_PLAYING AT WORK._
"The king (George III.) danced all night, and finished with the
_Hemp-dressers_, that lasted two hours."--_Memoir of Mrs.
Delany._
No. 20.
_Virginia Reel._
This dance, which we will not here attempt to describe, is no doubt
well known to our readers; but we doubt if any of them has reflected on
its significance. It is, in fact, an imitation of _weaving_. The first
movements represent the shooting of the shuttle from side to side, and
the passage of the woof over and under the threads of the warp; the
last movements indicate the tightening of the threads, and bringing
together of the cloth.[70]
There is a very similar Swedish dance, called "Weaving Woollen," in
which the words sung are--
Weave the woollen and bind it together,
Let the shuttle go round!
The originally imitative character of the dance is thus well
illustrated. The "Hemp-dressers' Dance," in which George III. figured,
seems to have resembled this, according to the description quoted in
the memoir referred to in the heading of this chapter.
No. 21.
_Oats, Pease, Beans, and Barley Grows._
This round, although very familiar to all American children, seems,
strangely enough, to be unknown in Great Britain; yet it is still
a favorite in France, Provence, Spain, Italy, Sicily, Germany, and
Sweden; it was played by Froissart (born 1337), and Rabelais (born
1483); while the general resemblance of the song in European countries
proves that in the five centuries through which we thus trace it,
even the words have undergone little change. Like the first game of
our collection, it is properly a dance rather of young people than
of children; and a comparative examination of versions inclines us
to the belief that it is of Romance descent. The lines of the French
refrain,[71] and the general form of the dance, suggest that the song
may probably have had (perhaps in remote classic time) a religious and
symbolic meaning, and formed part of rustic festivities designed to
promote the fertility of the fields; an object which undoubtedly formed
the original purpose of the May festival. So much for conjecture;
but, in any case, it is pleasant to think of the many generations of
children, in so many widely separated lands, who have rejoiced in the
pretty game.