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PLEASE TO SEE THE KING Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this place By your leave, we will sing concerning our King Our King is well dressed, in silks of the best In ribbons so rare, no king can compare We have traveled many miles, over hedges and stiles In search of our King, unto you we bring Old Christmas is past, Twelfth Night is the last And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new ___________ The king was the wren. The wren was the king of the birds. In ancient religions the king was sacrificed every seven years for the fertility and good of the tribe. In some places (Ireland) the queen was royal and married new consorts to be sacrificed. The consort was treated well for seven years (or one year) and then sacrificed by the new consort. A wren was killed and dressed up in ribbons, etc. and carried around the village. This is from Pembrokeshire in South Wales, commemorating the wren- killing on St. Steven's Day, Dec 26. Old Christmas, still celebrated rather than December 25, is Twelfth Night. Recorded by Steeleye Span on Please to See the King; by Carthy and Swarbrick on Prince Heathen @animal @ritual @seasonal filename[ SEETHEKG TUNE FILE: SEETHEKG CLICK TO PLAY SOF |
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