The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
(_b_) A ring is formed and the children dance round, singing the first
verse. They then stand till, sing the next verse, and, while singing,
suit the action to the word, each child turning herself rapidly round
when singing the last line. The first verse is then repeated, and the
fourth sung in the same way as the second, and so on.
Another way of playing is that the children do not dance round and
round. They form a ring by joining hands, and they then all move in one
direction, about half way round, while singing the first line, “lubin;”
then back again in the opposite direction, while singing the second
line, “light,” still keeping the ring form, and so on for the third and
fourth lines. In each case the emphasis is laid upon the “Here” of each
line, the movement being supposed to answer to the “Here.”
The Dorsetshire version (Miss M. Kimber) is played by the children
taking hands in pairs, forming a ring, and dancing round. At Eckington
(S. O. Addy) the children first pretend to wash their hands, then their
face, while singing the words; then comb their hair and brush their
clothes; then they join hands and dance round in a ring singing the
words which follow, again suiting their actions to the words sung.
In the Scottish version a ring is formed as above. One sings, and the
rest join, to the tune of “Lillibullero,” the first line. As soon as
this is concluded each claps his hand and wheels grotesquely, singing
the second line. They then sing the third line, suiting the action to
the word, still beating the time; then the second again, wheeling round
and clapping hands. When they say “A’ feet in, and nae feet out,” they
all sit down with their feet stretched into the centre of the ring.
(_c_) The other variants which follow the Halliwell version are limited
to the first verse only, as the remainder of the lines are practically
the same as those given in Miss Fowler’s version which is written at
length, and three or four of these apparently retain only the verse
given. A London version, collected by myself, is nearly identical with
that of Miss Fowler, except that the third line is “Shake your —— a
little, a little,” instead of as printed. This is sung to the tune
given.
The incidents in this game are the same throughout. The only difference
in all the versions I have collected being in the number of the
different positions to be performed, most of them being for right hands,
left hands, right feet, left feet, and heads; others, probably older
forms, having “ears,” “yourselves,” &c. One version, from Eckington,
Derbyshire, curiously begins with “washing hands and face,” “combing
hair,” &c., and then continuing with the “Looby” game, an apparent
“mix-up” of “Mulberry Bush” and “Looby.” Three more versions, Sporle,
Cornwall, and Dorsetshire, also have different beginnings, one
(Dorsetshire) having the apparently unmeaning “I love Antimacassar.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account