The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
General
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 2 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
Billy Johnston took a notion
For to go and sail the sea;
He has left his own true love
Weeping on the Greenock quay.
I will buy you beads and earrings,
I will buy you diamonds three,
I will buy you beads and earrings,
Bonny lassie, if you marry me.
What care I for beads and earrings,
What care I for diamonds three,
What care I for beads and earrings,
When my own true love is far from me.
—Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
Compare with this “Keys of Heaven,” p. 437, and “Paper of Pins,” p. 450.
Dilsee Dollsie Dee.
[See “Here’s a Soldier,” vol. i. p. 206, and “Three Dukes,” vol. ii. pp.
233-255].
A ring is formed, one child standing in the middle, all sing the words—
Which of us all do you love best, do you love best, do you love
best,
Which of us all do you love best, my dilsee dollsie dee.
Which of us all do you love best, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The child in the centre says—
You’re all too black and ugly (three times), my dilsee dollsie dee,
You’re all too black and ugly, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The first verse is repeated, and the child in the centre points to one
in the ring and says—
This is the one that I love best, that I love best, that I love best,
This is the one that I love best, my dilsee dollsie dee.
This is the one I love the best, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The centre child takes the one selected by the hand, and they stand
together in the centre, while the ring dances round and sings—
Open the gates to let the bride out, to let the bride out, to let
the bride out,
Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dee.
Open the gates to let the bride out, my dilsee dollsie dofficer.
The children then unclasp hands, and the two children walk out. Another
child goes in the centre and the game is begun again, and continued
until the ring is too small for dancing round. Sometimes, instead of
this, the two children return to the ring singing, “Open the gates and
let the bride in,” and then they take places in the circle, while
another goes in the centre.—(Dr. A. C. Haddon.)
Doagan.
An extraordinary game, which was played by Manx children sixty years
ago. A rude wooden representation of the human form was fastened on a
cross, and sticks were thrown at it, just after the fashion of the
modern “Aunt Sally.” But it is quite possible that this game, taken in
connection with the following very curious words which the children
repeated when throwing the sticks, is a survival of a more serious
function—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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