From: knighton@world.std.com (Gwen Knighton)
Subject: The Holly & The Ivy, etc.
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 07:01:31 GMT

jblain@ac.dal.ca writes that she would like to see words to
some Yule songs. Here are a couple of the ones requested.
Although I don't have a version of "The Holly King," I'd
really like to see one. I'll be happy to send melodic lines/
tabulature to anyone interested via email, along with 
songs and chants on a variety of topics. I am also collecting 
songs and chants right now for a workshop I'll be doing 
on pagan music next year.
 
Here are the Christianized words to "The Holly and the
Ivy." I'll follow them with a pagan rewriting which was 
in a newsletter some years back, but I think the rewriting
is more sincere than singable; ymmv.
 
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
 
The holly and the ivy, 
when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the woods
the holly bears the crown
 
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun
and the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing in the choir
 
The holly bears a blossom
As white as the lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour.
 
Chorus
 
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.
 
Chorus
 
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn
 
Chorus
 
(repeat first verse)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(This is pretty thinly veiled pagan material, and a
rip-off of another song, oddly enough an Easter song,
called "The Holly She Bears A Berry"
 
 
Here is the pagan rewriting of "The Holly and the Ivy:"
 
The Holly and the Ivy when they are both full grown
In winter-time, when all is dead, they bear a living crown.
 
Chorus
O, the rising of the Sun, and the running of the deer
The days are short, the night is long--the Wheel of the
     Year.
 
O, the Ivy is a Maiden, the Holly is her love,
As they entwine at Yuletide, the Lady smiles above.
 
Chorus
 
The holly blooms in glory when solstice-day is near.
We burn the Yule log to make the new-born Sun appear.
 
Chorus
 
'Tis at Yule when the Mother gives birth to coming
     Spring;
In the midst of winter-cold; the new-born Sun, the holly
     king.
 
Chorus
 
Throughout the land She wanders with the new day-
     lit god,
And in the spring, sweet love is made where'er Her
     foot has trod.
 
Chorus
 
She is in all our doings, in all we love and fear--
How wondrous the ways in which our Lady does appear!
 
Chorus
 
Praise the Queen of Air and Darkness, of Fire and Water:
All poetry's our Lady's art, all music sings to Her.
 
Chorus
 
All in the holy circle, hand to hand, we pass the blade
to invoke the Lady's power, unsheathed by the Ivy Maid.
 
Chorus
 
Now blessed be the Earth at rest beneath our feet
As we have hope of rest one day, our Lady for to greet.
 
Chorus
 
Out of darkness shall come dawning, out of winter shall
     come spring,
Out of the toil of striving comes the peace our Lady brings.
 
Chorus
 
--Peter Soderberg (Circle Network News, Winter 1981)
 
 
 
THE LORD OF THE DANCE
(Gwydion Pendderwen [sp?] wrote a pagan version of this,
but I'll have to check my _Faerie Shaman_ tape to find
the lyrics)
 
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
 
Chorus:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the dance, said he.
 
I danced for the scribe and te Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn't follow me,
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John,
They came with me and the dance went on.
 
Chorus
 
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on
     high;
They left me there on a Cross to die
 
Chorus
 
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back;
They buried my body and they thought I'd gone;
But I am the dance and I still go on.
 
Chorus
 
They cut me down and I leapt so high;
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
(Obviously, this does go on about Jesus, but like 
_The Holly and the Ivy_ and so many other folksongs,
you don't have to look too hard to see the P/pagan 
elements shining through. Whoever heard of 
the Dancing Jesus, anyway? :-] )
 
And then there's this song, attributed to King Henry VIII,
which is easily paganizable (if it wasn't already) and
always makes me giggle:
 
GREEN GROW'TH THE HOLLY
Green Grow'th the holly,
So doth the ivy;
Though winter blasts blow ne'er so high
Green grow'th the holly.
 
Green grow'th the holly,
So doth the ivy;
The God [or insert your favorite deity here :-)]
     of Life can never die,
Hope! saith the holly.
 
 
 
*whew*! Normally I'm a lurker around here;
I hope that wasn't too long winded for folks, but
old P/pagan folksongs (Christianized or not,
they're out there) are a passion of mine. If you
want to learn more about the subject, a pretty good
primer is _Pagan Elements in English Folksong_,
by Bob Stewart (Anybody know if this is the same
RJ Stewart of _The Merlin Tarot_, etc.?)
 
 
gwen (harpist for hire)
 
knighton@world.std.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
"When you have killed, and your bowl it is filled,
     and your shoes are clean outworn,
Back you will speed for all that you need to Oak and Ash and Thorn."
--Rudyard Kipling


 


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