The Barmkin

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE BARMKIN (R88) Sq.Set R Goldring 24 G and S Dances

1- 8 1s+3s turn partners RH and Men followed by Ladies chase clockwise ½ way round set
9-16 1s+3s dance RH across in centre and LH back to "new" places
17-32 2s+4s repeat bars 1-16
33-40 1s+3s turn partners LH and Ladies followed by Men chase anticlockwise ½ way round set
41-48 1s+3s dance RandL
49-64 2s+4s repeat bars 33-48
65-72 All dance into centre and return with corners, Ladies dance round corners passing in front to begin and back to place
73-80 All with corners dance into centre and return with partners, Men dance round partners passing in front to begin and back to place
81-88 All circle 8H round and back

(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)

Dance Instruction Videos

The Barmkin - YouTube Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video
Performance of The Barmkin - 2009.

Dance Information

Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England.

It has been suggested that etymologically the word may be a corruption of the word barbican. The barmkin would have contained ancillary buildings, and could be used to protect cattle during raids.

Examples of places which had barmkins include Halton Castle, Cheshire, Smailholm Tower, Scottish Borders, and Crichton Castle, Midlothian.

Smailholm Tower, showing the barmkin wall in the foreground

Dance Information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence.
Text from this original Barmkin article on Wikipedia.
Image Copyright Steve Kent under this Creative Commons Licence.

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