Sunday 17 January 2010

A-wassailing we shall go!

I had great fun tonight down the local pub where they were hosting a Wassail – for those of you that don’t know what a wassail is – it is a gathering that generally involves lots of singing and alcohol!

This particular wassail though was the Apple Wassail (traditionally held on the 17th January, which is the old 12th Night in the old calendar) where you’re supposed to dance in the orchards and offer a blessing to the apple trees.  Well, we didn’t actually do that, but a potted apple tree was brought into the pub that we could sing to it!  It’s all a bit pagan, but a heck of a lot of fun!

My photos are pretty bad because they were taken using my iPhone and it was dark, but hopefully they’ll give you a flavour of what happened this evening – along with the choruses that we were expected to join in with – I did my bit!!

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And drink and drink
and drink the winter away
So get yourself to some cosy inn
and drink the winter away!

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Bring us in good ale
and bring us in good ale
for our blessed lady’s sake
bring us in good ale

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And finally – the chorus of the Gower Wassail – and I have absolutely no idea what it means!!

Fol the dol, fol the doddy dol
Fol the doddy dol, fol the doddy dee
For the day rol, fol the dee dee
Sing too ral aye oh.

4 comments:

Literary Feline said...

That does sound like fun! I am glad you had a good time. :-)

Mrs. Spit said...

Oh My! That's something.

Reluctant Blogger said...

Wow, I had no idea such things went on.

Wassail is such a fabulous word too.

Alice said...

Ooooh so much fun! I think the pics are fine. :D