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Post by siaron on Mar 5, 2005 20:37:00 GMT -1
This came up in the Taliesin thread, but it is something that has always fascinated me. If you look at the lyrics of 'traditional' or ancient music from Britain, you firnd some really interesting stuff. One of my favorites has to be 'Green Grow the Rushes Ho':
I'll sing you one-ho Green Grow the Rushes Ho! What is your one-ho? One is one and all alone And ever more shall be so
I'll sing you two-ho Green Grow the Rushes Ho! What is your two-ho? Two, two the lilly white boys Cloth-ed all in green ho-ho! One is one and all alone....etc. (counting down)
...Three, three the rivals.... ...Four for the Gospel makers... ...Five for the symbols at your door... ...Six for the six proud walkers.... ...Seven for the seven stars in the sky.... ...Eight for the April rainers... ...Nine for the nine bright shiners... ...Ten for the ten commandments... ...Eleven for the eleven went up to heaven... ...Twelve for the twelve Apostles...
The song probably dates to the late middle ages, but look at the imagery:
2 lilly white boys clothed in green (holly god/oak god?) 5 symbols at your door (pentacle?) 7 stars in the sky (Plieades?)
I think even the christianized verses probably had some earlier form. The whole song strikes me of pagan imagery, with Celtic undertones.
Just wondered what you all make of it.
(I have others, but let's start with this one)
Bendithion,
Siaron
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Post by Blackbird on Mar 6, 2005 10:27:11 GMT -1
We used to sing that one at school, and it used to keep us going for hours in the car, going on holiday ;D I'm afraid that I have to cast doubt on the song being a pagan survival though - it seems entirely Christian to me, based on the very little that I know of Christianity. (Though the meaning of 'lily-white boys' is obscure to me) Weren't the 'symbols at your door' from King Herod marking the doors of the Christians? (When I was little, I thought it was 'cymbals at your door', lol!) However, I do think that this form of song is a good thing, and that it would be great to write a pagan version I know people who have written some great versions of 'Twelve Days of Christmas' too
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Post by goldenhand on Mar 7, 2005 15:16:10 GMT -1
I don't know - those 'lily white boys covered all in green-o seems quite pagan to me...
And those seven stars - what meaning would they have had to Christians? (Though, what meaning do they have for pagans...)
Blessings,
Angharad
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Post by siaron on Mar 7, 2005 16:19:32 GMT -1
Well, I guess I could have checked this before I posted the thread, but that's no fun! I found a link that supports what at the least a pagan christian mix for the origins of the song, but another link I was unable to open seems to make the case that it was definitely a pagan song in its original form. Check out this link for more information: www.explore-places.com/united_kingdom/G/Green_grow_the_rushes,_O.html Bendithion, Siaron
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