Hal and Tow

Subject: Hal and Tow
From: Wotcha
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 10:56 AM

Another great (Cornish?) song picked up courtesy of BAZ was "Hal and Tow." The DT version is minus a few stanzas though.

Is there another version lurking out there with the extra words ?

Who was "Aunt Mary Moses?"

Cheers, Brian

Subject: RE: Hal and Tow
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 03:54 PM

Brian,

Hal an Tow is certainly a Cornish song. A children's ritual accompanied by the song is still performed in Helston during May.

I'm not sure where your 'missing' stanzas are from. Every version I know is fairly close to the DT one. I'd be interested to know where you've heard extra verses.

As far as 'Aunt Mary Moses' is concerned, I'd assume that this is simply a misheard interpretation that has over time been passed into tradition and hence corrupted the original meaning.

The Watersons sing: 'God bless the merry Moses'

I think that overall, it's one of those songs that is impossible to come to any reasonable conclusions about.

Peter Kennedy, for example, mentions three totally different theories as to what the title might mean.

Ed

Subject: RE: Hal and Tow
From:
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 04:18 PM

See an earlier thread on Hal an Tow for Aunt Mary Moses, Aunt being a common term for the friendly local prostitute.

Subject: RE: Hal and Tow
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 06:01 PM

Anonymous,

Can you point me toward this earlier thread please?

I confess that I'm fairly dubious, having spent some time in Cornwall, as to the meaning of 'Aunt' - I'm willing to be corrected though.

As I mentioned in my first message (and all the sources I know agree) the words to Hal an Tow are a mishmash that doesn't really mean anything anymore.

Ed

Subject: RE: Hal and Tow
From:
Date: 20 Nov 99 - 06:48 PM

Refreshed, see today's listings.