Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

Old Cornwall Society emblem, featuring the Cornish Chough and "King Arthur is not Dead" in Cornish

Tansys Golowan: Midsummer's Eve bonfires are held annually on four hilltops in Cornwall and are organised by the Old Cornwall Societies

Crying the neck, a harvest festival ceremony organised by the Old Cornwall Society

The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies (FOCS) was formed in 1924, on the initiative of Robert Morton Nance, with the objective of collecting and maintaining "all those ancient things that make the spirit of Cornwall — its traditions, its old words and ways, and what remains to it of its Celtic language and nationality". The motto of the federation is "Kyntelleugh an brewyon es gesys na vo kellys travyth", which translated into English is "Gather ye the fragments that are left, that nothing be lost". The motto in the OCS logo is the Cornish phrase King Arthur is not dead. The first Old Cornwall Society was established by Robert Morton Nance in St Ives in 1920.

Summer events

The OCS celebrate the old Cornish tradition of midsummer bonfires, normally held on June 23 each year. The hilltop bonfires that form a chain are currently held at Kit Hill, St Breock Beacon, Castle An Dinas, and Redruth.

In the autumn the harvest festival known as Crying The Neck is also celebrated by the OCS.

Periodical

Old Cornwall, the journal of the Federation, began publication in 1925 and is published semiannually. A number of parts form a larger volume; volume XI was completed in 1997. ISSN 1741-0932; ISSN 0472-8653. The first editor was Robert Morton Nance.

See also

• Gorseth Kernow
• List of topics related to Cornwall

External links

• Main site of FOCS
• List of individual societies in FOCS
• South Australia's Kernewek Lowender (Cornish Festival)
• Cornish Association of Victoria, Australia
• Cornish Association of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
• London Cornish Association
• The New Zealand Cornish Association
• Strange days: Fired by ancient zeal in Cornwall Daily Telegraph article on Midsummer bonfires