The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31915   Message #416701
Posted By: Les from Hull
13-Mar-01 - 01:23 PM
Thread Name: BS: Ian's Mudcat Quiz #3
Subject: RE: BS: Ian's Mudcat Quiz #3
2. A carol, not usually sung at Christmas, involves a bridge of sunbeams and a beating. Where did it come from and where did the story originate?

The Bitter Withy, where the young Jesus, fed up with being hassled by some local 'gentlemen's sons' plays a trick on them. He suffers for it later, though, when the BVM gives him a damned good thrashing. The Watersons used to sing a version of this, I recall.

Bitter Withy