Prince Hall Shriners' Tradition Of "Riding" (Performing Processional Versions Of The Camel Walk Dance)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- April 24, 2023

This pancocojams post showcases a few examples of Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) Shriners' riding. Selected comments from one of these videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all the Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners who are featured in this post. Thanks also to those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the producers of these videos on YouTube.

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DISCLAIMER:
I have no affiliation or direct or indirect contact with any member of the A.E.A.O.N.M.S. (Shriners) or with any other Masonic or Shriner organization.

As indicated above, this information is posted for folkloric, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

Additions and corrections to this information are very welcome.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
As a result of watching some YouTube videos and reading their comment threads, I've recently learned that there are other predominately Black Shriner organizations besides Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners. I also recently learned that although the performance dance/strolling movement called "riding" is considered a PHA Shriner tradition, some members of those mostly Black non-PHA Shriner organizations may also perform "riding" steps/dances. According to comments that I have read in those videos' discussion threads, those performances are done differently than PHA Shriners and, unlike the PHA Shriner tradition, sometimes those performances include women.

Because my intention was and still is to document the Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners' tradition of riding, I've substantially revised the above mentioned Zumulayah and this pancocojams post because they showcased videos of riding performances by non-Prince Hall affiliated organizations and published this post which has added content.

I apologize for any confusion that may have occurred as a result of previous versions of those posts.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/prince-hall-shriners-tradition-of.html for a post that contains the same revised content of this post and the Zumulayah post along with added comments in the discussion section.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/09/videos-of-camel-walk-dance-shriners.html for a earlier pancocojams post entitled "The Camel Walk" Dance & Shriners "Riding" Camel Walk Strut". That post includes descriptions of the camel walk dance, three videos of different styles of the camel walk dance, as well as two videos of Shriners who I believe are Prince Hall Affiliated Shriners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRINCE HALL SHRINERS
The formal name for the Prince Hall Shriners is the "Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine". (A.E.A.O.N.M.S.) This Black fraternal organization is informally called "Prince Hall Shriners" ("PHA") in part to distinguish them from "mainstream" Shriners who are predominately White.

Prince Hall (1735 – 1807) was an African American noted as a tireless abolitionist, for his leadership in the free black community in Boston, and as the founder of Prince Hall Masonry (in 1775). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall)

The Prince Hall Shriners were founded in 1893.

"The Camel Walk" has been at least informally adopted as a signature group march of the Prince Hall Shriners. That fraternal organization's adoption of the "Camel Walk" for their processionals is likely because the camel is connected with the Shriners' (both "mainstream and PHA). As part of their Middle Eastern theme, the members of the Prince Hall Shriners are called "Nobles" & they are known for wearing tasseled fezzes.

Here's an excerpt that provides some explanations about other terms that ae used by A.E.A.O.N.M.S.
https://lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=678894&article_id=3801653&view  The Rag-Time Origins Of The Camel Walk"by  Noble Damajo Smith, Rameses Temple  #5,Charlotte, North Carolina [no publishing date, but the latest citation is  2020] 
"The camel, a useful means of support in the desert, is used to move people and goods between one oasis and another (an oasis is a fertile spot in the desert, where water is found.)  An oasis also can be considered a pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled, or hectic situation.  We hve designed each city wherein a Temple of a Mystic Shrine resides as an Oasis, the Desert has been designated as the state or region that houses that Oasis/Temple and the national body that is the umbrella covering for the Dominion of the Imperial Council.  Therefore, these fertile, pleasant, and peaceful Temples draw a direct relationship with the symbolic nature of the Mystic Shrine.  They are the center for our community service activities such as voter registrations, college scholarship awards, back to school supply giveaways, health screenings and our diabetic initiatives. We invite all that are within our walls to share in our social functions as well”…

-end of quote-
Some comments in the discussion threads of  YouTube videos A.E.A.O.N.M.S. indicate that the Prince Hall Shriners’ performance of the Camel Walk dance is called "riding". A version of the 1983 song "White Horse" by Jim Stahl and John Guldberg of the Danish duo Laid Back appears to be the (at least unofficial) anthem of the Prince Hall Shriners' riding. I believe that "White Horse" is used as the go-to record for the PHA Shriners' anthem for the processional strutting/dancing performance that they call "riding" because of the word "ride" in that song's lyrics and because of the song's very danceable beat and not because of the meaning of the term "white horse" (cocaine) in that record.

Click http://www.aeaonms.org/about.htm and http://www.sinai59.org/DomainHistory.htm for information about the PHA Shriners.

Also, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwATF5dnfq4 for a sound file of the 1983 record "White Horse".

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FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.) Selected comments from a few of these videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.

Warning: The "Ride The White Horse" record that appears to be routinely used for the Shriners' "riding" custom contains the repeated word "b**tch". Although this blog usually doesn't feature any videos that contains profanity, I'm including these videos in the interest of documenting a few video examples the Prince Hall Shriners (PHA) tradition of "riding".

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Example #1: Noble Ride Out @ Savannah State University



hotsoup1969, Published on Nov 2, 2008

Rabia 8 Nobles of The Mystic Shrine Rides it Out At Savannah State Homecoming 2008

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Example #2: Ahmed Temple #37



Princess314, Published on Oct 10, 2010

Riding Clyde...PLEASE NOTE, if you don't like it, and don't agree, then don't watch it and take your negative comments with you.
********People didn't know how to read and/or follow directions so I removed the comment section. God Bless!************

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Example #3: Golconda Temple No. 24 Nobles camel walking into the formal dinner dance



Uploaded by bks2295 on Mar 7, 2011

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Example #4: NOBLES

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MrMyPushUps, Uploaded on Mar 18, 2011

ARABIA TEMPLE#12
BLACK STONE DISCIPLES
OASIS OF PORTSMOUTH DESERT OF VA
Party At The Shriners
Deep South Shriners-PHA (A.E.A.O.N.M.S)
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. rwshelby, 2009
"I see you Nasty Nobles........Ryde Owt Nasty Nobles"

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2. NOBLEGREEN54, 2009
"Now That's how NOBLES ride!!!"

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3. mike08832, 2009
"Ride it out NOBLES!!!! LMBO"

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4. Golconda #24 Newark, NJ
Nawlinsfanforlife, 2011
"Nothing like Nobles making their presence felt!
Oro Temple #9 El Paso, Texas"

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5. Bradley Warren-EL, 2011
"Ryde Clyde!!!! Looking good nobles!!! Who Ya Wit!!!1 MOOOOOOLLLLLLAAAAAHHHHHH Memphis, TN"

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6. Edward Jones, 2011
"Get it Nobles. Greetings from the Dessert of Texas, Oasis of San Antonio"

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7. Renoaldo Spells, 2012
"Wats up bro this is Wildhog #16 your line bro Take me to Mecca!!!!!!!!"

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8. bigrider2806, 2012
"as an English Freemason with no knowledge relating to any of this i would be so grateful if someone would explain a little for me ."

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REPLY
9. T James, 2012
"@bigrider2806 Its just some thing that Prince Hall Shriners do, like part of the culture in the group"

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REPLY
10. FET Engineer
"bigrider2806 it's called "fun" and "fellowship"... enjoying themselves our way and there's nothing wrong with that. "
-snip-
I've read a few other comments that allude to the esoteric meaning of PHA Shriner riding beyond its entertainment and socializing purposes. To summarize one comment that I read on another YouTube discussion thread, PHA Shriners' riding symbolizes the three wise men (who were nobles) visiting and honoring the new born baby Jesus.

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11. Klark Kent, 2013
"Gitty clyde up!"
-snip-
PHA Shriners's "riding" appears to also be referred to as "riding Clyde". "Gitty" is a form of the phrase "Giddy up"- a command for a horse to move forward.

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12. Ronald Hargrove, 2015
"@SSGT Flavor Princehall is King, the noble are just riding. If it want for masonry it want be no franternities"
-snip-
I can't find the comment from SGT Flavor, but I presume from the response that that comment questioned the similarities between riding and fraternity strolling or stepping.

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Example #5: Nobles Camel Walk



LB9139, Published on Oct 2, 2013

Kuwat Temple #7 Oasis of Grambling Desert of Louisiana

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