| Share page | Visit Us On FB |
|
ROUND AND ROUND WENT THE GALLANT SHIP 143
In South-Eastern Russia, on the eve of marriage the bride goes the round of the village, throwing herself on her knees before the head of each house. In an Indian custom the bride and bridegroom are conveyed in a particular "car" around the village.—Gomme, Folk-lore Relics, pp. 214, 215. According to Valle, a sixteenth century traveller, "At night the married couples passed by, and, according to their mode, went round about the city with a numerous company.—Valle's Travels in India (Hakluyt Soc), p. 31.*
In these marriage customs there is ample evidence to suggest that the Indo-European marriage-rite contained just such features as are represented in this game, and the changes from rite to popular custom, from popular custom to children's game, do much to suggest consideration of the evidence that folk-lore supplies.
This game is not mentioned by Halliwell or Chambers, nor, so far as I am aware, has it been previously printed or recorded in collections of English games. It appears in America as " Go round and round the Valley" (Newell, Games, p. 128).
See "Thread the Needle."
Round and Round went the Gallant Ship
I. Round and round went the gallant, gallant ship, And round and round went she; Round and round went the gallant, gallant ship, Till she sank to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea, Till she sank to the bottom of the sea. All go down as the ship sinks. —Cullen (Rev. W. Gregor).
II. Three times round goes our gallant ship,
And three times round went she;
Three times round went our gallant ship,
Then she sank to the bottom of the sea.
As the players all " bob " down they cry out " the sea, the
sea, the sea." —Aberdeen Training College
(Rev. W. Gregor).
* Among the Ovahereri tribe, at the end of the festive time, the newly-married pair take a walk to visit all the houses of the " Werst." The husband goes first and the wife closely follows him.—South African Folk-lore Journal, i. 50. |
||