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3°4 |
KING'S CHAIR |
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as one of the ceremonies to be gone through after the marriage was over, long after the custom itself was discontinued. For an instance of this see a " Rural Marriage in Lorraine," in Folk-lore Record, iii. 267-268. This ordeal occurs in more than one folk-tale, and it usually accompanies the incident of a youth having travelled for adventures, sometimes in quest of a bride. He succeeds in finding the whereabouts of the coveted girl, but before he is allowed by the father to take his bride away he is required to perform tasks, a final one being the choosing of the girl with whom he is in love from among others, all dressed alike and disguised. Our bridal veil may probably originate in this custom.
In the ballad from which Mr. Newell thinks the game may have originated, a maid has been given in marriage to another than her chosen lover. He rides to the ceremony with a troop of followers; the bride, seeing him approach, calls on her maidens to " take off her gold crown and coif her in linen white," to test her bridegroom's affection. This incident, I think, is not to test " affection," but the ordeal of recognising his bride, however disguised, and the fact that "the hero at once recognises his love, mounts with her on horseback, and flees to Norway," may be considered to support my view.
See also Brand, vol. ii. p. 141, under "Care Cloth."
King's Chair
Two children join hands, by crossing their arms, so as to form a seat. A third mounts on the crossed arms, and clasps the carriers round their necks, while they move on saying—
King, King Cairy (carry) London lairy, Milk an bread, In the King's chairie. This game is played at Keith, without the words. The words are used at Fochabers.—Rev. W. Gregor.
Jamieson says, " Lothian children, while carrying one of their number in this manner, repeat the following rhyme— Lend me a pin to stick i' my thumb, To carry the lady to London town." |
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