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The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha

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The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.

Name: The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.
Author: Gomme, Alice Bertha

Gomme, Alice Bertha

Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain

(_d_) Other versions have been sent from Winterton, Leadenham, and
Lincoln, by Miss Peacock, and from Brigg, while the _Northamptonshire
Notes and Queries_, ii. 161, gives another by Mr. R. S. Baker. The words
are practically the same as the versions printed above from Lincolnshire
and Northants. The words of the Madeley version are the same as the Much
Wenlock (No. 1). The Nottingham tune (Miss Youngman), and three others
sent with the words, are the same as the Madeley tune printed above.

(_e_) This interesting game is essentially of rural origin, and probably
it is for this reason that Mr. Newell did not obtain any version from
England for his _Games and Songs of American Children_, but his note
that it “seems, strangely enough, to be unknown in Great Britain” (p.
80), is effectually disproved by the examples I have collected. There is
no need in this case for an analysis of the rhymes. The variants fall
into three categories: (1) the questioning form of the words, (2) the
affirming form, and (3) the indiscriminate form, as in Nos. xvi. to
xviii., and of these I am disposed to consider the first to represent
the earliest idea of the game.

If the crops mentioned in the verses be considered, it will be found
that the following table represents the different localities:—

  +------+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  |      |Northants.                                                 |
  |      |     |Lancashire.                                          |
  |      |     |     |Lincolnshire.                                  |
  |      |     |     |     |Shropshire.                              |
  |      |     |     |     |     |Staffordshire.                     |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |Nottingham.                  |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |Isle of Man.           |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |Hants.           |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |Isle of    |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |Wight.     |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |Nor- |
  |      |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |folk.|
  +------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
  |Oats  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  | ... | ... |
  |Beans |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  | ... |  +  |  +  |  +  | ... |  +  |
  |Barley|  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |  +  |
  |Wheat | ... | ... | ... | ... |  +  | ... | ... | ... |  +  | ... |
  |Groats| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
  |Hop   | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |  +  | ... | ... |  +  |
  +------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

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The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.

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