Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Sian H
Date: 09 Feb 19 - 11:26 AM

My group is called Rattlebag, and we sing folk songs acappella. We always say we are rattling though songs when we notice we have sung them fast. If we think a song is dragging, we say it's time to rattle it up.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: leeneia
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 10:54 AM

Makes sense.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: mayomick
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 12:15 PM

It doesn't make sense of the use of the word "rattling" in the song though.A bog is soft and squelchy, it doesn't rattle.If you walk across a bog it will slow you down, not speed you up.In Ireland we say about an enjoyable occasion that people had "a rattling good time" so it could be to do with that - by all accounts , everybody enjoyed a good day or a "rattling good time" in the bog at turf -cutting time. But that would be a stretch .

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: GUEST,phnque
Date: 22 Feb 19 - 09:24 AM

Schooner Fare used to end their concerts with that song.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 20 - 11:53 PM

I heard Charlie Baum sing "Fido, the Rabid Dog" this evening. Song is by Liz Milner. Hope she can post the lyrics here. I emailed her.
-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Fido, the Rabid Dog (Liz Milner)
From: Lotusland
Date: 19 Apr 20 - 05:26 PM

FIDO, THE RABID DOG
(New Lyrics by Liz Milner. Tune is Hi Ho The Rattling Bog)

Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally- o
Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o

Fido was a Pekinese, a rare breed, a rabid breed
And he brought home trash and ticks and fleas
And bit my sister Sally-o.

Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally- o
Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o
And in that trash there was a bird, a dead bird, a rotten bird
Bird in the trash with the ticks and the fleas
Brought home by the rabid Pekinese that bit my sister Sally-O.
Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o
Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o

And on that bird there was a tick, a small tick, a deadly tick
And it gave poor Sally Lyme disease, along with the rabies, ticks and fleas
Brought home by the rabid Pekinese that bit my sister Sally-o.

Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o
Fido, the rabid dog, he bit my sister Sally-o


I wrote these lyrics as the result of being subjected to two hours of the Rattlin’ Bog being sung over and over and over again by a group who were hired to sing at local craft show and apparently knew only one song that was appropriate. If you enjoy this song, please meander over to Amazon and check out my newly published book, The Zombie Librarians' Holiday Songbook, in print or Kindle
–E.R.M.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 19 Apr 20 - 07:22 PM

I love it! You've made my day. Thanks so much for posting the lyrics.

When I got married in October 2018, my brother-in-law and his two boys sang Rattlin' Bog - and it was quite enjoyable.

Now, however, I have a new song to learn to help pass these days of near-confinement. Never know when it will come in handy.

World, you have been warned.


Jay

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 20 - 10:29 AM

A quick look at the Roud index for Roud 129 indicates that the song was found all over the English speaking world, especially in England and the USA but rarely in Ireland.

As for trying to analyse and rationalise the word "rattling", remember that folk songs don't have to make sense or have hidden meanings!

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Apr 20 - 10:52 AM

Pretty popular among Irish Travellers, sometimes called 'The Field Down in the Valley O
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Apr 20 - 07:53 AM

From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 19 - 05:02 AM

"I first heard this c. 1966/7 in my home town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders. We had "Saturday morning pictures" which some times featured live music, notably local beat group The Livewires. Sometimes we had a young lady folk singer who I think was involved with the Girl Guides. She used to sing "Rattling Bog" I always thought the "Rare bog, a rattling bog" meant a bog of some quality and distinction (by bog standards) She sang; In the valley was a bog, a rare bog a rattling bog and the bog's down in the valley o.
Then; In the bog there was a tree
And on the tree there was a branch
And on the branch there was a twig
And on the twig there was a leaf
And on the leaf there was a nest
And on the nest there was an egg
And on the egg there was a bird

Can't remember any more than that!"

That's the version I know (or knew!) The only time I ever heard and sang it was in the Bucks Inn in Malham in 1970 when I was on a botany field course. One of our bunch was a bit of a folkie and he got us singing this in the pub (along with Chicken On A Raft and Good Luck To The Barley Mow!)

The version was the same as this and I can remember a feather on that bird, but that's all I can remember!

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Lighter
Date: 25 Apr 20 - 01:03 PM

The earliest reference I've found to the usual American form of the song is this:

The Honey Jar: A Receptacle for Literary Preserves (Columbus, O.) Vol. 9, 1907, p. 102:

"....where high-priced birds sing the latest songs, and the green grass grows all around, all around."

When I was in grade school in NYC (ca1957), we sang this in chorus.

As I recall, it went:

Now in the woods there was a tree,
The finest tree you ever did see:
The tree in the wood
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
And the green grass grew all around.

Now on the tree there was a limb,
The finest limb you ever did see:
The limb on the tree and the tree in the woods,
And the green grass grew all around, all around,
And the green grass grew all around.

[Similarly:]

...branch...
...twig...
...nest...
...egg...
...bird...

It would have been "circular" had it started out with a bird on the tree, but I don't think it did - at least not as far as I can recall.

The tune differed from "The Rattling Bog." The rhythmical "green grass"refrain was almost identical to the concluding two lines of the refrain of Stephen Foster's "The Glendy Burke" - though we didn't know it at the time.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 25 May 20 - 07:56 PM

It now seems to me that the word we sang was "prettiest," not "finest."

In any case, the words of a Virginia version - which seem to be rather older than 1907- appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch Sunday Magazine (June 14, 1936), p. 5, as sung by Martha Davis of Harrisonburg:

There was a tree on yonder hill,
And a cu-ri-ous tree it was, sir.
And on that tree there was a limb,
Limb on the tree, tree on the hill,
And a cu-ri-ous tree.

And on that tree there was a limb....

The final stanza is,

And on that bird there was a feather,
And a curious feather it was, sir.
Feather on the bird, bird in the egg, egg in the nest, nest on the bough,
      bough on the limb, limb on the tree, tree on the hill,
And a cu-ri-ous tree.

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Lighter
Date: 12 Jun 20 - 03:08 PM

Here's an 1893 glimpse, from the Barton County Democrat (Great Bend, Kans.) (Sept. 28, 1893), p.3:

"...and the katydid disputed with the wife of its bosom, and the wood tick whetted his tushes on the trees, and the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around."

"Tush" = an old rural form of "tusk." Not what you're thinking.

And this, in the Bridgeport (Conn.) Standard (May 16, 1873), p. 4: "A horror-stricken state of boiled-down nothingness still reigns supreme in this community. Green peas are selling for forty cents a quart, and the green grass grows all around."

Subject: Add: FUNEM SHEYNEM VORTSL AROYS (Yiddish variant}
From: Felipa
Date: 04 Oct 21 - 03:45 PM

FUNEM SHEYNEM VORTSL AROYS

As sung by Ruth Rubin, New York, 1962 https://immigrationusa.yivo.org/items/show/4850

Funem sheynem vortsl aroys,
Iz a sheyner boym aroys.
Boym funem vortsl, vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem boym aroys,
Iz a sheyner tsvayg aroys.
Tsvayg funem boym, boym funem vortsl,
Vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem tsvayg aroys,
Is a sheyner nest aroys.
Nest funem tsvayg, tsvayg funem boym,
Boym funem vortsl, vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem nest aroys,
Iz a sheyner foygl aroys.
Foygl funem nest, nest funem tsvayg,
Tsvayg funem boym, boym funem vortsl,
Vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem foygl aroys,
Iz a sheyner feder aroys.
Feder funem foygl, foygl funem nest,
Nest funem tsvayg, tsvayg funem boym,
Boym funem vortsl, vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem feder aroys,
Iz a sheyner kishn aroys.
Kishn funem feder, feder funem foygl,
Foygl funem nest, nest funem tsvayg,
Tsvayg funem boym, boym funem vorstl,
Vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

Funem sheynem kishn aroys,
Iz a sheyner kholem aroys.
Kholem funem kishn, kishn funem feder,
Feder funem foygl, foygl funem nest,
Nest funem tsvayg, tsvayg funem boym,
Boym funem vortsl, vortsl fun der erd,
Zint s’iz bashafn himl un erd.

translation - OUT OF THE BEAUTIFUL ROOT

Out of the beautiful root,
A beautiful tree grew.
Tree from the root and root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

From the beautiful tree,
A lovely branch grew.
Branch from the tree, tree from the root,
Root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

From the lovely branch,
There came a pretty nest.
Nest from the branch, branch from the tree,
Tree from the root, root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

From the pretty nest,
A beautiful bird was born.
Bird from the nest, nest from the branch,
Branch from the tree, tree from the root,
Root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

From the beautiful bird,
A fine feather came.
Feather came from the bird, bird from the nest,
Nest from the branch, branch from the tree,
Tree from the root, root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

From the fine feather,
A lovely pillow was made.
Pillow from the feather, feather from the bird,
Bird from the nest, nest from the branch,
Branch from the tree, tree from the root,
Root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created.

Out of the lovely pillow,
A sweet dream was born.
Dream from the pillow, pillow from the feather,
Feather from the bird, bird from the nest,
Nest from the branch, branch from the tree,
Tree from the root, root from the earth,
Since heaven and earth were created

Sung by Polina Belilovsky

see Yiddish in Hebrew characters and also a translation to French at http://yidlid.org/chansons/vortsl/index.html
music sheet & midi http://yidlid.org/chansons/vortsl/index.html#melo

I am seeing links to an article which I don't yet have access to, but the introduction suggests that there is also a German language version of this song which appears related to The Rattlin' Bog. "Funem (sh)eynem vortsl aroys?!—Approaches to the Study of Parallel Eastern Yiddish and German Folk Songs"
In: European Journal of Jewish Studies
Author: Andreas Schmitges
Online Publication Date: 25 Jun 2014

The Rattlin' Bog · Lorin Sklamberg and Susan McKeown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeQ0mRCMkTM

Subject: RE: Origins: rathlin bog / Rattlin' Bog / Rattling Bog
From: Felipa
Date: 04 Oct 21 - 03:55 PM

There is a Danish variant posted in another thread, which is similar to the Yiddish version.
Malcolm Douglas also mentions "[Peter] Kennedy, Folk Songs of Britain and Ireland, 226-7: "The Tree on the Hill", a set from Morvah, Cornwall; with translation into Cornish).

Danish variant

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=9488

Subject: ADD: Langt udi Skoven (Tree in the Forest)
From: Malcolm Douglas - PM
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 09:09 PM

Here's a Danish form of the song. No traditional source is specified, unfortunately.


LANGT UDI SKOVEN (THE TREE IN THE FOREST)

(Danish tradition: from the repertoire of Engel Lund, 1936)

Langt udi Skoven laa et lille Bjerg,
Aldrig saae jeg saa deiligt et Bjerg,
Bjerget ligger langt udi Skoven.

Deep in the forest stands a little hill,
I never saw so sweet a little hill,
Hill, standing deep in the forest.

Paa det lille Bjerg der stod et lille Træ,
Aldrig saae jeg saa deiligt et Træ,
Træet paa Bjerget,
Bjerget ligger langt udi Skoven.

On the little hill, there grew a little tree,
I never saw so sweet a little tree,
Tree on the hill,
Hill, standing deep in the forest.

Paa det lille Træ der var en lille Gren
Aldrig saae jeg saa deilig en Gren;
Grenen paa Træet,
Træet paa Bjerget,
Bjerget ligger langt udi Skoven.

On the little tree, there grew a little branch,
I never saw so sweet a little branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree on the hill,
Hill, standing deep in the forest.

Paa den lille Gren der var en lille Kvist,
Aldrig saae jeg saa deilig et Kvist,
Kvisten paa Grenen,
Grenen paa Træet,
Træet paa Bjerget,
Bjerget ligger langt udi Skoven.

On the little branch, there grew a little twig,
I never saw so sweet a little twig,
Twig on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree on the hill,
Hill, standing deep in the forest.

Paa den lille Kvist der var et lille Blad,
Aldrig saae jeg saa deiligt et Blad,
Bladet paa Kvisten,
Kvisten paa Grenen,
Grenen paa Træet,
Træet paa Bjerget,
Bjerget ligger langt udi Skoven.

On the little twig, there grew a little leaf,
I never saw so sweet a little leaf,
Leaf on the twig,
Twig on the branch,
Branch on the tree,
Tree on the hill,
Hill, standing deep in the forest.


Engel Lund: A First Book of Folk-Songs, Oxford University Press, 1936.

Subject: RE: is Rattlin Bog Irish?
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Oct 21 - 05:14 PM

It is a very good tune to use for the irish dance SIEGE OF ENNIS