prize5-6, Exercise 2: Three layers

Model answer (one possible choice: the Beltane Fire Festival; check each point):

The custom: Beltane was an old Gaelic name for the start of summer around 1 May, with customs involving fires and the movement of cattle recorded in accounts from the Highlands and elsewhere (check what the records actually show).

The revival: the Edinburgh event began in 1988 as a community project, drawing on that heritage and on modern ideas about it. It is run largely by volunteers, with a set of characters and roles created for the festival.

The spectacle: a night-time procession on Calton Hill with fire, drums and costume and body paint, designed for a crowd and for visitors, and now a recognised event with tickets and licensing.

Conclusion: the name and the idea are old, the form is modern, and the claim of "ancient ritual" needs to be tested layer by layer.