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Furry Dance Cornish Phrases
Helston's Furry Dance is held on 8 May, or the Saturday before when 8 May is a Sunday or Monday. Its name probably comes from a Cornish word. Below are the Cornish words for the dance, the dancers, the fair and the month.
Useful words
fer
fair, carnival
The likely source of the name "Furry".
dons
a dance
The plural is donsyow.
donsyer
dancer (man)
The plural is donsyoryon.
donsyores
dancer (woman)
The plural is donsyoresow.
Me
May
The month of the dance.
The history of Furry Dance
The Furry Dance celebrates the passing of winter and the arrival of spring, and it is one of the oldest British customs still practised. It is held in Helston every year on 8 May, or on the Saturday before when 8 May falls on a Sunday or Monday (Monday is market day), and dancers wear lily of the valley, the town's flower. The name probably comes from Cornish fer, "fair, feast", for the feast of the Apparition of the Archangel Michael, Helston's patron saint, celebrated on 8 May.
Common questions
Where does the name Furry Dance come from?
Probably from Cornish fer, "fair, feast".
Further reading
Cornish is on blas. now
Grammar, mutations, vocabulary, and reading with spaced repetition. The Cornish course is in the blas. app now.
Start learning CornishCornish phrases for the year ahead
Cornish phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- Wikipedia
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Akademi Kernewek, Gerlyver Kernewek (Standard Written Form): dance dons n.m donsyow n.pl
- Akademi Kernewek, Gerlyver Kernewek (Standard Written Form): dancer donsyer n.m donsyoryon n.pl
- Akademi Kernewek, Gerlyver Kernewek (Standard Written Form): dancer donsyores n.f donsyoresow n.pl
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
Credit: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.