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_) The children form a ring, all joining hands and dancing round
while singing the first verse. When singing the last line they unclasp
their hands, and each one turns rapidly round. They then sing the next
verse, suiting their actions to the words they sing, again turning round
singly at the last line. This is done with every alternate verse, the
first verse being always sung as a chorus or dance in between the
different action-verses. The verses may be varied or added to at
pleasure. The actions generally consist of washing and dressing oneself,
combing hair, washing clothes, baking bread, sweeping the floor, going
to and returning from school, learning to read, cleaning boots, and
lacing stays. When “going to school,” the children walk two by two in an
orderly manner; when “coming home from school,” jumping and running is
the style adopted; “lacing stays,” the hands are put behind and moved
first one and then the other, as if lacing; “this is the way the ladies
walk,” holding up skirts and walking primly; “gentlemen walk,” walking
with long strides and sticks. The dressing process and cleaning boots
preceded “school.”
(_c_) This game is well known, and played in almost all parts of
England. It is always played in the same way. There is so little variety
in the different versions that it appears unnecessary to give more than
one here. In the many versions sent the only variants are: In Sporle,
Norfolk, Miss Matthews says the game is sometimes called “_Ivy_ Bush,”
or “_Ivory_ Bush;” and Mr. C. C. Bell, of Epworth, sends a version,
“Here we go round the Mulberry _Tree_” In Notts it is called “Holly
Bush” (Miss Winfield). A version given in the _Folk-lore Record_, iv.
174, is called the “_Gooseberry_ Bush,” and Halliwell (_Popular Nursery
Rhymes_, p. 224) records a game, the “Bramble Bush.” “The bush,” he
says, “is often imaginative, but is sometimes represented by a child in
the centre.” Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, pp. 134, 135) gives the game as
a form of the “Merry-ma-tanzie”—a kind of dance. They sing while moving
round to the tune of “Nancy Dawson,” and stopping short with courtesy at
the conclusion.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
And round the merry-ma-tanzie.
Disjoining hands, they then begin, with skirts held daintily up behind,
to walk singly along, singing—
This is the way the ladies walk,
The ladies walk, the ladies walk;
This is the way the ladies walk,
And round the merry-ma-tanzie.
At the last line they reunite, and again wheel round in a ring, singing
as before—
Here we go round the mulberry bush, &c.
After which, they perhaps simulate the walk of gentlemen, the chief
feature of which is length of stride, concluding with the ring dance as
before. Probably the next movement may be—
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