Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches

Subject: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: Ringer
Date: 06 Jan 18 - 01:25 PM

It's a long time since I logged in here. I hope you are still as helpful as I remember you having been.

When I used to dance the morris, I always assumed that Laudanum Bunches referred to a bunch of flowers, probably poppies, but when I look in the dictionary the only entry for laudanum is "tincture of opium". Does anyone know how this dance (these dances) got its name?

And is Lads a-Bunchum a corruption of the same name as, again, I've always assumed?

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: RTim
Date: 06 Jan 18 - 02:01 PM

I think that Laudanum Bunches is derived from Lad's a-Bunchum... an alternative is Boys of The Bunch.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: GUEST,Mikefule
Date: 07 Jan 18 - 06:39 AM

Laudnum Bunches (usually spelled without the second "a" for the dance title) is a lively 6 person corner dance in the Headington Quarry style. Lads a Bunchum is a fairly standard Adderbury dance, often danced in an 8 person set (or longer). There is no similarity between the tunes and the dances and they seem unlikely to be directly related.

By contrast, tunes from different traditions such as Princess Royal or Nutting Girl have obvious similarities, as do some dances with similar tunes that are known by different titles.

I understood that it was at one time traditional/acceptable to put bunches of the soporific herb, laudanum, into a baby's cot to, er... encourage it to sleep quietly. The dance title relates to these bunches of laudanum.

I have no idea of the derivation of Lads a Bunchum, but I always suspected that the name had "changed in the telling" because of the perceived similarity between the two dance names.

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: Greg F.
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 09:44 AM

soporific herb, laudanum

Herb? Have you the scientific name of the plant in question?

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: TheSnail
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 01:11 PM

Papaver somniferum

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: Ringer
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 02:39 PM

Thanks for your input, all.

Snail, have you any evidence that Papaver somniferum, which is just the opium poppy, is/was known as laudanum?

I don't think you can have a bunch of "tincture of opium," can you?

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 04:35 PM

I've always had an sneaking suspicion that the tune(s) could be of foreign origin, and the English names are corruptions of the foreign (Gaelic? Breton? Finnish? Basque? whatever) title. But I have never pursued that line of enquiry.

I would be looking for something like "Lazan Banjam" or "Latza Panjum"

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: Greg F.
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 05:39 PM

Papaver somniferum

And the evidence that

1. anyone ever placed opium poppies "into a baby's cot to, er... encourage it to sleep quietly"

2. or that so placing said poppies would have any effect whatsoever

is...???

Subject: RE: Lads a-bunchum, Laudanum bunches
From: GUEST,Henry Piper of Ottery
Date: 09 Jan 18 - 05:28 AM

"Laudanum" was a widely available over the Counter"proprietary preparation consisting of opium dissolved in alcohol in Victorian and Edwardian times. It was intended as a patent medicine for pain relief, but was also widely used recreationally. A few drops in a baby's food or drink would certainly ensure sound sleeping ! but at the risk of setting the child on the road to opium addiction. I believe both Laudanum and Morphine, along with cocaine, were still legally available over the counter in the U.K until sometime in the'20's !!
As to the Headington Morris Dance of that name I have no idea how that came about, (possibly as a mishearing of a more correct name), but when I was dancing with Hartley Morris back in the '60's and 70's our squire Bob Tatman always introduced it as a "Soporific Dance" !!!!