back in the 70's a gentleman called Norman Iles 'recontructed pagan carols' and other old songs.

His recontruction of the Hal-an-tow was based on 'hearing the folk club audience singing "God bless the Merry Moses and all her power and might-o"' I wish I could remember what amazing theory of Old Testament cross-dressing he came up with to explain this.

Unfortunately the line is actually 'Good bless Aunt Mary Moyses', Moyses or Moysey being a common Cornish surname.

Goodness only knows what he made of 'We are to the merry green woods to hunt the buck and hare-o'.