The Rapper Sword Dance
The dance was originally performed by miners in the pit villages of Tyneside and has gradually spread with revival groups worldwide. It is performed at speed by a team of five people continuously linked by flexible swords, called rappers.
The dance is intended to be performed indoors, specifically in the pub bar, where rival teams would dance to collect money to support the families of those injured in the pits or impoverished by strikes and lockouts, or simply for beer money.
That Joseph Tyzack was the inventor and maker of these fine rapper swords for more than 40 years is confirmed by their alternative name. These swords are often referred to as Triskele swords. Triskele Swords take their name from the three-legged Celtic symbol which represents the interaction of earth, water and sky. The most widely-known Triskele symbol is the three legged crest of the Isle of Man, which was registered in 1847 as the trademark of Joseph Tyzack the famous Sheffield tool-maker.