Lyr Req: Stories, songs about the dram tree

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 09 Jan 02 - 06:14 PM

Refresh -- and asking again (maybe there is someone new here who know a story of the Dram Tree in Edenton Harbor, North Carolina).

This time though, I'll expand the question, and give a little background.

I came upon this story-snippet after re-reading the Grimms' version of Ashputtle (which, thanks to Disney, many of us know better as Cinderella, which is actually taken from the version written by Perrault). In the Grimms' version, it's not a "fairy godmother' who helps the heroine, but a magical hazel tree which the heroine planted. It's not stated directly, but it seems (to me, at least) that the spirit of the mother is living on in the tree, and helping to make sure that her daughter gets justice.

An English translation of the 1812 version of the Grimm's "Cinderella" can be found here

There seems to be a similiar thing going on with the Dram Tree -- it seems like the tree was weeding out the just from the unjust -- or perhaps the ghost of someone who lived in the tree was meting out the justice.

I also wonder if this is what was happening with the Old Man of Halfway Rock, which MMario brought up earlier in this thread. Does anyone out there know more about this story, and who the Old Man might be?

Or, does anyone have any other stories out there where trees, or rocks, or other Beings of the non-human world watch over us and make sure that justice is done?

In the storytelling workshop I'm doing, I'm focussing on how stories are used to help us find a balance with the wild, and so these sorts of stories are of particular interest to me...

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 09:11 PM

Thanks, MMario!

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: MMario
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 07:43 PM

I'll send it monday.

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 06:44 PM

Thanks for the link, MMario!

Interesting... Though the aspect of the Dram Tree Legend that interests me most (aside from the fact that it is local to where I am, at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay), is that requirement isn't to pay the spirit of the tree, but to pay respects to other sailors (giving and sharing in rum), and that the tree is more like an arbitor of social justice, weeding out the greedy and selfish.

Though I suppose that the same spirit is at the root of Halfway Rock... It certainly has given me something more to think about... Is there a midi or NWC file for the tune, do you know? I don't have ABC...

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: MMario
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 04:25 PM

not the dram tree - but a related legend - that DOES have a song - see halfway rock

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 04:19 PM

I'm still looking for these, for the reasons stated in the opening thread, but I haven't found anything, yet. Perhaps there are new members who have joined in the last month that can point me in the right direction ???

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:44 PM

You are welocme, CapriUni. I love to try to figure out a mystery or track down something on the net.

For your love of stories and songs, you might want to check out Aine's Mudcat Songbook, in the Quick Links, up above. Many of us have original songs in there and also there is a new section for original stories. Thanks, Aine!

kat

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 02:15 PM

Kat -- Thank you very much for all your help.

I love collecting stories and songs. They don't require any shelf space, once you have them in your head, you don't have to worry about insuring them against theft, and the only maintenance they require is to take them out and play with them often!

:-)

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:33 PM

I've just sent him an email with a link to this thread and an invitation to join us.

kat

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 09:57 AM

Sorry, CapriUni, I didn't realise that one was so out of date. Not to worry, though, another search on google and I found John Golden's current website with his own email addy.

I also sent an email to one of the other storytellers on the previous site, asking if they knew of any stories about the dram tree. One way or another we'll find something, I am sure.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:30 AM

Kat --

Thanks for the link! Unfortunately, his Web site has not been updated in five years, and when I tried to send an e-mail just now, it got bounced back to me with a "Host Unknown" message...

Oh, well...

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 08:52 PM

That's a great story, Bill!

Ann, this fellow, a member of the story guild called The Dram Tree Tellers may be able to help you.

You've probably already seen it, but there is also a folk band who took their name, Dramtreeo, from this legend, but I didn't see any ballads specific on any of their three albums.

Maybe someone will have to write one!

Good luck,

kat

Subject: RE: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: bill\sables
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 07:59 PM

I never heard of the dram tree in the USA but there is a story regarding a "Dram Tree" in Ireland.
A few years ago I was doing a tour in Ireland with a folk music group and we stopped somewhere in the midlands at a cafe for tea. Thew cafe had been converted from a whiskey distillery when the distillery closed. As they were dismantaling the copper vats a copper pipe was discovered running from the bottom of one of the largest vats. They followed this pipe out of the building, across the road and found it emerged in an old hollow tree with a tap (faucet). In the hundred years or so of its whiskey manufacture the owners never knew that the locals had a free suppply.
Bill

Subject: ? Stories, songs about the dram tree?
From: CapriUni
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 12:35 AM

I'll soon be hosting a workshop on wonder tales and folktales of the oral traditon, with most of my stories coming from the European tradition.

I (and the participants of my workshop) reside in the Tidewater region of Virginia (southeast corner of the state, near the NC border), however, and I'd like have at least one story from our local traditions.

One of my Google searches for "Viginia, North Carolina, Folklore" led to this site:

Click here.

It gives an overview of the legends about the Dram Tree, and says:

"Ships whose crews failed to drink of the Dram Tree or, even worse, failed to place a bottle there when entering port were doomed to disaster. Many are the tales of ill-fated vessels that met violent storms or were becalmed in the doldrums."

I've since searched the card catalogues of my local library, and done more web searches to try and find some of the specific stories... But so far, I've come up with zilch....

So I thought: "Maybe a 'Catter or two knows a ballad about the Dram Tree!"

Do any of you??

:-)

Thank you, Ann