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JENNY MAC 283
which have been varied in accordance with the conditions of life. Mr. Napier (Folk-lore Record, iv. 474), in his description of the West Scotland example) evidently considered the game to be thoroughly representative of Scottish life, and this, indeed, seems to be the most striking feature of the game in all the variants. The domestic economy which they reveal is in no case out of keeping with the known facts of everyday peasant life, and many a mother has denied to her child's friends the companionship they desired because of the work to be done.
In most cases the burden of the song rests upon the question of health, but in two cases, namely, Colchester and Dept-ford, the question is put as to where "Jenny Jones" is at the time of the visit. It is curious that the refrain of " Farewell, ladies," should appear in such widely separated districts as Scotland, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Middlesex, Hants, Lincoln, and Barnes.
With reference to the colours for mourning, there is an obvious addition of crape introduced into the Deptford version which is very suggestive of the decadence going on. The four colours used in most versions are red, blue, white, and black, colours which. have been known to the people from ancient times. Black is accepted as the correct colour in all versions except five, where white is declared to be the colour which the dead wear. The method of question and answer is adopted for all the rhyme-movements. The tune of the game, with but slight variation, in all the versions is the same as that given from Piatt, near Wrotham, except the two which are printed from Northants and Belfast.
Jenny Mac
Jenny Mac, Jenny Mac, Jenny Macghie,
Turn your back about to me;
And if you find an ill baubee,
Lift it up and gie't to me. Two girls cross their arms behind their backs, and thus taking hold of each other's hands, parade along together, by daylight or moonlight, occasionally turning upon their arms, |
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