Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Tudor Rose

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE TUDOR ROSE (R4x32) 4C set Myrtle Tudor Herman Chicago 10th Anniversary Collection

1- 8 1s+2s dance LH across (4 bars) opening into 4H round to Right while 3s+4s dance RH across (4 bars) opening into 4H round to Left
9-16 1s+4s set advancing to form circle with other couples (8H) and all set. 1s+4s set retiring to places as 2s+3s set and then all set on sides
17-24 1s+2s dance ½ R&L, then 1s+3s dance ½ R&L
25-32 1s+4s dance ½ R&L. All turn partners 1½ RH

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


Dance Information

This version of Tudor Rose is also an emphatic nod by its deviser to her own name. Myrtle T. Herman's (c. 1918-2008) maiden name was Tudor.

Myrtle was a Chicago Heights school teacher for over 30 years and she was described as "an avid folk dancer".


The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

The Tudor rose consisting of five white inner petals, representing the House of York, and five red outer petals to represent the House of Lancaster.

The Tudor Rose is a heraldic emblem associated with the Tudor dynasty, which ruled England from 1485 to 1603. The dynasty began with Henry VII, who emerged victorious at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, marking the end of the Wars of the Roses and the start of the Tudor period.

The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought between the rival houses of Lancaster and York for control of the English throne during the 15th century. The red rose was the emblem of the House of Lancaster, and the white rose represented the House of York. The conflict was named after these symbols.

Henry VII, in an effort to symbolize the union of the two houses and bring stability to the country, adopted a new emblem that combined the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York. The resulting emblem became known as the Tudor Rose, and it featured a red rose with a white rose at its center. This symbolized the end of the dynastic conflict and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, bringing about the union of the warring factions.

The Tudor Rose is a powerful symbol of the consolidation of power, peace, and unity in England. It continued to be used during the reigns of subsequent Tudor monarchs, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The Tudor Rose is often depicted in art, architecture, and heraldry from the Tudor period, and it remains an important emblem associated with this historical era in English history.

The Tudor Rose
The Tudor Rose


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Tudor Rose article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Sodacan Creative Commons Licence 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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