Y Gaseg Eira - The Snow Horse
It is danced by eight dancers in a similar style to Lichfield. Dancers swing their arms
as though warming themselves. It uses crossovers and heys on the side. One couple often
does different actions to the other six dancers.
Whitsun games at Groeswen; and it was there that Mrs.Thomas also saw 'Y Gaseg Eira'.
This, which means literally 'The Snow Horse', is the Welsh name for a giant snowball.
'Y Gaseg Eira' is an unusual dance. It appears to be a Morris Dance but has eight men
instead of the usual six. In this and other details it is curiously like the recently
discovered Lichfield Morris dance. There has been some question about the origin of these,
and it must be remembered that the potteries at Nantgarw were staffed by Staffordshire
men. It is also striking that 'Dawns y Marchog', a solo jig danced at Nantgarw by Daniel
Edmunds, is very much like the Lichfield dance 'All the Winds'.
Ceinwen Thomas has described her mother's recollections of 'Y Gaseg Eira'. "My
Mother thinks this should be danced only by men. She saw it danced by an all men group and
by mixed men and women, but when women were included they took to fooling and they only
danced it seriously when they were all men".
The Dance
 | Eight dancers stand in two rows facing the harp and tap dance with a great deal of
characteristic sideways kick of each foot in turn. This lasted quite a time. |
| Stand and swing their arms as men do to warm themselves. Turn quick and move closer in
two groups of three with a quick and shuffling movement of the feet. The remaining two
dance behind the last three, touching them lightly with their hands, as if pushing the
other dancers forward. |
| Turn and shuffle back as before. The turning is a rather complicated movement amongst
each other. The two pushers are at the bottom of the set and push the others back to
places. |
| Stand and swing arms as in figure 2. Then weave through each other in a vigorous way.
Arms are thrown upwards as they pass each other. |
| Form two rows as before; tap dance vigorously. Give three stamps and move off waving as
if in farewell. |
