| Share page | Visit Us On FB |
|
The Play-Party in Indiana. |
113 |
||
|
Marching to Quebec. *Miller Boy.
Molly Brooks.
Old Brass Wagon.
Old Chimney Sweeper.
Old Dan Tucker.
Old Sister Phoebe.
Paw-Paw Patch.
Pig in the Parlor.
Pop Goes the Weasel.
Six Little Girls A-Sliding Went.
Skip-to-my-Lou.
Star Promenade. *Thus the Farmer Sows His Seed.
Tideo.
Uncle Johnie's Sick a-Bed.
Wait for the Wagon.
Walk Along, John. ♦Sally Walker.8
The American circle-form game is, beyond doubt, connected with that of England. Whether it represents such primitive customs of tribal relationship as Mrs. Gomme would believe, I should not venture to say but certainly there are games of this type which are survivals and also those which are descendants of the circle dances of the English summer festivals and especially that of the May-Day.
Of the line-form game as Mrs. Gomme describes it,9 only one example is found in Ripley County. That is the children's game, Here Come Four Dukes. Two lines are formed, with the children of one line facing those of the other and at a distance of six steps. Those in each line join hands, and advance, and retire, in turn, while singing their part. There are many other games which belong to the same general type as this; some of them are, Go to Boston, Wait for the Wagon, Paw-Paw Patch, Weevily Wheat, Hay-o-My-Lucy-o, Dem Golden Slippers, Chase the Squirrel, Down the River and Here Comes a Queen from Dover. I have called these "long-ways"10 dances instead of line-form games for
8 There are forty-four circle-form games in England and those starred in the above list have parallels in Mrs. Gomme's dictionary of children's games. Trad. Games, vol. ii, p. 476.
In explanation of these games Mrs. Gomme says: "The circle games I consider to be survivals of dramatic representations of customs performed by people of one village or of one town or tribe—representations of social customs of one place or people, as distinct from the 'line' form of games, which represents a custom obtaining between two rival villages or tribes. Thus I am inclined to consider the joining of hands in a circle as a sign of amity, alliance and kinship." (Trad. Games, vol. ii, pp. 478-9).
9 Trad. Games, vol. ii, p. 475.
10 Definition of terms at the beginning of Part II. |
|||