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Back issues of Rattle Up My Boys were analysed in order to discover the names of the sword sides featured in the publications.
The findings of the names of sides listed below are taken from the sides listed in the findings for series 1-9, 10-19 and then 20-29 with the data being analysed to removed duplicate names.
Addison; Addison Rapper; Adlington Morris Men; Ampleforth; Anlaby; Arbeisgemeinsachaft der Sing-, Tanz- und Spielkreise in Baden-Wurttemberg e.V.; Bagnasco Bal Do Sabre (Italy); Bal da Sabre Fenestrelle; Barnsley Longsword; Beaver Boys; Beltane; Beside the Point (USA); Beverley; Biggar Seguisers; Bishop Gundulfs Sword; Bishop Gundulph’s Sword & Morris; Bishop’s Morris; Black Adder Rapper & Step Dancers; Black Cap; Black Swan; Black Swan Rapper; Brampton; Broughton Scorpers; Candyrapper (USA); Carlisle; Carlisle Sword, Morris & Clog; Castleford Longsword; Claro Sword & Morris; Claro Sword and Morris (Knaresborough); Clownfish Rapper; Coventry MM; Coventry Mummers; Cream Tees; Customs; Dartington; De Michielen; Die Uberlinger Schwerttanzkompanie; Earsdon Rappers; East Anglia; East Saxon Sword; Ebor Morris; Elgin; Fishergate Lads; Flamborough; Flamborough Longsword; Forest of Dean; Gay Blades (USA); Gift Rapper; Goathland Plough Stots; Goathland junior team; Green Ginger Morris; Grenoside; Grenoside Sword; Handforth; Handsworth Sword Dancers; Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers; Helmsley; Hexham; High Spen; High Spen Blue Diamond Rapper; Highside; Highside Longsword; Highside Longsword (Kirby Malzeard); Hingham; Hinton; Holme Valley; Jockey’s; Kingsmen; Kirkburton; Lamb and Flag Sword Dancers; Lange Wapper; Lockton; Loftus; Longsword; Mabel Gubbins Rapper; Maltby Phoenix; Medlock; Middleton Longsword; Monkseaton Morris Men; Morris Federation; Mossley; Natty Jack; Newcastle Kingsmen; Newcastle Kingsmen Sword Dancers; North British; North British Sword; North Skelton teenagers; Northgate Rapper; Oakenyouth; Opanci; Otley Folk Festival; PRATS — the Pately Bridge Real Ale Tasting Society; Papa Stour; Pateley Sword; Pengwyn Rapper; Podsable Komna (Cz); Rapper; Red Rose Rapper; Redcar Sword; Rockingham Rapper; Royal Liberty; Ryburn Longsword; Ryknild Rabble; Ryknild Rapper; Saddleworth; Sallyport; Sallyport Sword; Sallyport Sword Dancers; San Sebastian; Scarborough; Scarborough White Rose Rapper; Seven Stars Sword and Clog Dancers; Seven Stars Sword and Step Dancers; Sharpe Sword; Short Circuit Rapper; Shropshire Sharpshins; Sidmouth; Sir Harry’s Sword Dancers; Slightly Green (USA); Snark Rapper; Southport Swords; Spen Valley Longsword; Stevenage Sword; Stone Monkey; Stone Monkey Sword Dancers; Stots; Strani (from Czechoslovakia); Strani/Javorina; Sullivan’s Sword; Surbiton; Sword Dance; Terrington; The Vineyard Swordfish; Thrale’s Rapper; Thrales; Tockwith; Uberlingen Sword Dance Company; Valknut Rapper; Whip the Cat; Whitby; White Star Sword Dancers; Wype Doles; Wype Doles Sword Dancers; York Gentlemen; York; Yorkshire Coast Morris; Zerutxu – Markina (Bas)
There are 145 sides in this list.
A visual check, with some knowledge of the sword dance community, finds a number of obvious duplicates such as Addison/Addison Rapper; Claro Sword & Morris/Claro Sword and Morris (Knaresborough); Flamborough/Flamborough Longsword; Grenoside/Grenoside Sword; High Spen/High Spen Blue Diamond Rapper; Highside/ Highside Longsword/Highside Longsword (Kirby Malzeard); Newcastle Kingsmen/Kingsmen; North British/North British Sword; Sallyport; Sallyport Sword and Sallyport Sword Dancers; Scarborough; Scarborough White Rose Rapper/Seven Stars Sword and Clog Dancers/Seven Stars Sword and Step Dancers; Stone Monkey/Stone Monkey Sword Dancers; with others less obvious to detect (Goathland Plough Stots/Stots).
There are other names listed in which it is not clear if they are a sword dance side or a location (or something else).
This initial analysis (together with the analysis of Names of Sword Dances) was useful if gaining experience of the analysis tool, including the ‘prompts’ to use and the time it takes to carry out the analysis, once the data (scanned PDFs with relevant metadata) is available.
In terms of the output the information cannot be regarded as a definitive list of swords sides mentioned in the publications. However for those wishing to search for information about sword dance sides (including sides which may now be defunct) this information may be a useful starting point, with further searching of Rattle Up My Boys needed to provide contextual information.
For those who may wish to replicate this analysis or carry out similar analyses, here are some technical details.
Data analysed: A series of over 100 PDF files were analysed. The PDF files had been OCRed and title and similar metadata added. The files had consistent file names (rumb-01-01.pdf to rumb-28-04.pdf) which made it much easier to manage the analysis process, as well as pre- and post-management of the files.
Analysis service used: The Chat GPT 4o service was used, with the OCR extension.
Prompt used: The initial prompt used was
“Give a list of all the sides featured in all of the documents, separated by semi-colon. Then give me a paragraph which gives the names of featured sides.“
with slight variants used for subsequent analyses.
Updated: 1 July 2024
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