition’s Living Legacy:
“You could be at any moment in time stood on that hill, couldn't you?”
— Matt Lewis, 52:29
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Content | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | 04:35 | Episode introduction; why wassail matters | | 07:12 | Arriving at Halstow – anticipation of event | | 10:16 | Jim Causley explains origins of the Halstow Wassail| | 11:47 | Exploring wassailing’s cultural history | | 13:46 | The revival and adaptation of local traditions | | 21:12 | Linking modern scientific understanding to medieval beliefs | | 24:29 | Community, mindfulness, and why wassails matter now| | 30:23 | Interview with Theo Gray on cider process/history| | 36:00 | Traditional, natural cider-making—Theo Gray | | 41:07 | Choir/shanty singers share their perspectives | | 48:08 | Ceremony: singing, firing shotguns, communal bowl| | 51:00–52:29 | Abigail North on making the ceremonial bowl; meaning of local clay | | 53:09 | Closing reflections—connection across centuries |
Episode Tone & Style
The episode is warm, genial, and gently humorous, blending historical insight with enthusiastic participation. The hosts and guests communicate genuine affection for tradition, land, and community—making medieval practice feel alive, accessible, and relevant today.
Summary Takeaway
Wassailing, as celebrated at Halstow, is more than an antiquarian curiosity—it’s a living, evolving communal act. Interweaving folklore, rural science, music, and cider, the tradition honors both past and present, emphasizing the importance of togetherness, gratitude for the land’s bounty, and the myriad unseen connections—microbial and human—that bind a community. Whether around a bonfire in Devon or in the company of loved ones far away, the spirit of wassail endures: a cheerful toast to health, hope, and harvest.
To experience the spirit, joy, and wisdom of this episode, be sure to listen to the full recording or explore the documentary mentioned in the show notes.