Folklore: Christmas day on Thursday means...

Subject: Folklore: Christmas day on Thursday means...
From: Paul Burke
Date: 03 Nov 08 - 07:16 AM

A Middle English manuscript from Somerset tells us what will happen if Christmas day falls on a Thursday:

And crystmas day onn thursday be
A wondyr wynter shall we see
Of wondyrs and of wethyrs whike
And hard tempest tronge and thyke
The somer shall be goode and drye
Corne and bestys shall multyplye
That yere is goode londe to tylle
Kynges & prynces shall dey be skylle
what shyld that day borne be
he shall haue happe welle to the
Of dedys he shall be goode & stabille
Of speche wyse & of tonge resonabille
who so þt day beste be a-bowte
he shall be shent wt-owten dowte
And yf sykenesse þt day be-fylle
hyt shall nott long wt þe dwelle

So Christmas day this year is a good time to buy beasts.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Christmas day on Thursday means...
From: GEST
Date: 03 Nov 08 - 07:18 AM

Sounds like a five-day weekend to me. Happy holidays to all. :-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Christmas day on Thursday means...
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Nov 08 - 10:29 AM

Thanks, Paul. I understand most of it. I especially like what it says of the king

Of dedys he shall be goode & stabille
Of speche wyse & of tonge resonabille

In his deeds he shall be good and stable,
in speech wise, and in tongue reasonable.

Something we all hope for, no matter what our century.

===
One correction - the first would should be 'an,' an archaic word for 'if.'

We encounter this is the round 'Oken Leaves'

Oken leaves in the merry wood so wild,
when will you be green, ah?
Mary maid, an thou be with child,
lullaby may'st thou sing, ah!