"Superstitions about changelings and fairy abductions underline the theme of the song, ‘Seo hu leo’, or, as it is more commonly called, ‘A bhean ud thíos’. The song was written down by George Petrie from the singing of Mary Madden, a poor blind country woman from County Limerick but then resident in Dublin, and it was published by him in his ‘Ancient Music of Ireland’[1855]." Petrie was not a fluent Irish speaker, but was assisted by Eugene O’Curry. To read O'Curry's commentary on the song, see: https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/music/petrie_and_music_of_clare2.htm> https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/music/petrie_and_music_of_clare2.htm from "Petrie and the Music of Clare" by Breandán Breathnach ==================== This song is a lullaby, but it appears that the song is set as a lullaby so the fairies won't realise that the woman singing is telling her husband how to rescue her from abduction by the fairies. https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2021/11/video-lorcan-mac-mathuna-a-bhean-ud-thios/ "In Irish folklore, the fairies represent the opportunity and danger of the unknown. We find that fairies are an enigma that are beyond our reach for the most part but have the ability to pass through the veil that separates the supernatural from the mortal realms. They are vicarious, contrary, hard to predict, and frequently are blamed for misfortune. "Fairies, it is said, steal children for their grieving women folk, and will steal young women for brides or nursemaids. In the Song, A Bhean Úd Thíos, a young bride, taken into the fairy Rath, tries to communicate with a washer woman with a message for her husband who she has been separated from for a full year. Her imploration finishes with a surprising subversive line. “ 'For if he come not then, he need come never, For they’ll make me Fairy Queen forever!' ” A BHEAN ÚD THIOS A bhean úd thíos, air bhruach an tsrutháin Seóthú leó, seóthú leó An dtuigeann tusa fáth mo ghearáin? Seóthú leó, seóthú leó S'é bliain is lá inniu ó fuadaíodh mé óm leannán Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Is go rugadh isteach mé i Lios a Cnocáin Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Curfá: Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín seó uil leo leo, Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín seó uil leo leo. Seo é anseo mo theach mór maiseach Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Is mo leann úr agus seann leann ann Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Mo mil bhuí agus céir bheach ann Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Agus mo sheanduine air a nasc ann Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Abair le m' chéile teacht amárach Seóthú leó, seóthú leó 'S an coinneal chéireach i gcroí a dhearnáin Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Scian choise duibhe a thabhairt na láimh leis Seóthú leó, seóthú leó S' an capall tosaigh a bhualadh sa bhearna Seóthú leó, seóthú leó An luib a bhuaint, tá i ndoras a leasa Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Mar shúil le Dia go rachainn leis abhaile Seóthú leó, seóthú leó No mura dtaga sé faoin tràth sin Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Go mbeidh mé im bhanríon air na mná seo Seóthú leó, seóthú leó Translation oh woman below on the brink of the stream, Sho hoo lo, sho hoo lo Do you understand the cause of my wailing Seóthú leó, seóthú leó It's a year and a day since I was abducted from my darling And carried into the fairy hillfort chorus= Shoheen, shoheen, shoheen, shoheen, shoheen, show uil lo low Seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín, seoithín seó uil leo leo. Here is my great beautiful house There is abundant ale there, fresh and aged/old and new Abundant yellow honey and bees wax And many an old man tightly bound there. Tell my husband to come tomorrow With the wax candle in the centre of his palm And in his hand bring a black-handled knife And to strike the first horse out of the gap. To pluck the herb that's in the door of the fort With trust in God that I would go home with him. For if he doesn't come within this time I will be made queen over all these women. [and not return] sheet music and ABC, source Dónal O' Sullivan Songs of the Irish https://abcnotation.com/tunePage?a=ifdo.ca/~seymour/runabc/esac/IRL/0032 Some recordings https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/ireland-1951-and-1953/macroom-i-151/bhean-ud-thios Elizabeth Cronin Alan Lomax interviewing Elizabeth Cronin about A Bhean Úd Thíos Lorcan Mac Mathúna Mary McLaughlin
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