05 Mar 98 - 09:30 AM (#23054) Subject: ADD: The reaphook and sickle From: Wolfgang Hell The Albion band (with Martin Carthy) sings this song. The slightly different version here comes from R. Palmer, Everyman's Book of English Country songs. I have also added a part of his notes. The Reaphook and Sickle
1. Come all you lads and lassies, together let us go
2. By daylight in the morning when birds so sweetly sing -
3 Then in comes lovely Nancy the corn all for to lay,
4 Now harvest's done and ended, the corn secure from harm, reaphook: heavy variety of sickle. Phoebus: the sun Harvesting was both arduous and joyful Richard Jefferies in an essay, 'Walks in the Wheatfields' (published in Field and Hedgerow, 1889), paints a harrowing picture of the reapers: 'The breast-bone was burned black, and their arms, tough as ash, seemed encased in leather. They grew visibly thinner in the harvest-field, and shrunk together - all flesh disappearing, and nothing but sinew and muscle remaining....’ |
05 Mar 98 - 05:16 PM (#23087) Subject: RE: ADD: The reaphook and sickle From: Jerry Friedman "Nothing but sinew and muscle" is the goal of a lot of modern exercisers. Those harvesters didn't know how healthy they were! |
05 Mar 98 - 07:37 PM (#23105) Subject: RE: ADD: The reaphook and sickle From: Bruce O. The song was reprinted (with music) from Heywood Sumner's 'The Besom Maker' in Broadwood & Fuller Maitland's 'English County Songs', 1893 (reprinted without date). |
05 Mar 98 - 08:44 PM (#23112) Subject: RE: ADD: The reaphook and sickle From: therapon No kidding, Jerry. The most in-shape men I've ever seen were not in a weight room, but in the bean fields of western Crete. You understand why when you try to do their work. Muscles which have never even announced themselves to you with a whisper suddenly scream and die. It makes you realize what an amazing physical specimen Leadbelly must have been, if he was able to pick even half of the 1000 lbs of cotton a day which have been attributed to him. |
06 Mar 98 - 10:12 AM (#23161) Subject: RE: ADD: The reaphook and sickle From: Jon W. I read that Leadbelly was a large powerful man, which also helps explain his guitar-playing prowess. He was able to fret and hammer-on forcefully because of his strength. I'm afraid sitting at a computer keyboard all day has me at a disadvantage. |