HELLEBORE #7 | THE RITUAL ISSUE

TITLE - HELLEBORE #7 | THE RITUAL ISSUE 

EDITED BY - MARIA J. PÉREZ CUERVO

GENRE - FOLK HORROR/FOLKLORE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM 

92 PAGES

PRICE - £7.25

BUY- https://helleborezine.bigcartel.com/

 

The arrival of a new issue of "Hellebore" is always a red-letter day; it has always been one of the best of the bunch, enjoying a high place in the folk-horror zine pantheon. High production values are matched with intelligent writing on folklore and ancient traditions. #7 is the "Ritual" issue, which explores community, (more important than ever after two years of lockdowns), and how it is expressed through ritual, folklore and performance. And, naturally, there's a healthy dose of "The Wicker Man" thrown in too for optimum horror-folkiness cred.

The first article, by Francis Young, is a celebration of the legendary Reader's Digest (yes, really) book "Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britian", first published in 1973 and which has its 50th anniversary next year. If you need any convincing of the importance of this tome, whilst reading the article I decided to search for it on eBay as I've never owned a copy myself: I only got as far as typing "folklore" before several listings for the book came up automatically. The article explores the book's origins, its content and enduring legacy and features reminiscences of ownership from various folky luminaries.

Catherine Spooner writes a very interesting piece on how the white dress, whilst traditionally a symbol of growth and renewal when worn by the May Queen, is often seen in popular culture as the outfit of choice for unfortunate maidens about to be sacrificed. Victoria Anne Pearson's "The Ritual Isles" is a fun gallery of traditions that are part of ritual celebrations throughout the year in various parts of the UK. As a Welshman, I was particularly happy to see our very own equine fright-fest, the Mari Lwyd, included. 

The latest issue and the previous six. Production values have always been high.

Clare Button's piece "Ancient antlers, clashing swords" is a deep-dive into the origins of ritual dance such as the much-maligned Morris dance, exploring their ancient associations with the occult beyond the bells and hankies. Editor Maria Pérez Cuervo’s feature "May Day on Summerisle" explores the May Day parade as seen in that singularly enduring horror film, "The Wicker Man", while Hannah Armstrong delves into the history of the "Cambridge Ritualists", an early 20th century group of intellectuals intent on rediscovering the ancient myths. The zine is rounded off with Aleco Julius' study of rituals performed within labyrinths and mazes; and Angeline Morrison attempts to "re-enchant the landscape" by uncovering the history of her Black ancestors who settled in the UK from almost before recorded history. 

Ostensibly a full-colour publication, "Hellebore" is best described as being "sepia-toned", with a layout fully in keeping with its content: the zine is a heady mix of ancient and modern. The writing throughout is intelligent, diverse and engaging, and the original artwork is of a high standard. The zine continues to go from strength to strength and if you haven't picked up "Hellebore" before, issue 7 is a great place to jump on.