The following texts are historic records of the ancient Golowan festival and have formed the basis of the revival of festival in its modern form.

Fire Festival

"In Cornwall, the festival Fires, called Bonfires, are kindled on the Eve of St. John the Baptist and St. Peter's Day; and Midsummer is thence, in the Cornish tongue, called 'Goluan,' which signifies both light and rejoicing. At these Fires the Cornish attend with lighted torches, tarr'd and pitch'd at the end, and make their perambulations round their Fires, and go from village to village carrying their torches before them; and this is certainly the remains of the Druid superstition, for 'faces praeferre,' to carry lighted torches, was reckoned a kind of Gentilism, and as such particularly prohibited by the Gallick Councils: they were in the eye of the law 'accensores facularum,' and thought to sacrifice to the devil, and to deserve capital punishment." - Dr William Borlase 1754

There is however one custom of the olden time still kept up, (in spite of his Worship the Mayor}) with something like its pristine splendour.—We mean the lighting of large fires and setting off fire works on the eves of St. John and St Peter. As soon as the evening begins togather in, the youths from the different parts of the town parade the streets with burning torches, which they swing around their heads with a peculiar circular motion. Some of these are of considerable weight, and they require much exertion and no small skill to keep them from approaching too near the body of the bearer. Thus twisting and wriggling along, with the fitful bla2e of the torch reflecting on his or her features (for both sexes mingle in the sport) and you have, without much stretch of the imagination, a strong resemblance of one of the furies. With the increase of darkness there is also an increase in the number of torch bearers; tar barrels and bonfires then blaze in every direction, and as not only Penzance, but also, Marazion, and St. Michael's Mount on the one hand, and Newlyn, Mousehole, and Paul on the other, participate in the amusement, the whole bay seems to be lit up and presents a most splendid and brilliant illumination. Meanwhile the central part of the town is filled with all classes of individuals who come out to enjoy the scene. Fire works of every description are set off without intermission, and a continued series of flight and chase continues for some hours, it being a principal
part of the sport to steal as quietly as possible amongst a crowd and disperse them by the unexpected report of a
cracker, or the hissing fire of a serpent. . - JS Courtney A Guide to Penzance and its Neighbourhood 1845.

It is the immemorial usage in Penzance and the neighbouring towns and villages, on Midsummer-eve, to kindle bonfires and torches, and on Midsummer-day to hold a fair on the quay, where the country folks assemble in great numbers to make excursions on the water. St. Peter's-eve (the fifth from that of Midsummer) is distinguished by a similar display of bonfires and torches, although the " Quay-fair " on St. Peter's-day has been for some years discontinued. This festival in former times lasted probably about a week — the interval from Midsummer-eve to St. Peter's-
day. On these eves, a line of tar-barrels, relieved occasionally by large bonfires, is seen in the centre of each of the principal streets. On either side of this line men and women pass up and down, swinging round their heads heavy torches made of large pieces of folded canvass steeped in tar, and nailed to the ends of sticks three or four feet long: the flames of some of these almost equal those of the tar-barrels. Rows of lighted candles, also, when the air is
calm, are fixed outside the windows or along the sides of the streets, while rockets, and fireworks of all descriptions, are let off in various parts of the town. Viewed from the bay, the shores present an animating appearance, there being scarcely a village along the coast without its bonfire or torches. At the close of the amusements, when the fires are almost spent, a great number of men and women, chiefly from the neighbourhood of the Quay, used always, until last year (1845), to join hand in hand, forming a long string, and run through the streets, playing " thread the
needle," heedless of the fireworks showered upon them, and oftentimes leaping over the yet glowing embers. For a few hours previous to the fire exhibition, children may be seen in the streets wearing wreaths and garlands of flowers — a custom in all probability originating from the ancient use of these ornaments when they danced round the fires. - Mr Richard Edmondes - From the Transactions of the Penzance Natural History and Antiqurian Society in 1851.

On the Eve of St John's in 1864 the managing committee of the festivities showed their appreciation of the fact that midsummer comes but once a year by letting off 258 dozen (3096!!) crackers in addition to the great quantities of Roman candles, Jack in th Box and Sky Rockets. - AK Hamilton Jenkin Cornwall and its people 1945.

Penglaz

"The Hobby Horse that went with the Land's End mummers not so very long ago was the sort that consists of a horses skull held up on a stick by a hide covered or sheet draped man, and had its own name in the Cornish Language Penglas or 'Grey head'" - Barbara Summer 1951

The horse is represented by a man carrying a piece of wood in the form of a horse’s head and neck, with some contrivance for opening and shutting the mouth with a loud snapping noise, the performer being so covered with a horse cloth, or hide of a horse, as to resemble the animal whose curvettings, biting, and other motions, he imitated." -Mr Richard Edmondes - From the Transactions of the Penzance Natural History and Antiqurian Society in 1851.

An Ancient Golowan Song - Tune still played by the Golowan band.

The bonny month of June is crowned
With the sweet scarlet rose ;
The groves and meadows all around
With lovely pleasure flows. "

As I walked out to yonder green,
One evening so fair,
All where the fair maids may be seen
Playing at the bonfire. "

Hail! lovely nymphs, be not too coy,
But freely yield your charms;
Let love inspire with mirth and joy,
In Cupid's lovely arms. "

Bright Luna spreads its light around,
The gallants for to cheer,
As they lay sporting on the ground,
At the fair June bonfire. "

All on the pleasant dewy mead,
They shared each other's charms,
Till Phlebus' beams began to spread,
And coming day alarms. "

Whilst larks and linnets sing so sweet,
To cheer each lovely swain,
Let each prove true unto their love,
And so farewell the plain."

Recorded by John Brand 1853 - Observations on Popular antiquities

Mock Mayor

The last Mayor of the Quay was a Mr Robinson, a noted authority on sea fishing who died some 10 years ago - MA Courtney Cornish feasts and feasten customs 1890.

Between 10 and 11 a popular Mayor (IE Elected by "popular assembly") maybe seen in the middle of the Greenmarket encircled by a dozen young men, each holding a lighted hand rocket over the Mayor's head, the sparks which fell around him on all sides made him look like he was in the centre of a fountain of fire. - MA Courtney Cornish feasts and feasten customs 1890.

Golowan band

The revelers were thickest in a small square surrounded by houses (The Greenmarket) some of them thatched, a band stationed here played at intervals. - MA Courtney Cornish feasts and feasten customs 1890.

Serpent Dance

About eleven o'clock the spirits of the greater number of those engaged in the sports begin to flag, the fires are also nearly burnt out, and then commences another
part, principally enacted by the lads and lasses living in the vicinity of the quay. These form a line, and running
through the street call out "an eye! an eye! an eye!" and proceed to thread the needle. For the information of the uninitiated, we will in a few words describe this finish of the evening's amusement. The line is formed without any regard to the number engaged, excepting to keep in mind the old proverb of "the more, the merrier." The two individuals at the upper end then hold high their hands and the whole of the party, beginning with the opposite extremity rush quickly through; this of course reverses their position, and it is now the turn of those who at first held up their hands, to be the leaders of the thread.The Mayor always causes a proclamation to be made against these proceedings, which is however entirely disregarded. - JS Courtney A Guide to Penzance and its Neighbourhood 1845