WELCOME TO An Entertainment Site for Scottish Country Dancers - Enjoy the curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Boxing Day
Dec 26
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"In ancient myth, a gift bestowed,
A jar with secrets deep and broad.
Pandora's hands, with curious grace,
Unleashed woes upon the human race.
From the jar, maladies took flight,
Sorrows spread through day and night.
Yet amidst the unleashed despair,
Hope remained, a beacon rare.
Thus, the tale imparts to all,
Even when darkest shadows fall,
Hope's light endures within the fray,
Guiding hearts to brighter days."
~ "Oh, Pandora", Annabel Innes
This theatrical jig calls upon the five dancers to do a bit of acting to portray the opening of Pandora’s box and the releasing the furies upon mankind from the ancient myth! In this dance, the corners portray the box itself and the center the curious lock picker! During the first 24 bars, the box grudgingly allows the tumblers to be slid back, but in the last 8 bars, as the box bursts open, trouble ensues! The devisor notes, "the petronellas are intentionally very fast and difficult & involve a full spin at each corner!" In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman, created by the gods and gifted with beauty, intelligence, and curiosity. As part of a divine plan, Zeus, the king of the gods, entrusted her with a mysterious jar (often misinterpreted as a box) and asked her to keep it sealed. But intrigued by its secrets, Pandora eventually opened the jar, releasing challenges like sickness and sorrow into the world. However, hope remained safely inside, offering comfort and resilience to humanity. We are thankful indeed to have the solace of music and dance, as we skip change of step through these interesting times. 💙 💛 💙 🎻 🪗 🕺 💃 ✨ ✨ ✨
Pandora's Box
On Boxing Day, let us contemplate other more troublesome boxes.
The legend of Pandora's box originates from ancient Greek mythology and is deeply intertwined with themes of curiosity, human nature, and the unintended consequences of actions. The story first appears in Hesiod’s Works and Days (8th century BCE) and Theogony, where Pandora is described as the first woman, created by the gods as part of a divine punishment for humanity. Zeus, angered by Prometheus’ theft of fire for mankind, ordered Hephaestus to craft Pandora from clay. She was endowed with gifts from various Olympian gods: beauty from Aphrodite, cunning from Hermes, and music from Apollo, among others. Her name, meaning "all-gifted," reflects these divine attributes.
Pandora was given a jar (pithos in Greek, often mistranslated as a box in later retellings) as part of her dowry when she was sent to Earth to marry Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus. Despite warnings from his brother, Epimetheus accepted Pandora. Driven by curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, releasing all the evils, hardships, and suffering into the world—disease, despair, and toil spread across humanity. However, she quickly closed it, leaving only one thing inside: hope (elpis).
The myth evolved over centuries, with interpretations often reflecting the cultural values of the time. Renaissance and Enlightenment thinkers emphasized Pandora's curiosity as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of knowledge. The mistranslation of pithos as “box” is attributed to the 16th-century scholar Erasmus, whose retelling in Latin cemented the imagery of a small container. Today, Pandora's box remains a powerful metaphor for actions that can unleash unintended consequences, with the lingering presence of hope serving as a reminder of resilience amid adversity.
For a discussion of the myth, click the illustration below!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
