I am about to research the wassailing custom. I am not starting from base zero as I have already come across a lot of information and song versions from my collecting in Gloucestershire. What I would like to know from Mudcatters is:

- Are there any useful websites about wassailing? (the best I have seen so far is www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5567/washist.html)

- Are there any good studies of the geographical spread of the custom (both the orchard wassail and the doo-to-door wassail)?

- Is there any information about the Sussex wassail, apart from the song?

- ditto Kent.

- Is the Mari Lwyd a wassail?

- Are there any traces in Europe of wassailing, using the word wassail or similar?

- does anyone know of any good repository of wassail pictures photos, videos, descriptions etc (apart from the obvious ones like folktrax, VWML, Doc Rowe)?

- references to wassail in old texts, poems etc

- references to 'beasts' in wassail (apart from the book 'Ritual Animal disguise').

- Kentucky wassail - survival or invention?

- Any wassailing traces in the English-speaking world apart from England and Wales?


Phew. That should get a few replies!

Very grateful for any help as the intention is that it will lead to a series of workshops and talks at festivals.

Thanks

Gwilym (Tradsinger)