A new attempt to revive a custom fails

Subject: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Vic Smith
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 07:08 AM

A few miles north-east of where I live in Lewes in the little settlement of Terrible Down. About twenty years ago, I discovered an old manuscript which had the details of how their Wassail ceremony was carried out along with the interestingly different words of their version of the Wassail song.
I was inspired by this discovery to go around knocking on the doors of farms and cottages in the area, explaining the custom and singing a verse or two of their own wassail song to them. All this was met by not one flicker of interest.
Undaunted, I spoke to some of my many friends locally who share my interest in folk song, dance and customs. Surely this would be something that was of great interest to them? Some years, I managed to get a small band together to start learning the song and the associated customs; even to rough out dates and an itinerary. One by one, my associates dropped out. It was a very busy time of the year; they had lots of other commitments. A one-man wassail party without a venue didn't seem to be one of my better ideas so it never really happened.
All of this is a great pity, especially as the Terrible Down Wassail Song has a unique poignancy all of its own. Here is my favourite verse:-

"We know by the fog, we'll get lost in the bog,
And we know by the snow that it's too far to go.
The wind and the hail tell it's all bound to fail,
And we know by the rain we won't bother again.

Fol de dol fol de dol de dol...... etc."

I'm afraid that my experiences have dulled my enthusiasm for reviving this custom.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 07:52 AM

Is that a comment on Brexit? Bregret?

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 08:34 AM

Surely this would be just the thing for Trunch? :)

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 09:20 AM

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Vic Smith
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 01:11 PM

I feel that it may stimulate more interest in this project, if I gave the full lyrics of the Terrible Down Wassail exactly as they appear in the old manuscript that I acquired:-

Good master and mistress let our wassail begin
So get out your bank card and remember your pin
Slide the card in the slot there and type numbers four.
We'll fill in the rest once we're outside your door.

Chorus:-
Fol de dol fol de dol de dol
Fol de dol de dol fol de dol de de
Fol de da ro fol de da di
Sing tu re lye do

Our wassail bowl's made of the single use plastic
No need to clean it which we think's fantastic
So once we have drunk all your good home-brewed ale
It gets chucked in the sea and ends up in a whale

You haven't any apple trees for our guns to bespatter?
You haven't made cider? Well, that doesn't matter.
Send through your pretty maid to fill our bowl up with booze
Some wine, gin or whisky, you can just let her choose.

Here's we jolly wassail boys feeling wet and pissed off,
Some sneezing and choking and others bad coughs
So you, pretty maid, sitting down at your ease
Pray, let us come in and spread our disease.

We know by the fog, we'll get lost in the bog,
And we know by the snow that it's too far to go.
The wind and the hail tell it's all bound to fail,
And we know by the rain we won't bother again.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Helen
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 02:07 PM

Very funny, Vic. Definitely an authentic historic manuscript.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,John Bowden (not a typo!)
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 02:53 PM

There's nothing like a really authentic, traditional text is there Vic? :)

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 03:18 PM

I can't find the Roud Number. Is it in Child?

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Vic Smith
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 04:45 PM

I haven't shown it to Steve Roud yet; I will make it a priority to do so, it will be interesting to see what he makes of it.
Steve Roud tells us that we should be concerned with the 'process' of how a song changes in the oral tradition rather than focussing on the 'origin' of the song, so in this case does that mean that we should be looking at the 'where' and 'how' of changes to what might be called "an older set of traditional verses" occurred rather than thinking of the 'who' and the 'when'?
I don't think that there was any date or author's name on the Terrible Down manuscript that I acquired and, anyway, I cannot seem to find it at the moment.....

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,ripov
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 08:13 PM

Another one from Barlaston, a bit further north which appears to have gained some traction.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: BobL
Date: 10 Dec 18 - 02:43 AM

In recent years, local side New Moon Morris has done a Wassail tour each January of its members' apple trees, local orchards, allotments and various other places. Last year we also had the pleasure of wassailing Tring Brewery.

In addition we wassailed a herd of cows, which, although no-one else had ever heard of such a thing, the organiser insisted was an old Hertfordshire custom. He was later heard to mutter - out of earshot of a local reporter who was covering the event - "I was wrong, it was actually Herefordshire". The cows themselves seemed to have a low opinion of the proceedings.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Jos
Date: 10 Dec 18 - 04:07 AM

A small-scale Irish producer is now making gin from milk, so wassailing the cows would seem appropriate, there at least.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Dec 18 - 04:31 AM

A Scottish cheesemaker tried to revive a drink last made in the 18th century, "blaand", wine made from milk. I tried a bottle, it was disgusting. But it gave an opportunity for someone to write the darnedest version of John Barleycorn, starting with violence to udders.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 Dec 18 - 06:37 PM

Here's a slightly earlier version: Same chorus.

Good master and missus, our worzel is thin,
So open your pantry and let us all in,
We'll sing you our song about trudgin in mire
If you give us some cheer as we stand by your fire.

Our worzel bowl's made from the good English oak,
And years of good ale have gin it a soak.
It's never bin washed and that is no bull,
Just one whiff of the bowl and you're out of your skull.

Our poor old orchard's had so many hits,
The trees are all shattered and all shot to bits,
The farmers all come and they stand there and shoot,
We'll be lucky next year if we get any fruit.

The worzellers come and the worzellers go,
No matter the ground is all covered in snow,
There's nowt in the cellar and nowt in the pot,
The worzellers came and they supped all the lot.


We know by the stars they'll be back the next day,
We know by the moon they'll be firing away,
The ice and the snow and the wind and the hail,
Won't put em off, they'll be there without fail.

Worzel!

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,ripov
Date: 12 Dec 18 - 08:33 PM

Steve; "in child" - had to think about that one. In calf, in foal, yes. But surely WITH child?

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 13 Dec 18 - 03:42 PM

not 'in child' but 'in Child'.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: GUEST,ripov
Date: 13 Dec 18 - 06:17 PM

apologies - that was a capital response.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Vic Smith
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 09:57 AM

I feel that if you compare the version which Steve Gardham found in his research and posted at 12 Dec 18 - 06:37 PM and the version that I found in the Terible Down manuscript, it is possible to suppose that they both derived from an earlier version (though for the life of me I cannot bring to mind what that version might be). Of course, I would not suggest that there are links between the versions without evidence which must be at the core of modern research.
Nevertheless, studying these two versions in detail does revive the excitement that both Steve and I feel for the wonders of oral transmission.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 10:10 AM

I had no problem with the Salford Wassail. I found footage some years back of groups of young men wandering round Salford in their traditional garb of Nike trackies and hoodies pulled low over the eyes begging money off any passing stranger. They were know as 'Wassailants' and their song went

Wassail, Wassail all over the place
Give us some money or we'll smash your face
Our clubs they are made of oak and of ash
We'll use them on you if you don't give us cash

It took off like a house on fire and it warms the heart of my cockles to see so many young men continuing the tradition to this very day.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 10:16 AM

It was always a part of the tradition to add new verses so here's one for New Year's Day.

Old New Year is come and it's gone and it's passed
It went with a whimper and not with a blast
Here's to the future and may it be bright
With Trump, May and Brexit gone well out of sight.

I'm looking forward to researching lots of 'May' songs in the coming months. All contributions gratefully accepted.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 11:06 AM

Here's one I picked up recently.

I've been a rambling all of the time
For the best part of 2 years
Foreign secs, they come and go
And they bring me little cheer.

I've got a pot in an offshore bank
It's all my heart's desire
As soon as we've bled the country dry
I'll be able to retire.

So rise up, rise up, you people all
It's too late now revolting
The stable doors are open wide
And the horses all are bolting.

And now my song is almost done
I can no longer stay
The fatcats have stashed their loot abroad
And they thank Theresa May.

Subject: RE: A new attempt to revive a custom fails
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 05:01 PM

The Swinton May Song contains the repeated phrase "Drawing near to the merry month of May". Dare I suggest that May's merry month could well be March?

:D tG