Folklore: Hunting the witch at Pendle Hill

Subject: Lyr Add: PENDLE HILL (Anne Hills)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 04:05 PM

I found these lyrics at Anne Hills' website, but I reformatted them to suit myself (I like to see rhyming words at the ends of lines) and I tweaked it a bit to make it agree with what I hear on the recording:


PENDLE HILL
Words and music by Anne Hills
As recorded by Steve Gillette, Anne Hills, Cindy Mangsen and Michael Smith on "Fourtold" (2003)

Alice Nutter came to town
In her woolen hooded gown.
It was late and all was still.
Alice went to Pendle Hill.

Malkin Tower tall and dark,
Showed no fire light or spark,
Opened wide its gated mouth
To the north and to the south.

Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum.

From the east and from the west,
Some contrite and some confessed,
Twenty witches, it was said,
Gather there to praise the dead.

Were their prayers in Jesus' name,
Or to Satan, just the same,
Witch or Catholic, both despised
Under gray and English skies.

Alice knew what Alice knew:
More than me and more than you.
Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum

Light a candle; take a breath.
Life is just a part of death.
Whispers down the alleys tell:
Keep the secret; keep it well.

So Henry Hargreaves went to see
True or false these rumors be:
Some concession some conceit,
Some too soon their maker meet.

Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum.

Now we gather at the trial,
Accusations and denial.
Alice silent through the day,
And the truth has slipped away.

But little minds have little thought.
Little lives are sold and bought.
Sixteen twelve it is the year
Of our lord and of our fear.

Alice sees what Alice sees:
Hawks and ravens crowd the trees.
Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum.

Build the platform; build it high.
Judgment follows by and by.
Line them up and ask their kin:
What is penance? What is sin?

Twine the rope and tie the noose,
Not too tight and not too loose.
When we die, where do we go?
Go find Alice; she will know.

Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum.

At the setting of the sun,
Turn for home; our work is done.
Four were hanged and burned in flame,
And the devil was to blame.

Pendle Hill is high and bare;
Few the souls who venture there,
But Alice goes where Alice will.
Alice walks on Pendle Hill.

Alice knows what Alice knows.
So the legend greens and grows.
Deedle-um, dum, deed-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum,
Diddle-eye-dum, diddle-eye-dum.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Hunting the witch at Pendle Hill
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 06:33 AM

The Pendle Witches on Wikipedia.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Hunting the witch at Pendle Hill
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 06:46 AM

Nothing much to add except that the Scout 'county' badge for East Lancs also shows a witch: Here

Subject: RE: Folklore: Hunting the witch at Pendle Hill
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 09 Mar 18 - 08:56 AM

Old Pendle, old Pendle, you've seen it before
The hardship of labour, the horror of war
We'll work with our sisters, sunrise to nightfall
To build a new world that is fit for us all

For International Women's Day 2017

Subject: RE: Folklore: Hunting the witch at Pendle Hill
From: JHW
Date: 10 Mar 18 - 07:31 AM

My freind Shelagh and I went up Pendle last year. Looks bigger than it is but was very windy. We passed a stuffed witch on the way and I asked Shelagh if she'd remembered her broomstick. She had.

Any guesses (those who haven't been) what the pub in Barley is called?