Friday 19 December 2014

On the Tenth Day of Yule - Wassailing

Wassailing


Wassail comes form the name of an apple orchard fertility ritual, the term "wassail" came to us from the Anglo-Saxons and means to wish well, to hail or salute. 

The actual ritual was a matter of saluting the trees and sprinkling them with a mixture of eggs and apples to which wine, ale or cider was added.  This consecration was believed to increase the apple yield for the coming year.

But it wasn't just apple trees that were wassailed:  villagers travelled through their fields as well as orchards, singing their wassail songs and shouting to drive out evil spirits.  This they believed would encourage a bumper apple harvest and ensure fertility for their field crops too.  

Eventually, wassailing evolved into Christmas caroling, which became popular during the Victorian era, and is still seen today in many areas.  

Here are a couple of old Wassail sound I found on the internet

Gloucestershire Wassail (multiple versions available, believed to be Saxon in origin, Middle Ages)

Wassail, wassail all over the town
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown,
We bring a bowl made of the white maple tree,
and with the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek,
the gods send our master a good piece of beef
and a good piece of beef that may we all see.
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And a toast to Dobbin and to his right eye
pray the gods send our master a good Christmas pie
a good Christmas pie that may we all see.
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here's to Great Big Mary and her great big horn,
may the gods send Master a good crop of corn,
and a good crop of corn that may we all see.
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And a toast to Moll and to her left ear,
may the gods send our master a happy New Year,
And a happy New Year as e'er he did see.
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Auld Colleen and her long tail,
may the gods guard our master that he never fail,
a bowl of strong beer! I pray you draw near,
and our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear!

And here's to the maid in the lily white smock,
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock,
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin
For to let these jolly wassailers in!

Apple Tree Wassailing (Somerset, 18th Century or earlier)

Hurray, hurray, in our good town
The bread is white, and the liquor brown.
So here my old fellow I drink to thee,
and the long life of every other tree.
Well may you blow, well may you bear,
blossom and fruit both apple and pear.
So that every bough and every twig
may bend with a burden both fair and big.
May you bear us and yield us fruit such a store,
that the bags and chambers and house run o'er!


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