Tynwald Day: Encyclopedia II - Tynwald Day - Tynwald Hill

Tynwald Day - Tynwald Hill

The main ceremonies of the day take place on Tynwald Hill, known in the Manx language as Cronk-y-Keeillown, or the Mound of the Church of John, in the village of St John's. The mound is said to include soil from all seventeen of the Isle's parishes. The mound, approximately 3.6 metres (12 feet) in height, includes four circular platforms, which are of successively decreasing size, thereby giving Tynwald Hill a somewhat conical shape. The approximate circumferences of the bottoms of the platforms, beginning with the lowest one, are: 78 metres (256 feet), 49 metres (162 feet), 31 metres (102 feet) and 18 metres (60 feet).

The ceremony of proclaiming laws on Tynwald Hill is traceable to the Norse practice of making public proclamations from mounds; Iceland, for example, once used the Logberg (Law-Rock or Law-Hill) for the same purpose. The origins of Tynwald Hill—a man-made mound—are unclear, but it existed by the end of the fourteenth century. It was used in 1393 for the inauguration of Sir William le Scrope, and again in 1408 for the inauguration of Sir John Stanley, as Lord of Mann. Its first recorded use for the promulgation of laws dates to 24 June 1417; Sir John Stanley presided.

The Lieutenant Governor, together with the Sword-Bearer, and the officers and members of the Legislative Council occupy the highest level of the Hill; officers and members of the House of Keys occupy the next level. Other officials are accommodated on the lower levels and at the foot of the hill. Formerly, a canopy was placed over the Lord of Mann or Lieutenant Governor, with others being in the open air; now, however, a tent covers the top platform. The flag of the Isle of Man flies from the flagpole (which protrudes through the tent during the ceremony), save that the Royal Standard flies when the Sovereign personally presides.

After the Royal Anthem (the first verse of "God Save the Queen") is sung, the First Deemster, upon the instruction of the Lieutenant Governor, directs the Coroner of Glenfaba (one of the six sheadings) to "fence the Court." The Coroner accomplishes the task by declaring, "I fence this Court of Tynwald in the name of our most gracious Sovereign Lady The Queen. I charge that no person do quarrel, brawl or make any disturbance and that all persons do answer to their names when called. I charge this audience to witness this Court is fenced. I charge this audience to witness this Court is fenced. I charge this whole audience to bear witness this Court is now fenced." An officer known as yn Lhaihder (the Reader) repeats the same words in Manx.

After the Court is fenced, the coroners appointed for the coming year take the oath. The Coroners ascend the Hill in order of precedence, commencing with the Coroner of Glenfaba, followed by the Coroner of Michael, the Coroner of Ayre, the Coroner of Garff the Coroner of Middle and the Coroner of Rushen (fewer than six may take part in the ceremony because individuals often serve as Coroners in multiple sheadings). The First Deemster administers the oath, which includes Biblical references, to the kneeling coroners: "By that book and by the holy contents thereof and by the wonderful works that God hath miraculously wrought in heaven above and in the earth beneath in six days and seven nights, you shall, without respect of favour or friendship, love or gain, consanguinity or affinity, envy or malice, well and truly execute the office of Coroner for each Sheading to which you have been appointed for the ensuing year. So help you God." The phrase "wonderful works that God hath miraculously wrought ... in six days and seven nights" alludes to Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, a literal reading of which suggests that night precedes day, and that God created the world in six days, resting on the seventh. The Coroners then receive ceremonial staves from the Lieutenant Governor.

After the Coroners take the oath, the Lieutenant Governor states, "Learned Deemsters, I exhort you to proclaim to the people in ancient form such laws as have been enacted during the past year and which have received the Royal Assent." Each law is promulgated by the one Deemster in English and by the other Deemster in Manx. The Deemsters state the title, and a brief description of the effects, of each act. For example, on Tynwald Day in 2003, one Act was promulgated with the words "Transfer of Deemsters' Functions Act 2003, which transfers certain functions of the Deemsters to the Treasury." If an Act is not promulgated within eighteen months of receiving the Royal Assent, it ceases to remain valid.

Once the Deemsters promulgate the laws, individuals may present petitions for the redress of grievances. Petitions are presented at the foot of Tynwald Hill to the Clerk of Tynwald, who conveys them to the Lieutenant Governor. The petitions are then referred to a committee of Tynwald. Thereafter, after the singing of the first verse of the National Anthem, Tynwald adjourns to the Chapel.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Tynwald Hill", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki