You should not sing this song without being aware of its blatant anti-semitism. Little Sir Hugh is the traditional English rendition of the blood libel that Jews require the fresh blood of a child in order to bake the Matza necessary for the observance of Passover. This myth is, in turn, directly linked to the idea that the Jews were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. The link is between the murder of an innocent child and the murder of Jesus as well as the Pascal sacrifice story related in Exodus. (The Jews slaughtered a lamb and made a mark on their door so that when the Angel of Death came to slaughter the first-born sons he would "pass over" the homes of the Jews). Jesus, of course, is often referred to in a metaphoric manner as the pascal lamb. Hence, the old gospel refrain "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?" According to the blood libel, Jews "sacrifice" an innocent gentile child in lieu of a lamb every year as part of the Passover observance.

Some versions of Little Sir Hugh are called "The Jew's Daughter" or otherwise explicitly refer to the Jews. Even in the Steeleye Span version it is clear that a ritual slaughter of the child is taking place, even though Jews are not specifically referenced. It is my understanding that this ballad purports to be based upon the events of the York massacre (pogrom) which directly preceded the expulsion of the Jews from England in the middle ages.

This song may or may not be worth singing today, but it should never be sung without being placed in context. Personally, this is one ballad I would not miss if everyone decided to relegate it to the library shelves rather than the continuing singing tradition.