Quiz: Songs and Trees

Subject: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 05:41 AM

There's quite a lot about trees in folk songs. Here's a quick quiz about some of them. Shouldn't take more that half an hour, as all the songs are in DT. I'm wanting the name of the tree and the song(s) in each case (plus any observations you may have, of course).

Trees Quiz

1. The virgins saw him dying there, but only after searching in the forest.
2. Seems to be sad, but Shakespeare has him getting laid in it.
3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it.
4. Its leaves fall to signal autumn, though seldom now in England.
5. She's bonny, and she's home to owls.
6. Setting for the daughter of a prominent London politician.
7. A small box of this travelling at half past seven, and the dove sailing between.
8. Spotted while travelling in Oxfordshire, but let's have the fruit in capfuls and bushel bags.
9. Besets the road to heaven, but hunger is sharper.
10. We go round but dew files over

Answers as you get them!

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 07:33 AM

Oh hell!

Missed out all the BRs. Who's gonna read it, let alone answer it! Help?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:34 AM

Can't answer any of them. Have been thinking of trees from song, though, I've got the oak, ash, birch, allen (whatever that is), and I know there are others... Laurel, yew, holly (it's a tree sometimes), yonder? Does that count?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:25 PM

3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it. Gotta be an oak, yes?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Hawker
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 06:58 PM

8's Gotta be an apple tree, and I guess is a wassail song
Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:20 PM

Q1 is the yew tree, from "The Seven Virgins". Apocryphal.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:57 PM

Q10 Jenifer Gentle?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Metchosin
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:58 PM

sorry, tree in question 10 the Mulberry tree?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Peg
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 11:18 PM

I can only get a couple of them...

Trees Quiz

1. The virgins saw him dying there, but only after searching in the forest.

2. Seems to be sad, but Shakespeare has him getting laid in it.

--weeping willow?

3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it.

4. Its leaves fall to signal autumn, though seldom now in England.

5. She's bonny, and she's home to owls.

--Oak? (Bonny Portmore)

6. Setting for the daughter of a prominent London politician.

7. A small box of this travelling at half past seven, and the dove sailing between.

8. Spotted while travelling in Oxfordshire, but let's have the fruit in capfuls and bushel bags.

--apple?

9. Besets the road to heaven, but hunger is sharper.

10. We go round but dew files over

--you mean flies over? Mulberry Bush?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 11:23 PM

9. Thorn?
I'm really curious about 7!

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 04:20 AM

Thanks folks, so far we've got 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10. Only half in nearly 24 hours is a bit slow for The Mudcat!

Here's fuller answers for these, as a summary.

1. Yew ("Leaves of Life" or "7 Virgins")
3. Oak ("Sprig of Thyme" or "Garners Gay" / Misc. incl. "Cruel Mother", "Cruel Sweetheart" songs)
8. Apple ("Going to Banbury" / "Wassail Song")
9. Thorn ("True Thomas" / "riddles wisely expounded")
10. Mulberry ("Mulberry Bush" / "Jennifer Gentle" or "2 Magicians")

Keep trying with the rest. No. 2 should be easy ... there aren't too many Shakespeare songs in DT!

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 08:17 AM

Anyone going for any more of these, or do I have to start naming the thread "Shakespeare gets laid in ot!"?

;-)
Ian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 08:43 AM

There's this one, and it mentions holly, but there's no laying in it.
This one has no trees at all
This one's underwater - no trees.
This one has frolicing in it, but no trees.
This one is based on a line from Shakespeare, and has got a "gallows tree" in it. If it's this one, you're in trouble!

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 08:47 AM

#2: cyprus

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 08:48 AM

cypress I meant

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 08:53 AM

Well done Wolfgang!

Surely you can get #6, someone. There were more mayors in London boroughs than just Dick Whittington and Ken Livingstone.

And #4 ... of all the English trees ...

:-)
Ian

BTW Jeri ... your one with no trees has 2 (and one of them was the right one).

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: mooman
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:09 AM

Number 4 must be the elm?

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:13 AM

another attempt using DT's search function:

#5: ivy?

for (a) "Oh the oak and the ash and the bonnie ivy tree" (North country maid) and
(b) "the next thing they did find Was an owl in an ivy bush" (three jolly welshmen)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:14 AM

5. is Ivy: owls live there and it's bonny.

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:32 AM

So, we've got 2, 4 and 5.

2. Cypress (Come Away, Death / (eg) Going Down the Valley One by One)
4. Elm (When All Men Sing)
5. Ivy (North Country Maid / 3 Jolly Welshmen)

Now how about 6 and 7. I've clued you in too much on 6, but - to be honest - 7 started travelling just before 7:30.

;-)
Ian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:39 AM

#6 Now the king of course is a prominent London politician, and in Long John, Old John and Jackie North his daughter kisses her man under tha famous gallows tree. No? Well, I didn't hope too much anyway this time.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:45 AM

#7 pine

That's why

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:51 AM

Well done again, Wolfgang

7. Pine (A Little Box of Pine on the 7:29 / George Collins)

Just 6 to go. You have to remember the clues are cryptic. The answer's in the setting for the Mayor's daughter (surely you must get it now ... I want to go home soon).

;-)
Ian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 09:59 AM

Between the acres of rye
These pretty country folks would lie
And therefore take the present time
For love is crowned with the prime.

But not about a tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: mooman
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 10:03 AM

Number 6 = Bay

The Mayor of Bayswater's daughter?

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 10:04 AM

Could 6 be the Ash - 'The Ash Grove' tune providing the setting for 'The Mayor of Bayswater's Daughter'?

Brian

Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 10:07 AM

6. Ash (Ash Grove / Mayor of Bayswater)