Songs for the Winter Solstice

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 10:10 AM

It is a beautiful song, kytrad. Thanks for posting it.

Just for the record, my family has a very specific story, made up by my paternal grandfather to tell my dad as a little boy, which is now being passed down to the fourth generation. I have no doubt it will also be shared with the fifth when it gets here. A handful of people, outside the family, have heard it. When I include it in my dad's oral history book, a few more people may read it, but the written version will obviously not be from the point of its origin.

kat

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Anne Lister
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 03:22 PM

Sedayne, it's not a question of taking any kind of high ground, moral or otherwise. I don't understand why both you and Les seem to take almost everything I write as a challenge or an affront - the term pagan is usually a reference to someone's spirituality, religious beliefs or practices. It is usually defined in opposition to organised religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Jainism, Hinduism etc. I have met a number of pagans (self-styled, perhaps, but why not? Most Christians, Jews, Moslems etc are also "self styled") and met a remarkably low amount of conformity or unquestioning fundamentalism. There are many different pagan groups or "paths", some of which have very little in common with others. However, reverence for nature and all aspects of the earth tend to be where there is a degree of common thought - whereas most organised religions are centred on a notion of the human relationship with a deity or several deities. Not much to do with revelling youngsters out on the tiles as far as I can see.

As it's obvious we both have a very different idea of what the word means it's probably best to call a halt to a totally pointless discussion.

But my own parting shot is simply that I'm still astonished by the level of generalisations made by both you and Les. Because some people make unsubstantiated claims about the authenticity of their traditions doesn't mean that all claims of authentic family traditions are fake, exaggerated or daft. I'm not any kind of a gullible fool and the friend I've been referring to throughout isn't either - nor is she, you will note, attempting to "cash in" on her traditions or convert others to them. Have the humility to recognise, as I have done, that there could be a far more fascinating and complex variety of traditions in these islands than you might have thought up until now.

I'll be seeing my friend at the weekend and I dare say she'll find all of this as silly as I do. Two people I've never met except on line doubting the existence and veracity of someone I've known well for over fifteen years ... I wonder who I'm more likely to take seriously?

Anne

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Fidjit
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 04:01 PM

Les. (and oters) Nice thread. Makes you wonder.

And I wonder if there was anything coming from the, "Troubadours of France"?

Wasn't there an Elanor who was some(of course she was) one's mother in the English court. Dunno what century though.

Chas

ps.
We just did our first "Christmas Carolling" of the year on Sunday.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Anne Lister
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:01 PM

Eleanor of Aquitaine, aka Alienor, was married to Henry II and mother to several royals. But no connection to songs about the Winter Solstice as far as I'm aware. The troubadours, strictly speaking, were from her father's court in south western France although they continued for a while longer, historically speaking, and they wrote art songs primarily about love.   That's a whole different discussion!

Anne

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 10:33 AM

Figit - The Troubadours were primarily associated with the Languedoc & there are evident cultural & spiritual links with The Cathars
, who flourished in the region at the same time, until they were purged by the Albigensian Crusade. There are some very fine Troubadour lyrics concerning the desolations of Winter, such as Jaufre Rudel's Lancan li Jorn , though the whole notion of The Winter Solstice would appear to be as much of a red herring as the rest of Modern Paganism.

Tabster - It is you who are doing the belittling here; never once have I taken any sort of affront to anything you've written. Forgive my wary cynicism about your friends, but it was you who brought them into it & I'm sure I'm not alone in finding the notion of a family preserving some and ancient & hitherto uncollected lore a tad fantastical. It is fantastical, very fantastical, but never once have I doubted their existence. I think if you bring something like this into a discussion, then at least you should be prepared to back it up with some real meat, otherwise, why bother mentioning them in the first place?

Meanwhile, I'm off to consult my Green Man Oracle cards, thus seeking the Revelation of the Ancient Inner Tradition we carry within us all - at least those of us who are fortunate to be part of that Enlightened Elite who might think of themselves as the True Bearers of that Ancient Inner Tradition.

And as I thread the Inner Winter-Woodland Path, lo, the Green Man appears before me and saith:

In Winter-time, I danced alone and felt the growing cold:
and lighting fires from fallen trees, I warmed my dying soul.

In comes I my face so Green;all Holly-Bright and Ivy-Shine
My dance is cast by valley and hill; I dance this way in winter still:
bare black trees and frost hard earth await my touch and vibrant breath.
Green my sign this winter long; seek ye that glad and ancient song
that's sung before this frost cold death; follow my voice by the bright Green Wreath.
All Holly-Bright and Ivy-Shine: Holly Crown bright blood-red of the wine.
So let faith not be failing now dark cold is here; for She is a-weaving as Springtime draws near.

I saw the Sun, reborn again, melt through the Winter Song;
And drank afresh from Holy Streams, swollen with the thaw.

And I reply:

Anyone fancy a pint?

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 10:36 AM

That should be Winter Snow, not Winter Song

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 10:37 AM

Timothy Taylor Landlord, in the Beech tomorrow 5th December

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 10:43 AM

*sniffs* I detect some colossal prejudice and arrogance not even worth responding to in Sedayne's last posting.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 11:20 AM

Love Landlord, Les; and keep laughing, Kat - I was just trying to inject a little goodwill into proceedings, and failing, obviously - ho hum. I'll get my coat...

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Anne Lister
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 12:39 PM

Sedayne, I have said several times why I brought my friend into this discussion as an example and I have also explained fully why I'm not prepared to give full details of any of her family trads. I have offered you the chance to ask me more searching questions by pm, which neither you nor Les has chosen to do. As I haven't been impressed so far by your ability to continue any kind of informed discussion I'm not overly optimistic about how much value this would be anyway. I don't know why you find the idea of some hitherto unknown British traditions fantastical - we only know anything about any traditions because collectors have collected them, and I simply don't accept that collectors have visited every corner of the British Isles, or spoken to every family. I've never received a visit from one myself - have you? However, see my posts above with regard to Prof Ron Hutton, who met my friend but didn't ask one single question. I was present at this meeting and couldn't believe that someone who had taken the time to collect all of that written evidence clearly wasn't even slightly interested in a family who were, as you put it earlier, a cultural treasure of great price.

The reason I find your posts hostile (as well as most of Les's) is that you have both found it necessary to challenge every single thing I've said, mostly by bringing in all manner of totally spurious comparisons and generally poured cold water on most of what I've put forward. Why not keep an open mind? And I can only assume you were frightened in your cradle by a pagan, judging by the way you've been reacting.

As someone who has made an in-depth study (degree and postgrad) of the troubadours, however, I'd love to see your evidence for their cultural and spiritual links with the Cathars. Chapter and verse, please, and in the original occitan rather than second-hand views from commenting authors. No, of course there are no links with paganism (ancient or modern) or the winter solstice, but the links with the Cathars are very much a debatable territory (much loved by readers of authors like Dan Brown).

Anne

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 01:22 PM

Sorry, Tabster - As you might have gathered I'm not an academic, more of proletarian reveller on the fringes of anything so much as resembling scholarship; maybe I should have pointed this out with a footnote? Instead of 'evident' I should have said 'conjectured' - my apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

As for the conjecture... Are you familiar with Yves Rouquette at all? From what I can gather he's something of an authority on both the Cathars & Troubadours - he did the Vida / Razos recitations on the old Clemencic Consort albums. I must confess all this gets mixed up in my head rather, along with those awful books by Arthur Guirdham (The Cathars & Reincarnation, Great Heresy etc.) which I read in my youth, along with a novel called 'A Note that Breaks the Silence' by Adam John Munthe, quoted liberally in Martin Best's performances of the songs of Guiraut Riquier (which yielded the Last of the Troubadours album), which certainly gave the impression that he had sympathies with the plight of the Cathars, if not their cause, and had further links to the court of Alfonso X, who was responsible for Cantigas de Santa Maria. The whole Gnostic / Troubadour thing has been seeping into my soul for more years than I care to remember - I still love what Clemencic & Zosso did on those old albums, no matter how derided they were at the time, and since if it comes to that, by those who might question such a liberally modernistic approach to what has since become a particularly post-modern issue.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 01:27 PM

Contending hypotheses, Id say. I went to watch Man U play Fulham last night, very confusing for a Man City fan.

Ronaldo got 2 good ones then seemed to be knocked over by the keeper on his way to number 3. 75,000 people saw it. A number of contending views have been expressed.

Subject: Lyr Add: HOT BUTTERED RUM (Tommy Thompson)
From: topical tom
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 02:33 PM

This is one of my all-time favourite songs of Wintertime:


                                     HOT BUTTERED RUM was written by Tommy Thompson the long time heart and soul of the Red Clay Ramblers out of Chapel Hill, NC. It first appeared on their album "Chuckin' The Frizz" released by Flying Fish in 1979. That version is the same as the one sung by Bryan Bowers. It is essentially the lyrics reported above, however there are several errors so I will retype it below as it appears on the liner notes to the album. The Ramblers recroded it again on their "Rambler" CD, and Tommy made some slight changes to the last verse. I have included that also. The last I heard, Tommy Thompson was living in Carrboro, NC and suffering from a severe case of Alzheimer's disease.

HOT BUTTERED RUM
(Tommy Thompson)

When chimney smoke hangs still and low
Across the stubble - fields of snow
And angry skies reach down to seize
The sorry blackened bones of trees
In the dead of winter when the silent snowbirds come
You're my sweet maple sugar, honey
Hot buttered rum

When dreary Christmas decorations
Line the streets and filling stations
And dimestore Santas can't disguise
Their empty hands and empty eyes
In the dead of winter
When the tinsel angels come
You're my sweet maple sugar, honey
Hot buttered rum

When gloves and boots and woolen parkas
Bring cold comfort to the heart
And bitter memories freeze the tongue
And songs of love are left unsung
In the dead of winter
When those cold feelings come
You're my sweet maple sugar, honey
Hot buttered rum

(revised last verse)
When burning embers in the darkness
Bring cold comfort to the heart
And bitter memories freeze the tongue
And songs of love are left unsung
In the dead of winter
If springtime never comes
You're my sweet maple sugar, honey
Hot buttered rum

rich r

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 04:21 PM

Great song, rich, thanks!

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: GUEST,The Back belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 05:49 PM

I've been trying, and failing, to look up the words of "The Ivy and the Holly" that John Kirkpatrick sings (not the Kipper song) to see if that has any relevance here. JK once declared that it was sung at Boudacia's wedding!

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: PoppaGator
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 07:10 PM

I've said it before and I'll say it again: at least one popular "Christmas Carol" ~ to wit, "Deck the Halls" ~ makes absolutely no mention of Jesus Christ or of Christmas in any form at all, mentioning only "Yuletide," which would certainly seem to signify the Winter Solstice.

Do we know how old this song might be? Could it possibly date back to pre-Christian times? Do we require some impossible level of "proof" before we can regard this familar carol as a "Song for the Winter Solstice"?

Also:

January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany on the Christian liturgical calendar, a commemoration of the visit of the Magi (or Three Kings or Three Wise Men) to the newborn Baby Jesus. It is often called "Little Christmas," and in some Christian cultures, has served as the primary day for gift-giving, in preference to December 25, the Feast of the Nativity, which is reserevd in these communities for a more sober and strictly religious observation.

Might someone's contention that January 6th is an "alternate date" for Christmas be based on a misunderstanding of this well-established Christian feast day and its role as part of the Christmas season?

PS: I once had an employer, a real Ebeneezer Scrooge type, who bragged about his old French founders-of-New-Orleans family and their adherence to the best of the old customs. He always made it a point to tell us that his family exchanged gifts, not on Christmas Day (which they observed with great religious solemnity, supposedly) but on "Li'l Christmas," January 6. The long-time employees, in turn, loved to counter that his only real motivation was to buy all the toys and stuff cheap, at the after-Christmas sales.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 04:38 AM

January 6th is 'Old Christmas Day' - i.e. Christmas Day in the old (Julian?) calendar before the Gregorian reforms which didn't come into effect in England until the middle of the 18th century. Preserved in certain versions of The Cherry Tree Carol, the date also corresponds, as you say, to Twelfth Night & The Feast of the Epiphany, when traditionally we sing We Three Kings of Orient Are, or at least dig out our record of Mario Lanza's superlative rendering, which can be found in most charity shops on his Christmas Carols album - highly recommended!

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 04:58 AM

PS - For more on this see Old Christmas Day and be sure check out the Wikipediea entry for Christmas .

Yule, as with Easter, is a hangover from Anglo-Saxon times and as such was a moveable feast determined by the Moon (see the Wikipediea entry for Yule ), somewhat like Easter, which we celebrate on the First Sunday after The Full Moon following the Spring Equinox, which occurs half way between the Winter & Summer Solstices.

Subject: Lyr Add: FIRE AND WINE (Steve Ashley)
From: GUEST,Edthefolkie
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 06:19 AM

Haven't spotted Steve Ashley's magisterial Fire and Wine yet. Not srictly a solstice song but one of the best songs ever.

Blatant advert: Steve's on with Dik Cadbury at Farnsfield Acoustic nr Sherwood Forest, UK 12th Jan 2008.

Winter's coming,
We live a shorter day.
The sun is hunting
For a place to stay.
And Jack Frost's fingers
Are in the wind again.

Ragged Robin is see-sawin'
In one half of a coconut shell.
He can't find the bacon rind,
Hunger makes his red breast swell.

Chorus (after each verse):
Now is the time for fire and wine,
Fire for the body and wine for the mind.
We will sing and play till break of day,
And we will sing the frost away.

Cold October bowls me over,
Damp November makes me sneeze,
Then December cruelly sends the
Winter frost to freeze my knees.

Winter brings us to the singers
And the drinkers glass in hand.
Roll up smokers, cards and jokers,
Listeners all who sit and stand.

(Sorry, the smokers will have to stand in the porch)

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 07:48 AM

The tune to "Deck the halls" is well known as an old Welsh folk tune. We find it goes quite well with "Ode to Joy" for John O' Gaunt Morris!

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 12:34 PM

Sad that the fire's gone out on this one rather; especially as The Solstice draws ever nearer - Dec 22 06:08 GMT.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 01:18 PM

It that the sound of a Hungarian Dulcimer I hear?

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 02:23 PM

Edthefolkie, great song. Thanks for posting the lyrics. I looked for it on Steve's myspace page, but it's not there. His songs which are available sound great. Thanks, again.

kat

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Llanfair
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 04:21 AM

I heard "Bold Orion" for the firs time last Saturday. Anyone know where i can find the lyrics?

It's been a most interesting thread, this one, but not many yuletide songs for me to sing at "Mystic Ally" in Montgomery market hall on Sunday.

I'll have to settle for "Deck the halls" and Holly and the ivy".

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Mrs Scarecrow
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 04:41 PM

Tonight it is the longest night
lift up your voice and sing
for tomorrow there will be more light
'twill bring us hope of spring my friends
'twill bring us hope of spring

the leaves have fallen tuimbling down
Wind and rain give way to cold
the sky is grey the earth is brown
the year it has grown old

Tonight it is the longest night etc

Winter's not over we'll still see snow
The sap of the trees lies deep in their roots
but with each new day we rejoice 'cos we know
We will see the snowdrops shoots

tonight etc

the birds have flown to warmer parts
we huddle round our fires
and still the fear that's in our hearts
That this long night inspires

tonight etc

Sing with us now and pu t to rest
the ghosts of this last year
for the sun stays longer in the west
and spring it will draw near

tonight etc

Ann Reader 2001

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: PoppaGator
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 12:39 PM

Very interesting stuff about calendar-history ~ what a coincidence that Christmas on one calendar would coincide with Three Kings Day on that other!

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 04:25 PM

Here ya go, Llanfair: Click for Orion's Song.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Llanfair
Date: 14 Dec 07 - 04:08 AM

Thanks so much, Kat, what a great song!!

I hop you are continuing to look after yourself, and that you are having a speedy recovery.

Cheers, Bron.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE WILLOW IN WINTER (P Thompson)
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Dec 07 - 05:16 AM

Here's one I wrote called The Willow In Winter

Am                Gm9
Silent stands the weeping willow
Dm       Am                Em                  
Now that summer's song has gone
Dm(at5)                     Cm(at3)
With the blackbirds who fly south for winter
   Am       Em      G7sus4 Em Am
To cheer new lovers with their songs.
Em       G7sus4 m7       Em    Am
And the fallen leaves now form a carpet
Em    G7sus4             Em7    Am9
Where autumn scents still linger on
Am(at5)                Gm9
Then the wind disperses like our memories;
Am       Em    G7sus4 Em Am
Precious hopes that now are flown.

You stand beneath the naked branches
Arms outstretched in the crystal air
And glance between the dangling fingers
That gently brush your golden hair,
Waiting for the days of pleasure
When love, like spring is perfect bliss
And beneath the clothes of summer's grandeur
The body craves a lover's kiss.

When days are short and nights are darkest
The moon her silver mantle spreads
Casting over trees and mortals
The freezing cloth that passion dreads.
Still stands the willow in the moonlight,
Still as death through snow and rain,
Waiting for the breath of springtime
When love, like life, is born again.


P Thompson 2006

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 02:41 PM

FROM SOP ABOVE (click):

And talking of Holly, and Ivy, and Advent - & seeing today (according to the met office) is the first day of winter, I offer the following, as collected by that emininent folklorist Colonel Killingworth-James from those 'rough, black-faced mummers' he encountered in the village of Quaking Houses, County Durham, circa 1887:
^^
The holly tree, the holly, that bears the crown of blood;
the ivy, oh the ivy that green shines in the wood.
Oh, the cutty wren was killed again, the cutty wren was slain;
who held the knife to take its life all in the darkwood then?

[full text above]
.....


Is there a tune given for this?

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 02:48 PM

WFD's "Summer is invincible" - "Then in the midst of winter, when hope like death lies still, listen to the heart within singing, summer is invincible".

Kitty

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: JHW
Date: 20 Nov 10 - 12:20 PM

In case anyone (as I did) clicks the Woven Wheat Whispers link above this now goes to one of those irritating sites whose only content is more links but when posted above back in 07 I guess linked to Mark Colyle's enterprising Folk Download site RIP

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Jun 21 - 04:24 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_GovKw0qM
Winter Solstice song - Sing along & learn about Winter Solstice
"This soothing song by the Swingset Mamas shares facts and teaches about the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The song features photos of celebrations from different cultures and some AAC symbols from Symbolstix for viewers of all abilites to understand the concepts."

Words are on screen.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Jun 21 - 05:12 PM

a fun winter solstice video with song and dance from Latvia. The costumes show a link with the Mumming tradition I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4BFhVh6CN0&t=1s

Latvian women's group Tautumeitas have recorded several songs related to the changing seasons. Spodre manu auguminu is a song for the celebration of winter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvK33Rn6JNo

Spodre manu auguminu

Sanakat(i) jaunas meitas
Totari, totari
šovakar(i) laimes liet(i)
Totari, totari

Man iedeva vecais tevs(i)
Totari, totari
Bikšu pogu riekšavinu
Totari, totari

Vakar vežu baltu kazu
Kaladu, Kaladu
Ap zalo(i) priedulaju
Kaladu, Kaladu

šodien sniga balti sniegi
Kaladu, Kaladu
Ka baltas(i) gaigalinas
Kaladu, Kaladu

Ai bagati Ziemassveki
Kaladu, Kaladu
Lejinaj(i) nogajuši
Kaladu, Kaladu

Tekam veci, tekam jauni
Kaladu, Kaladu
Velkam svetkus kalnina(i)
Kaladu, Kaladu

Latvian lyrics from: https://lyricstranslate.com

Translation in youtube comment by "madphys"

The utilized refrains or choruses (typical for Christmas songs) in this song are “Totari Totari” (typically found in folk songs of Vidzeme – a historical region of Latvia) and “Kaladu Kaladu” (typical for the historical region – Latgale). There is no particular meaning of these refrains.

the words (meaning) goes approximately like this:

Come together youthful maidens
Totari Totari
To pour the fortune this evening
Totari Totari

A grandfather gave me
Totari Totari
A hand full of trouser buttons
Totari Totari

Yesterday I took a white goat
Kaladu Kaladu
Around the green pine grove
Kaladu Kaladu

Today a white snow was snowing
Kaladu Kaladu
Like white goldeneyes (a type of diving duck – a bird simply put)
Kaladu Kaladu

Oh the prolific Christmas [Ziemas = winter]
Kaladu Kaladu
Have gone down in the valley (typically the relief in Latvia has small hills and some depressions – in this context a depression would better characterized the word “Lejina” rather than valley)
Kaladu Kaladu

Let’s run old an young
Kaladu Kaladu
Let’s pull the celebration back on the hilltop
Kaladu Kaladu

Rise sun early in the morning
Kaladu Kaladu
Polish my body (Brighten my stature – you get the point)[healing]
Kaladu Kaladu

Rise sun early in the morning
Kaladu Kaladu
Polish my body
Kaladu Kaladu

When setting in the evening
Kaladu Kaladu
Erode (wear out) my condemner
Kaladu Kaladu

When setting in the evening
Kaladu Kaladu
Erode (wear out) my condemner
Kaladu Kaladu

I sowed barley – it wasn’t growing
Totari Totari
Hops didn’t blossom (Hop=Humulus plant, used in beer brewing)
Totari Totari

This year will stay for me
Totari Totari
With hate between me and other people
Totari Totari

Yesterday I took a white goat
Kaladu Kaladu
Around the green pine grove
Kaladu Kaladu

Today a white snow was snowing
Kaladu Kaladu
Like white goldeneyes
Kaladu Kaladu

Rise sun early in the morning
Kaladu Kaladu
Polish my body
Kaladu Kaladu

Rise sun early in the morning
Kaladu Kaladu
Polish my body
Kaladu Kaladu

When setting in the evening
Kaladu Kaladu
Erode (wear out) my condemner
Kaladu Kaladu

When setting in the evening
Kaladu Kaladu
Erode (wear out) my condemner
Kaladu Kaladu

I put white and wore white
Totari Totari
White is my body
Totari Totari

Hands of my own, legs of my own
Totari Totari
A wise advice of my own
Totari Totari

---

HK-47 responded;
Pretty sure Kaladu is somehow related to the celebration itself, since I found that both the etymology (Latin calendae) and the context of winter solstice are the same like Czech Koleda and its versions in other Slavic languages

Mazikeen B, a Latvian, wrote:
This song is a modern interpretation of ritual to battle the darkness that comes in winter..

more comments

????? ??????????
I believe, kaladu is the same word as kolyada - a slavic pagan tradition to sing festive songs moving from one house to another. This tradition calls carols at nowdays


Kurzemesmeita
We are ancient and beautiful people, are my Latvian sisters and brothers!

This song, to simplify, it celebrates, rejoices and thanks Light and all connections and connotations, borne of this:

We celebrate the Light festival and our sacred connection to the land, our history, each other (community), and rituals, in times of the seasonal greatest darkness (Winter Solstice).


Termiic:
It would be somewhat hard to translate the lyrics accurately as they are mostly modern interpretation of folk songs relating to ancient baltic solstice rituals. For example, "kaladu" is virtually impossible to translate. :D While "lec Saulite rita agri" asks for a personified Sun to rise early in the morning.

Liga Strazda
You know it's Christmas holiday season in Latvia when you see people dragging a burning log around their yard and singing Kaladu, kaladu, even though no-one really seems to know what it means. But it is good magic. Christmas is the darkest time of the year = winter solstice. Our ancestors believed that it was important to do all they could to help sun to return and singing songs and that particular word was one way to do it.

Robert Williams
@Liga Strazda about every culture across europe had some kind of winter ritual. The Norse would cut a huge tree and set it on fire in their village squares during winter. Heck even here in the states we cut a tree down and drag it inside and decorate it even though it really has nothing to do with Christianity but we put decorations on it and either a star or angel on its top so we think it's for Christ.

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Jun 21 - 06:47 PM

Yusuf Cat Steven's "World o' Darkness" could suit the winter solstice

In this world of darkness
Evil rules by night,
But somewhere in the shadows
Someone's seeking light.

No one loves their neighbour here,
Nobody has the time,
No one cares for any one else
In a world where the sun don't shine.

Shamsia!
Shamsia!

Some sons dream of leaving
While they're young at heart,
But few choose the path towards
The land beyond the dark.
Who'll choose the path towards
The land beyond the dark?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyt_aWA4IuM

Subject: RE: Songs for the Winter Solstice
From: Felipa
Date: 17 Dec 21 - 10:31 AM

time to refresh the solstice songs
(winter if you are in the northern hemisphere)