The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc. — John Shaqi
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
I. Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away!
Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day?
Two o’clock, three o’clock, four, and away!
Five o’clock, six o’clock, now time to stay!
—Stanton Lacey (Burne’s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 520).
II. Bellasay, bellasay, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away.
—Halliwell’s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 283.
(_b_) The children form long trains, standing one behind the other. They
march and sing the first four lines, then the fifth line, when they
stand and begin again as before.
(_c_) Miss Burne suggests a connection with the old pack-horses. Mr.
Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) gives the first two lines as a game. He
says, “The first horse in a team conveying lead to be smelted wore
bells, and was called the bell-horse.” I remember when a child the two
first lines being used to start children a race (A. B. G.). Chambers
(_Pop. Rhymes_, p. 148) gives a similar verse, used for starting a
race:—
Race horses, race horses, what time of day?
One o’clock, two o’clock, three, and away;
and these lines are also used for the same purpose in Cheshire
(Holland’s _Glossary_) and Somersetshire (Elworthy’s _Glossary_).
Halliwell, on the strength of the corrupted word “Bellasay,” connects
the game with a proverbial saying applied to the family of Bellasis; but
there is no evidence of such a connection except the word-corruption.
The rhyme occurs in _Gammer Gurton’s Garland_, 1783, the last words of
the second line being “time to away.”
Bellie-mantie
The name for “Blind Man’s Buff” in Upper Clydesdale. As anciently in
this game he who was the chief actor was not only hoodwinked, but
enveloped in the skin of an animal.—Jamieson.
See “Blind Man’s Buff.”
Belly-blind
The name for “Blind Man’s Buff” in Roxburgh, Clydesdale, and other
counties of the border. It is probable that the term is the same with
“Billy Blynde,” said to be the name of a familiar spirit or good genius
somewhat similar to the brownie.—Jamieson.
See “Blind Man’s Buff.”
Bend-leather
A boys’ phrase for a slide on a pond when the ice is thin and bends.
There is a game on the ice called playing at “Bend-leather.” Whilst the
boys are sliding they say “Bend-leather, bend-leather, puff, puff,
puff.”—Addy’s _Sheffield Glossary_.
Betsy Bungay
[Music]
Hi, Betsy Bungay, all day on Sunday;
You’re the lock and I’m the key,
All day on Monday.
—Kent (J. P. Emslie).
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account