HEATHEN CHANTS OF THE CREED
We now turn to those versions of the Chant of the Creed which are
heathen in character. Again we have versions before us in the vernacular
of Brittany, Spain, Scotland, and several set in the form of songs that
are current in different parts of England.
The most meaningful and elaborate versions of the chant come from
Brittany. One is called _Les vêpres des grenouilles_. It is set in the
form of instruction, and begins:--
Can caer, Killoré. Iolic, petra faot dide?
Caera traïc a gement orizoud ti. (L., I, p. 95.)
"Chant well, Killore. Iolic, what shall I sing?--The most beautiful
thing thou knowest."
And it enumerates, "One silver ring to Mary, two silver rings, three
queens in a palace, four acolytes, five black cows, six brothers and
six sisters, seven days and seven moons, eight beaters of the air, nine
armed sons, ten ships on the shore, eleven sows, twelve small swords."
This combination of objects with numbers from one to twelve agrees most
closely with the enumeration of the game of _Twelve Days_.
The longer version of the Breton chant was interpreted by its editor as
a chant of instruction, and he claimed for it a Druidical origin. It
begins:--
Beautiful child of the Druid, answer me right well.
--What would'st thou that I should sing?--
Sing to me the series of number one, that I may learn it this very
day.
--There is no series for one, for One is Necessity alone, the father
of death, there is nothing before and nothing after.
And we read of two as oxen yoked to a cart; of three as the beginning,
the middle, and the end of the world for man and for the oak; also of
the three kingdoms of Merlin; of four as the stones of Merlin for
sharpening the swords of the brave; of five as the terrestrial zones,
the divisions of time, the rocks on one sister (_sic_); of six as babes
of wax quickened into life through the power of the moon; of seven as
the suns, the moons, and the planets, including _La Poule_ (i.e. the
constellation) of Charles's Wain; of eight as the winds that blow, eight
fires with the great fire lighted in the month of May on the War
Mountain; of nine as little white hands near the tower of Lezarmeur, and
as maidens who groan; of nine also as maidens who dance with flowers in
their hair and in white robes around the well by the light of the moon;
'the wild sow and her young at the entrance to their lair, are snorting
and snarling, snarling and snorting; little one, little one, hurry to
the apple-tree, the wild boar will instruct you'; of ten as the enemy's
boats on the way from Nantes, 'woe to you, woe to you, men of Vannes';
of eleven as priests 'coming from Vannes with broken swords and
blood-stained garments, and crutches of hazel-wood, of three hundred
only these eleven ones are left'; of twelve as months and signs,
'Sagittarius, the one before the last, lets fly his pointed arrow. The
twelve signs are at war. The black cow with a white star on her forehead
rushes from the forest (_des despouillés_) pierced by a pointed arrow,
her blood flows, she bellows with raised head. The trumpet sounds, fire
and thunder, rain and wind. No more, no more, there is no further
series.' (H. V., p. 1.)
The contents of this chant in several particulars agree with the shorter
one. Seven stands for days, eight for winds, and ten for boats.
A similar chant comes from Spain, which gives the answers with a curious
variation. For in this case most of the numbers are explained as one
less of one kind and one more of another. Thus one stands for the Wheel
of Fortune; two for one clock and bell; three for the handle of a mortar
(? _la mano del almiles_); four for three basins and one dish; five for
three jars of red wine and two of white (_or_ for the wounds of St.
Francis); six for the loves you hold (_amores que teneis_); seven for
six cassocks and a cape; eight for seven butchers and one sheep; nine
for eight hounds and one hare; ten for the toes; eleven for ten horsemen
and one leader (_breva_, ? acorn); twelve are probably pigs.
Exactly as in the other chants the numbers are set in question and
answer, the answer being in cumulative form:--
Quién me dirá que no es una?--
La rued de la fortuna. (Ma., p. 68.)
"Who will tell me what is one?--One is the Wheel of Fortune," and so
forth.
In this Spanish version there is the alternative of associating five
with the jars of wine of Cana or with the wounds of St. Francis, both of
which are Christian conceptions that occur in the Christian chants--the
wounds of St. Francis in the Italian chant, and the jugs of wine, six in
number, in the chant as it is sung and danced in Canada. Christian
conceptions are also introduced into some of the numerous versions of
the heathen Chants of the Creed that are current among ourselves, but
they are relatively few, and by their nature suggest a change from
heathen to Christian matters of belief.
The oldest version of this chant was printed by Chambers from an
unpublished collection of songs by P. Buchan. It is in dialogue form,
and, as in the case of the Druidical chants, its words indicate a
teacher who is instructing his pupils:--
1. We will a' gae sing, boys,
Where will we begin, boys?
We'll begin the way we should,
And we'll begin at ane, boys.
O, what will be our ane, boys?
O, what will be our ane, boys?
--My only ane she walks alane,
And evermair has dune, boys.
2. Now we will a' gae sing, boys;
Where will we begin, boys?
We'll begin where we left aff,
And we'll begin at twa, boys.
What will be our twa, boys?
--'Twa's the lily and the rose
That shine baith red and green, boys.
My only ane she walks alane,
And evermair has dune, boys.
3. Now we will a' gae sing, boys, ... etc.
What will be our three, boys?
Three, three thrivers ... etc. (1870, p. 44.)
Four's the gospel-makers, five's the hymnlers o' my bower, six the
echoing waters, seven's the stars in heaven, eight's the table
rangers, nine's the muses of Parnassus, ten's the commandments,
eleven's maidens in a dance, twelve's the twelve apostles.
Further variations of this chant have been recovered in Dorsetshire,
Cornwall, Derbyshire, Norfolk, and elsewhere. Many of them at the close
of each line insert the interjection _O_ in the place of the word
_boys_. This drew the suggestion from Dr. Jessopp that the song was
connected with the so-called _Seven great Os_, a song sung at vespers
during Advent before the _Magnificat_ from 16 December to Christmas Eve.
It took its name from the first line in the song, which begins _O
Sapientia_.
The Dorsetshire version is still sung at Eton, and is known as "Green
grow the rushes oh," the words that form the chorus:--
Solo: I'll sing you one oh!
Chorus: Green grow the rushes oh!
What is your one oh?
Solo: One is one and all alone
And ever more shall be so.[57]
[57] Byrne, S. R., _Camp Choruses_, 1891, p. 91.
The same order is observed for the next verse, the soloist explaining
two, the chorus adding one, and so forth. In this version we have two
lily-white boys, three rivals, four gospel makers, five symbols at your
door, six proud walkers, seven stars in the sky, eight bold rainers,
nine bright shiners, ten commandments, eleven for the eleven that went
up to heaven, twelve for the twelve apostles.
A Chant of the Creed is sung in Cornwall by the sailors, and begins:--
Come and I will sing you!
--What will you sing me?
I will sing you one, oh!
--What is your one, oh!
Your one is all alone,
And ever must remain so.
The explanations which follow are very corrupt. Two are lily-white maids
clothed all in green, oh!; three are bright shiners; four are
gospel-makers; five are the ferrymen in a boat and one of them a
stranger; six is the cheerful waiter; seven are the stars in the sky;
eight are the archangels; nine are the bold rainers; ten are the
commandments; eleven went up to heaven; twelve are the apostles.[58]
[58] Lang, A., "At the Sign of the Ship," in _The Gentleman's
Magazine_, January, 1889, p. 328.
In Derbyshire the chant is associated with the harvest festival, and
takes the form of a drinking song. It begins with three, but the
explanations of one and two are preserved in the last verse, in which
the song is carried back to its real beginning:--
Plenty of ale to-night, my boys, and then I will sing you.
What will you sing?--I'll sing you three oh.
What is the three O?...
The last verse enumerates:--Twelve apostles; eleven archangels; ten
commandments; nine bright shiners; eight, the Gabriel riders; seven
golden stars in heaven; six came on the board; five by water; four
Gospel rhymers; three threble thribers; two lily-white maids and one was
dressed in green O.[59]
[59] Addy, S. O., "Two Relics of English Paganism," in _The
Gentleman's Magazine_, July, 1890, p. 46.
This version of the chant was sung or recited at harvest-time in Norfolk
also, and began:--
A: I'll sing the one O.
B: What means the one O?
A: When the one is left alone, No more can be seen O!
C: I'll sing the two Os.
D: What means the two Os?
Two's the lily-white boys--three's the rare O--four's the gospel
makers--five's the thimble in the bowl--six is the
provokers--seven's the seven stars in the sky--eight is the bright
walkers--nine's the gable rangers--ten's the ten
commandments--'leven's the 'leven evangelists--twelve's the twelve
apostles.[60]
[60] Jessopp, "A Song in Arcady," in _Longman's Magazine_, June,
1889, p. 187.
The version current in Herefordshire is preserved as far as number eight
only:--
Eight was the crooked straight,
Seven was the bride of heaven,
Six was the crucifix,
Five was the man alive,
Four was the lady's bower [_or_ lady bird, _or_ lady, _or_ lady's
birth?],
Three was the Trinity,
Two was the Jewry,
One was God to the righteous man
To save our souls to rest. Amen.[61]
[61] From Stoke Prior, Herefordshire, in Addy, S. O., _Household
Tales and Traditional Remains_, 1895, p. 150.
Some of our nursery rhymes which are nonsensical represent these lines
in a further degradation:--
One, two, three, four, five,
I caught a hare alive;
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
I let her go again. (_c._ 1783, p. 48.)
And the following, in which "sticks" takes the place of _crucifix_,
while "straight" recalls _crooked straight_:--
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, shut the door,
Five six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight. (1810, p. 30).
The rhyme is sometimes continued as far as twenty:--
Nine, ten, a good fat hen,
Eleven, twelve, who shall delve? _etc._
The tabulation of the explanations of numbers of these various songs
will give an idea of the degradation to which words are liable, when
they have lost their meaning. It shows also that some information can be
recovered from comparing what is apparently nonsensical.
_One._--Scotland: One all alone.
Dorset: One is one and all alone.
Cornwall: Is all alone and ever must remain so.
Derbyshire: One was dressed in green O.
Norfolk: One left alone no more can be seen O.
Hereford: One was God to the righteous man.
_Two._--Sc.: Lilly and rose.
Dt.: Lilly white boys.
C.: Lilly white maids clothed in green.
Db.: Lilly white maids.
N.: Lily white boys.
H.: Jewry.
_Three._--Sc.: Thrivers.
Dt.: Rivals.
C.: Bright shiners.
Db.: Threble thribers.
N.: Rare O.
H.: Trinity.
_Four._--Sc.: Gospelmakers.
Dt. "
C. "
Db.: Gospelrhymers.
N.: Gospelmakers.
H.: Lady's bower.
_Five._--Sc.: Hymnlers of my bower.
Dt.: Symbols at your door.
C.: Ferrymen in a boat and one a stranger.
Db.: By water.
N.: Thimble in a bowl.
H.: Man alive.
_Six._--Sc.: Echoing waters.
Dt.: Proud walkers.
C.: Cheerful waiter.
Db.: Came on board.
N.: Provokers.
H.: Crucifix.
_Seven._--Sc.: Stars in heaven.
Dt.: Stars in the sky.
C. " "
Db.: Golden stars.
N.: Stars in the sky.
H.: Bride of heaven.
_Eight._--Sc.: Table rangers.
Dt.: Bold rainers.
C.: Archangels.
Db.: Gabriel riders.
N.: Bright walkers.
H.: Crooked straight.
_Nine._--Sc.: Muses.
Dt.: Bright shiners.
C.: Bold rainers.
Db.: Bright shiners.
N.: Gable rangers.
_Ten._--Sc.: Commandments.
Dt. "
C. "
Db. "
N. "
_Eleven._--Sc.: Maidens in a dance.
Dt.: Went up to heaven.
C. " "
Db.: Archangels.
N.: Evangelists.
_Twelve._--Sc.: Apostles.
Dt. "
C. "
Db. "
N. "
From this table we see that the _thrivers_ of Scotland are _threble
thribers_ in Derbyshire. These, according to the explanation of Addy,
are the three Norns or white ladies,[62] and this view is supported by
the _three queens_ of the one Breton chant, which probably suggested
_The Three Maries_ of the one Spanish version.
[62] Addy, S. O., loc. cit., p. 150.
Again, the _table rangers_ of the Scottish song are _Gabriel riders_,
otherwise known as _Gabriel hounds_ or _gabbe ratches_ in Derbyshire.
_Gabriel hounds_ is a word applied to the winds. The winds are also
associated with eight in the one Breton chant. In Cornwall _bright
shiners_ are associated with three, but in Dorsetshire and Derbyshire
_bright shiners_ are associated with nine, and nine is the number of
maidens in one Breton chant also. We are reminded of the priestesses who
were devoted to religious rites on some island of the Atlantic, perhaps
Ushant, off Brittany, when Pytheas, in the fourth century before Christ,
visited these shores. Nine of them attended a famous oracle, and
professed to control the weather.
The interest of these chants is increased when we compare them with what
folk-lore preserves on the subject. The followers of Mohammed tell a
tale which describes how a rich man promised a poor man his ox if he
could explain to him the numbers, and the following dialogue ensued:--
What is one and not two?--God is one.
What is two and not three?--Day and night [_or_ the sun and the
moon].
And further: three for divorces from one's wife; four for the Divine
books (i.e. the Old and New Testament, the Psalter and the Koran); five
for the states of Islam; six for the realms in Nizam; seven for the
heavens that surround the throne of God (A., II, 230).
The same story in a more primitive form is told in Ditmarschen, a
district bordering on Holstein, in which also the numbers are carried to
seven only. But in this case a peasant's property stood forfeited to the
"little man in grey," unless he found an explanation to the numbers. He
despaired of doing so, when Christ intervened and instructed him as
follows:--
One stands for wheelbarrow; two stands for a cart; three for a trivet;
four for a waggon; five stands for the fingers of the hand; six for the
working days of the week; seven for the stars of the Great Bear. And the
peasant remained in the possession of his goods (R., p. 137).
More primitive still is the story as told in Little Russia. In this case
a man bartered away his soul for six pigs. After three years the devil
came to fetch him. But the devil was met by an old, old man who
successfully cheated him of his due. The dialogue between them was: "Who
is in the house?--One and not one (that is two). And how about two?--It
is well to thrash two at a time. It is well to travel three at a time.
He who has four has a waggon. He who has five sons has company. Six pigs
the devil had, but he left them with a poor man, and now he has lost
them for ever" (A., II, 227).
The comparison of these stories with the Chants of the Creed shows that
the dialogue stories are older in contents, and probably in form also,
than the cumulative pieces. In both, superhuman power is conveyed by
associating numbers with objects. This power in the dialogue pieces is
attributed to the "little man in grey" of the German piece, who may be
intended for Death, and to the devil in the Russian piece. In the
pieces where numbers are associated with Christian articles of belief,
the superhuman power is attributed to a popular saint, viz. St. Simeon
in Denmark and St. Nicholas in Italy, who make use of their power to
overcome Satan.
The dialogue stories explain the numbers only as far as six or seven.
This in itself indicates that they are relatively early. Some of the
explanations they contain reappear in the cumulative Chants of the
Creed, both in their Christian and in their heathen variations. Thus the
"one wheel" of the wheelbarrow in the German dialogue story, reappears
as the Wheel of Fortune in the Spanish chant, and as the "One that walks
alone" of the Scottish chant. Perhaps this idea underlies the one O, or
circle of our late English songs also. Two in the dialogue story is
explained as a cart; one Breton Chant of the Creed associates two with
an ox-cart also. In the Mohammedan dialogue story two is explained as
the sun and moon, and this explanation reappears in the Christian chant
as sung in the Abruzzi. Six, which the German dialogue story explains
as the working days of the week, has the same meaning in our song of
the _New Dyall_. Seven, which the German dialogue story associates with
the constellation of Charles's Wain, reappears as _La Poule_ in the
Breton Chant of the Creed, as seven bright shiners in our English songs,
and as the stars seen by Joseph in the Latin Chant.
These points of likeness cannot be due to mere chance; they indicate a
relationship between all the pieces which associate objects with
numbers. There has been some discussion as to which Chant of the Creed
has the greater claim to priority--whether the Breton was based on the
Christian, or the Christian on the Hebrew, and how these stand in
relation to the various heathen chants. But the analysis of these pieces
renders it probable that they are all derived from an earlier prototype,
and this prototype is perhaps to be sought in the dialogue stories. For
in the Chants of the Creed the explanations of the numbers are often
abstract in meaning, whereas in the dialogue pieces they are simple
objects, mostly wheels or circles, which may well have appeared magical
in themselves to the primitive mind. Again, the purpose of the Chants
of the Creed is to convey religious instruction as a protection against
the devil, while in the dialogue stories in the last instance the theme
is the acquisition of pigs, and pigs were esteemed valuable possessions
from a remote period of antiquity.