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Quiz: Songs and Trees

01 Aug 01 - 05:41 AM (#518892)
Subject: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

There's quite a lot about trees in folk songs. Here's a quick quiz about some of them. Shouldn't take more that half an hour, as all the songs are in DT. I'm wanting the name of the tree and the song(s) in each case (plus any observations you may have, of course).

Trees Quiz

1. The virgins saw him dying there, but only after searching in the forest.
2. Seems to be sad, but Shakespeare has him getting laid in it.
3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it.
4. Its leaves fall to signal autumn, though seldom now in England.
5. She's bonny, and she's home to owls.
6. Setting for the daughter of a prominent London politician.
7. A small box of this travelling at half past seven, and the dove sailing between.
8. Spotted while travelling in Oxfordshire, but let's have the fruit in capfuls and bushel bags.
9. Besets the road to heaven, but hunger is sharper.
10. We go round but dew files over

Answers as you get them!

Cheers!
Ian


01 Aug 01 - 07:33 AM (#518939)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

Oh hell!

Missed out all the BRs. Who's gonna read it, let alone answer it! Help?


01 Aug 01 - 10:34 AM (#519047)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Mrrzy

Can't answer any of them. Have been thinking of trees from song, though, I've got the oak, ash, birch, allen (whatever that is), and I know there are others... Laurel, yew, holly (it's a tree sometimes), yonder? Does that count?


01 Aug 01 - 01:25 PM (#519160)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos

3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it. Gotta be an oak, yes?


01 Aug 01 - 06:58 PM (#519381)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Hawker

8's Gotta be an apple tree, and I guess is a wassail song
Lucy


01 Aug 01 - 10:20 PM (#519441)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos

Q1 is the yew tree, from "The Seven Virgins". Apocryphal.

A


01 Aug 01 - 10:57 PM (#519451)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Metchosin

Q10 Jenifer Gentle?


01 Aug 01 - 10:58 PM (#519452)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Metchosin

sorry, tree in question 10 the Mulberry tree?


01 Aug 01 - 11:18 PM (#519463)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Peg

I can only get a couple of them...

Trees Quiz

1. The virgins saw him dying there, but only after searching in the forest.

2. Seems to be sad, but Shakespeare has him getting laid in it.

--weeping willow?

3. Best to plant it where the Rue once grew, but don't lean on it.

4. Its leaves fall to signal autumn, though seldom now in England.

5. She's bonny, and she's home to owls.

--Oak? (Bonny Portmore)

6. Setting for the daughter of a prominent London politician.

7. A small box of this travelling at half past seven, and the dove sailing between.

8. Spotted while travelling in Oxfordshire, but let's have the fruit in capfuls and bushel bags.

--apple?

9. Besets the road to heaven, but hunger is sharper.

10. We go round but dew files over

--you mean flies over? Mulberry Bush?


01 Aug 01 - 11:23 PM (#519466)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri

9. Thorn?
I'm really curious about 7!


02 Aug 01 - 04:20 AM (#519531)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

Thanks folks, so far we've got 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10. Only half in nearly 24 hours is a bit slow for The Mudcat!

Here's fuller answers for these, as a summary.

1. Yew ("Leaves of Life" or "7 Virgins")
3. Oak ("Sprig of Thyme" or "Garners Gay" / Misc. incl. "Cruel Mother", "Cruel Sweetheart" songs)
8. Apple ("Going to Banbury" / "Wassail Song")
9. Thorn ("True Thomas" / "riddles wisely expounded")
10. Mulberry ("Mulberry Bush" / "Jennifer Gentle" or "2 Magicians")

Keep trying with the rest. No. 2 should be easy ... there aren't too many Shakespeare songs in DT!

Cheers!
Ian


03 Aug 01 - 08:17 AM (#520280)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

Anyone going for any more of these, or do I have to start naming the thread "Shakespeare gets laid in ot!"?

;-)
Ian


03 Aug 01 - 08:43 AM (#520294)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri

There's this one, and it mentions holly, but there's no laying in it.
This one has no trees at all
This one's underwater - no trees.
This one has frolicing in it, but no trees.
This one is based on a line from Shakespeare, and has got a "gallows tree" in it. If it's this one, you're in trouble!


03 Aug 01 - 08:47 AM (#520299)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang

#2: cyprus

Wolfgang


03 Aug 01 - 08:48 AM (#520301)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang

cypress I meant

Wolfgang


03 Aug 01 - 08:53 AM (#520306)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

Well done Wolfgang!

Surely you can get #6, someone. There were more mayors in London boroughs than just Dick Whittington and Ken Livingstone.

And #4 ... of all the English trees ...

:-)
Ian

BTW Jeri ... your one with no trees has 2 (and one of them was the right one).


03 Aug 01 - 09:09 AM (#520324)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: mooman

Number 4 must be the elm?

mooman


03 Aug 01 - 09:13 AM (#520326)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang

another attempt using DT's search function:

#5: ivy?

for (a) "Oh the oak and the ash and the bonnie ivy tree" (North country maid) and
(b) "the next thing they did find Was an owl in an ivy bush" (three jolly welshmen)

Wolfgang


03 Aug 01 - 09:14 AM (#520328)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Jeri

5. is Ivy: owls live there and it's bonny.


03 Aug 01 - 09:32 AM (#520339)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

So, we've got 2, 4 and 5.

2. Cypress (Come Away, Death / (eg) Going Down the Valley One by One)
4. Elm (When All Men Sing)
5. Ivy (North Country Maid / 3 Jolly Welshmen)

Now how about 6 and 7. I've clued you in too much on 6, but - to be honest - 7 started travelling just before 7:30.

;-)
Ian


03 Aug 01 - 09:39 AM (#520345)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang

#6 Now the king of course is a prominent London politician, and in Long John, Old John and Jackie North his daughter kisses her man under tha famous gallows tree. No? Well, I didn't hope too much anyway this time.

Wolfgang


03 Aug 01 - 09:45 AM (#520351)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Wolfgang

#7 pine

That's why

Wolfgang


03 Aug 01 - 09:51 AM (#520355)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

Well done again, Wolfgang

7. Pine (A Little Box of Pine on the 7:29 / George Collins)

Just 6 to go. You have to remember the clues are cryptic. The answer's in the setting for the Mayor's daughter (surely you must get it now ... I want to go home soon).

;-)
Ian


03 Aug 01 - 09:59 AM (#520362)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Amos

Between the acres of rye
These pretty country folks would lie
And therefore take the present time
For love is crowned with the prime.

But not about a tree.


03 Aug 01 - 10:03 AM (#520369)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: mooman

Number 6 = Bay

The Mayor of Bayswater's daughter?


03 Aug 01 - 10:04 AM (#520371)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: Brian Hoskin

Could 6 be the Ash - 'The Ash Grove' tune providing the setting for 'The Mayor of Bayswater's Daughter'?

Brian


03 Aug 01 - 10:07 AM (#520374)
Subject: RE: BS: Quiz: Songs and Trees
From: IanC

6. Ash (Ash Grove / Mayor of Bayswater)