Handed Down

Handed Down celebrates traditional songs and the people who sing them. The show is presented by Jenny Shaw, an amateur musician and professional writer. Each episode is full of music, tales and curiosities as we delve into the history a single song, often with the help of a fellow folk musician, to uncover the strange stories and colourful characters that lie beneath.

These are the songs that have been handed down from our ancestors. This podcast and the people involved in it help keep them alive so that we can hand them down in turn to future generations.

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Handed Down

Wren Day

December 26, 2024 • Jenny Shaw • Season 5 • Episode 2

After all the festivities of Christmas Day are over, what could be better than to run around the village and hunt a tiny little bird with all your neighbours. This special St Stephen's Day episode explores the strange custom of wren hunting in the British Isles. Hang on to your hats, it's going to be a weird one.

Music
Hunt the Wren, a Manx song
Medieval French tune (known to me as 'Dancing Bears' but YMMV)
The Cutty Wren, to the tune of Green Bushes (thanks A. L. Lloyd!)

References
Many thanks go to two websites: Mainly Norfolk and the Ballad Index, for such detailed information about this song.

Other references include:

Mona Melodies: https://www.manxmusic.com/media/History%20photos/MONA%20MELODIES%202020%20full%20transcription.pdf

Charles Barrow (1820) Mona Melodies https://www.manxmusic.com/media/History%20photos/MONA%20MELODIES%202020%20full%20transcription.pdf

A W Moore (1891) The Folklore of the Isle of Man

George Waldron (1744) The History and Description of the Isle of Man

Vallancy, Charles (1770) Collectanea de rebus hibernicis. T. Ewing, Dublin https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere09vallgoog/page/n1/mode/2up

https://mainlynorfolk.info/ian.campbell/songs/thecuttywren.html

John Aubrey’s Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme https://archive.org/details/remainesgentili01aubrgoog

Muller, S. (1996). The Irish Wren Tales and Ritual. To Pay or Not to Pay the Debt of Nature. Béaloideas, 64/65, 131–169. https://doi.org/10.2307/20522463