Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Hunter's Moon

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

HUNTER'S MOON (J4x32) 4C set John Drewry Bankhead Book 4
3s and 4s start on opposite sides

1- 8 2s+3s set and dance La Baratte with partners:
 Men ½ turn opposite Lady RH and retains hand but at arms length from each other, Men retrace steps with Lady turning right under Man's arm briefly 'into Allemande hold (Man behind Lady facing Lady's original place) and releasing Lady's RH she turns under Man's left arm until almost in original 'places and couples change place LH to opposite positions to end facing out in prom hold Men with person on right (not with partner)
9-16 2M+3L (prom hold) dance LSh reel of 3 on Ladies' side while their partners dance (prom hold) LSh reel of 3 on Men's side, meet in middle, change partners and continue reel (prom hold) with own partner (2s on Ladies' side and 3s on Men's)
17-24 3s+2s dance RH across, 3s lead up crossing and cast 1 place as 2s lead down crossing and cast 1 place. 1324
25-32 1s+3s also 2s+4s set and link and all chase ½ way. 24(1)(3)

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


Hunter's Moon
John Drewry Bankhead Book 1
Jig 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

3s 4s cross on second chord.

  1-2   2s3s set;

  3-8   2s 3s dance la baratte:

  3-4   2s 3s cross by the right and retain hold with arms fully extended;

  5-5   2s 3s cross halfway back, raising right arms so that each L can dance under partner's right arm and taking left hands with partner, finishing on the centre line, Mn behind partners, 2s facing down, 3s up;

  6-6   2s 3s continue to cross, releasing right arms and raising left hands so that each L can dance under partner's left arm, finishing by retaining left hand hold with arms fully extended;

  7-8   2s 3s cross by the left, finishing 2L3M 2M3L in promenade hold, facing out on the sides;

  9-12 giving left shoulder to start, 2L3M on the Mn's side, 2M3L on the Ls' side, promenade half reels of 3, finishing in the centre, 3L2M facing down, 3M2L facing up, releasing hold and taking promenade hold with partners;

13-16 giving right shoulder to start, 3s on the Mn's side, 2s on the Ls' side, promenade half reels of 3, finishing in the centre, 3s facing down, 2s facing up, and releasing left hands;

17-20 3s2s right hands across, finishing 3s facing up, 2s down, retaining right hand hold with partners only;

21-24 3s cross up and cast to 2nd place on own sides WHILE 2s cross down and cast up to 3rd place on opposite sides;

25-28 1s3s 2s4s set and link for 2 on the sides, finishing 3s1s4s2s, 4s 2s on opposite sides;

29-32 all chase halfway clockwise, finishing 2s4s1s3s, 1s 3s on opposite sides.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Notes

  5-6   In each couple, the dancers are travelling sideways for most of the time and actually backwards for each L at the end of the phrase; halfway through this movement, each couple is briefly in allemande hold but with the M behind the L, 2s facing down, 3s up.

  9-16 These promenade reels and the changeover are as in bars 9-16 of The Bees Of Maggieknockater but start by going to the left when with the "wrong" partner, then to the right with the "right" one; 1s 4s dance this as a continuous full reel of 3.

17-24 This combination of figures is as in bars 25-32 of Blooms of Bon Accord; 3s 2s retain right hand hold after the right hands across to make a flowing movement into the crossing out of the ends.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Hunter's Moon - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

The hunter's moon (also known as blood moon or sanguine moon) is the first full moon after the harvest moon, which is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox.
Hunter's Moon
Hunter's Moon


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