Help: Parsley, sage....

Subject: Parsley, sage....
From: GUEST,Jay
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 07:19 AM

What do 'parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme' stand for in Scarborough Fair?

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: gnu
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 07:24 AM

Spices of life.

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 10:19 AM

Magical incantation for protection. "Scarborough Fair" is a magic song all about "impossible" tasks. You don't want to tap into that kind of power without protecting yourself. Each of these herbs has its own independent symbolism.

Linn

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: heric
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 10:45 AM

To expand upon that:

According to "Bert," the singer wishes his true love mildness (via parsley) to soothe the bitterness which is between them, strength (from sage) to stand firm in the time of their being apart from each other, faithfulness (through rosemary) to stay with him during this period of loneliness and paradoxically courage to fulfill her impossible tasks and to come back to him by the time she can.

This according to medieval (and earlier) beliefs about the properties of each herb.

http://www.geocities.com/paris/villa/3895/

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: heric
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 10:48 AM

Oops -- and courage from thyme.

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: GUEST,PaulM
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 11:10 AM

Blue Clicky for Dan's link

Paul

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From:
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 04:04 PM

One of Mudcat's older threads mentions some of the meaning behind the spices:

Scarbourgh Fair- Uncorrupting the Corruptable

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 04:34 PM

What's wrong with the blicky Paul has posted? It causes my Netscape browser to crash every time I try it!

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: GUEST,PaulM
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 04:38 PM

I'm sorry, Susanne. Not intentional I assure you.

It works fine with Internet Explorer

Paul

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 05:26 PM

What is the story with that song, an ex maiden's lament,..once I had a sprig of thyme, I thought it never would decay, something about a saucy sailor stealing it.?

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 05:39 PM

Dunno but Sage is good for curing flatulence.... so I'm told...

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: gnu
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 06:05 PM

I'm gonna get some sage for me brudder. 'e needs some sage advice after that Christmas turkey dinner !

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 06:52 PM

My wife says perhaps he thought his girlfriend just needed a good stuffing!!!!!!
Quack!
Geoff and Mrs.Duck

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 07:14 PM

As I have tried to say a few times before, this is about my old group---Elvis, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney and myself.

We were known as Presley, Page, Rosemary and Thieme !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Dec 01 - 07:18 PM

Could be Geoff....makes sense to me! Herbs and such have often been used to cure various problems of a sexual nature.

A friend of mine went to 3 or 4 medical doctors to cure a problem he had, mainly erectile dysfunction. All the medicos suggested Viagra which has been a saving grace to many, but Frank doesn't like the idea of some of the side effects (heart/BP problems) so tried an herbalist. The herbal doc suggested a poltice of onion fried in lard, mustard, 3 tablespoons of dill pickle juice and a splash of ketchup. Frank tried it and after a few applications his problem was cured. He'd mix up the stuff and apply it three times a day at first and then after two weeks he tried sex and it worked! Now he just uses it about an hour before he and his wife plan on an evening of "whoopee." I was amazed that it worked, but it's something to keep in mind. Frank says the only side effect he's noticed is that everytime he drives past a McDonald's he gets a hard-on.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: BK Lick
Date: 26 Dec 01 - 12:57 AM

     saltpepper        marjoram                            cilantro
  sarsaparilla      bay leaves                          coriander!
   garlicsalt        allspice          curry             cinnamon
    rosemary          fennel          parsley            turmeric
    dillweed          ginger           anise              pepper
    tarragon          chives                              nutmeg
    angelica          garlic                              cloves
    parsleysagerosemarythyme          mustard              zest
    basiloreganocuminpaprika           capers              dill
    marjoram          hoisin           relish               Na
    shallots          pickle           garlic               Cl
    woodruff          cloves           sesame
    mushroom          onions           morels
   peppermint        jalapeno         tarragon             mace
  butterscotch      lime juice       red pepper           garlic
   celeryseed        cinnamon         allspice             sage
    

     Seasoning's Greetings!

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 26 Dec 01 - 01:53 AM

There are four versions of Let No Man Steal Your Thyme in the Digital Tradition. The one they don't have is the one recorded by John Roberts and Tony Barrand on their first album, "Spencer the Rover is Alive and Well and Living in Ithaca". I'd post the words to that but (1) it's mostly gone from my memory, (2) I don't know where that box of albums is right now, and (3) I'm too tired to look for it.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 26 Dec 01 - 01:59 AM

Oops, yes it is there: Thyme it is a Precious Thing. Ah, my faith in the Digitrad restored! (Just have to find the right line to enter into the search box!)

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 26 Dec 01 - 05:08 AM

Funny, I never get that feeling from McDonalds.... mind you, there is a certain burger store in deepest darkest Middlesex that I'm never going to be allowed back into.....!

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: Parsley, sage....
From: Art Thieme
Date: 26 Dec 01 - 01:55 PM

Bruce,

The same back to ya. --------- And your daughter Kathy's CD tribute of her mother's songs is a beautiful work of love and music.

Art