Folklore: Use of 'Jerusalem' in English folk

Subject: Folklore: Use of 'Jerusalem' in English folk
From: Edain
Date: 25 May 04 - 02:26 AM

(Bugger, got the spelling wrong in the title)
I was listening to a Levellers song earlier today that had the line 'They didn't build Jerusalem'' and it got me thinking about the occurances of 'Jerusalem' in English folklore. There is of course the hymn and I've heard a CB+S song called Jerusalem Revisited about failings in society etc.

I would theorise that this originates from the Crusades and the Jerusalem is ment to signify a sort of 'perfect society', holy and just and free etc.

Any thoughts/ideas/info?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Use of 'Jersulam' in English folk
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 May 04 - 02:31 AM

Good rugby song called ' The Harlot Of Jeruslem ' sang to the traditional tune ' Kafoozalam '
eric

Subject: RE: Folklore: Use of 'Jerusalem' in English folk
From: greg stephens
Date: 25 May 04 - 04:02 AM

Jerusalem in this sense "till we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land" is surely a symbol of perfection. But not anything much to do with the crusades specifically, I would have thoughts. I think there two intertwined bits of memory here. the fact that Jerusalem(specifically the temple) were destroyed, and there was(and is) a clear Jewish belief that it should not be rebuilt till some unspecified date in the future when the Messiah comes.
   The other relevant biblical thing is the exile of the Jews to Babylon, and the fervent desire to return to jerusalem "If I forget thee O Zion let my right hand lose its cunning". Coupled with other exiles(Egypt, the diaspora in Roman times) creating a general longing for Jerusalem ("next year in Jerusalem).
    Add in songs like "The Holy City"(Jeuralem, Jerusalem), place William Blake's Jerusalem, and you've got a pretty potent package.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Use of 'Jerusalem' in English folk
From: el ted
Date: 25 May 04 - 10:04 AM

The song only uses the word "jerusalem" because they could not spell "Kingston upon Hull"

Subject: RE: Folklore: Use of 'Jerusalem' in English folk
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 25 May 04 - 04:37 PM

You might want to be aware of Jerusalem used as Cockney rhyming slang in the music hall song - "Me Jerusalem's dead". "Oh you won't see him pulling the barrer no more, as me and the missus are hauling the coke, 'cos he died 'sarternoon about quarter past four, well I think that it's harder on me than the moke." "Jerusalem" was an abbreviation for Jerusalem artichoke.....

Kitty