The Cutty Wren - Very old traditional Christmas song

[chunk]

 I bought a Riverwood master series acoustic and I thought I'd try recording this on it. I haven't added a vocal yet. I probably never will.
    It's quite a dark song. Here's the blurb about it from Wiki. But, Alfredo probably knows a lot more about. He has a great knowledge about traditional music.

The Cutty Wren and its variants like The Hunting of the Wren are traditional English folk songs. The origins and meaning of the song are disputed. It is thought by some to represent the human sacrifice of the Year King, or the symbolic substitute slaughter of the wren as "king of the birds" at the end of the year for similar purposes, and such songs are traditionally sung on Boxing Day, just after the winter solstice. These rituals are discussed in The Golden Bough. It is number 236 in the Roud Folk Song Index.
    On the other hand, it is also attributed to the English peasants' revolt of 1381, and the wren is supposed to be the young king Richard II, who is killed and fed to the poor. However, there is no strong evidence to connect this song with the Peasants' revolt. This idea seems to have originated in A.L. Lloyd's 1944 book The Singing Englishman.[1] The liner notes to Chumbawamba's album English Rebel Songs 1381-1914 state categorically that the song was written in the fourteenth century. However, the earliest known text is from Herd's "Scots Songs" 1776. The song is given no title.

Oh where are you going, said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you said Festel to Fose
We´re off to the wood, said John the Red Nose
We´re off to the wood, said John the Red Nose

And what will you do, said Milder to Moulder
For we may not tell you, said Festel to Fose
We´ll shoot the cutty wren, said John the Red Nose
We´ll shoot the cutty wren, said John the Red Nose

Oh how will you cut him up, said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you, said Festel to Fose
With knives and with forks , said John the Red Nose
With knives and with forks , said John the Red Nose

And who´ll get the spare ribs said Milder to Moulder
Oh we may not tell you, said Festel to Fose
We´ll give them all to the poor, said John the Red Nose
We´ll give them all to the poor, said John the Red Nose

[Blooby]

Lovely playing and that guitar records very well. Lordy, sounds great. Thanks for the back story as well. I just recently starting really delving into English folk music. This is one of those tunes that is so free-flowing, it sounds effortless. Upon closer inspection, there is some really delicate and intricate lines in there.

Blooby

[tonyc]

really enjoyed listening to this song , your guitar playing is brilliant , and the sound from your guitar sounds great , love it , more please .     tonyc

[Oldrottenhead]

wow that guitar sounds a beaut i googled but can't find anything on riverwood was it a riversong guitar?

[Groundy]

Nice sounding guitar Chunk,
And nice playing as well....

[chunk]

Sorry James, I'm an arsehole. It's a Richwood master series.

[ODH]

I've said it before, you are a guitar hero in my book.  I love how you play these pieces. Hypnotic.  Good back-story too.

Sumptuous.

 

[chunk]

Cheers Nick

[chapperz66]

Nice playing and great tone.

[Hook]

Yep!
Rock on!