The rowan stave/staff, Scottish??

Subject: The rowan stave/staff, Scottish??
From: GUEST,Allan S.
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:00 PM

Just received a letter from an old friend searching for a song. She is reeding a book THE SONGCATCHER by Sharyn McCrumb with a quote of a Scottish Song?? As follows
Upon the hill above the kirk at moonrise she did stand
To tend her sheep that Samhain eve, with

Subject: the rowan stave/staff Scottish ???
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:07 PM

Sorry for goof up song verse as follows
Upon the hill above the kirk at moonrise she did stand
To tend her sheep that Samhain eve with rowan staff in hand
And where she's been and what she's seen no lifing soul may know
And when she's come back home she will be changed -oh

What is the name and history of the song??? what is Samhain eve???
any ideas.
Allan S.

Subject: RE: The rowan stave/staff, Scottish??
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:07 PM

Sharyn McCrumb made it up herself (like a good bit of the "history" in her novels, I suspect); see this earlier discussion: Tune Req: The Rowan Stave. Or get your friend to read the notes at the end of the book! Apparently someone has written a tune for it, though; details are in the thread indicated.

Subject: RE: the rowan stave/staff Scottish ???
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:14 PM

Not a traditonal song, see this thread. Samhain is the Irish word for All Hallows Eve/ Halloween. Pronounced "sa-ween"

Subject: RE: the rowan stave/staff Scottish ???
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:25 PM

I was betting that somebody would answer the second thread too. Next time, Allan, please post corrections to your original thread instead of starting another one: it makes less work for the people here who tidy up.

Since Ms. McCrumb intended the verse to sound Scottish, it might be better to describe the word Samhain as Gaelic rather than Irish.

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Message (and others) transferred from duplicate thread. --JoeClone