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Peacock Day
Sep 24
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"The peacock has too much in his tail, too little in his head."
~ John Ruskin
Oh, those art critics .. While not the smartest of birds, peacocks excel at catching the eye, especially of the lady peacocks. Female peacocks, or peahens, choose their mates based on several visual cues related to the male’s tail feathers. Research shows that peahens are especially attracted to males with larger, more elaborate tail displays, especially those with a higher number of "eye spots" in the tail fan. This 32 bar reel was devised as a tribute to the peacocks who live in Pittencrieff Park (known locally as The Glen) in Dunfermline. Established there since 1905, these peacocks even have books published about their fictional adventures! The optional birl in the middle of this dance should catch the admiring eye of the rest of the set! 💙 💚 🦚 🦚 🦚
Peacocks in the Glen
Peacocks, although they have mixed reputation in various cultures for both good and bad luck, share this celebratory day with another blue bird for Bluebird(s) of Happiness & Peacock Day.
A recent study recently published in The British Journal of Animal Behaviour says that when a peacock fans its ornamented train for the ladies during mating season, its feathers quiver, emitting a low-frequency sound inaudible to human ears. Depending on whether they want to attract females from far away or up close, they can change the sound by shaking different parts of their feathers. They are now one of several animals known to create infrasonic sounds, most likely to communicate over long distances.
This dance is named for the famous Peacocks of Pittencrieff Park who have roamed this area in Dunfermline since 1905.
Peacocks have lived in Pittencrieff Park since 1905 when the Philanthropist Henry Beveridge returned to his hometown of Dunfermline from India, bringing with him the first Peacocks of Pittencrieff Park. Known locally as The GIen, Pittencrieff Park was gifted to the townspeople of Dunfermline three years earlier in 1902, by Dunfermline's most famous son, Andrew Carnegie. Since then the majestic Peacocks have been given the Freedom of the City and are regularly seen strutting around the town and park.
To learn more about one of the rarest of these beautiful blue birds in their special white incarnation, the white peacock, click the beautiful white peacock!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
