Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Ox

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE OX (J8x32) 2C (4C set) Marianna Harvey Let's All Dance Too

1- 8 1s+2s circle 4H round and back
9-16 1s+2s dance RH across and LH across back to place
17-24 1s lead down (2s step up 3-4) and back up to 2nd place
25-32 2s+1s turn partner RH and turn partner LH

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


Dance Instruction Videos

The Ox - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

An ox is a domesticated bovine, typically a male, that has been trained and used for various agricultural purposes, particularly in plowing fields and pulling heavy loads.

This animal is often a castrated bull, selected for its strength, docility, and ability to perform tasks essential for traditional farming practices.

The term "ox" can refer to cattle trained and employed in multiple regions globally, contributing significantly to pre-industrial agricultural activities. Owing to their physical strength and endurance, oxen have played a crucial historical role in tasks such as land cultivation, transportation, and logging.

The term is distinct from the gender-neutral "cow" and is specific to bovines utilized as working animals in agricultural contexts. While the use of oxen for such tasks has diminished in modern industrialized agriculture, they still serve essential roles in certain traditional and sustainable farming practices.

The Ox
Ploughing With Oxen, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1881


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Text from this original Ox article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright George H. Harvey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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