The Gower Wassail
The earliest version we have found appears as The Wassail Song in Reverend J D Davies' A History Of West Gower, 1884. He described it as being sung on New Year's Eve, and said that although it was seldom now heard in other parts of Gower, it was "invariably sung in this parish; the singing party go round with a large jug of warm spiced ale." It differs from later versions in that the verses contain only two lines and the chorus is very brief:
A wassail, a wassail, throughout all the town,
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown.
CHORUS: Tol-de-rol-lol.
Our wassail it is made of a good ale and cake,
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could get.
Our bowl it is made of an elbury bough,
And now, my good master, I'll drink unto thou.
Besides all of that, we have apples in store,
Pray let us come in, for 'tis cold by the door.
We know by the moon that we are not too soon,
We know by the sky that we are not too high.
We know by the stars that we are not too far,
We know by the ground that we are within a sound.
We come on a design for to taste of your ale
Out of that li'l kinter keg that stands next to the wall
Now master and mistress, if you are within,
Pray send out your maid with a lily white skin
To open the door without more delay
Our time it is precious and we cannot stay.
You have brought us your wassail, that's very well known.
But we can assure you we've as good of our own.
And as for your wassail, we care not a pin
But for your good company you shall come in.
Now master and mistress, thanks to you we'll give
And for our jolly wassail, as long as we live.
Here's a health to Old Colley, with her crooked horn,
Pray God send our master a good crop of corn.
Both barley and oats, and all sorts of grain,
Pray God send our master a long life to reign.
And if we should live 'til another New Year,
Perhaps we may come and see who do live here.
In April 1928, Maud Karpeles recorded this from Mr Edwin Ace of Llangeneth (sic):
A wassail, a wassail, throughout all this town,
Our cup it is white and our ale it is brown.
Our wassail it is made of the good ale and cake,
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could bake.
CHORUS: Fol-de-rol, lol-de-dol-de-dol, lol-de-dol-de-dol, lol-de-dol-de-day,
Sing too-ra-li-addy, sing too-ra-li-ay.
Our wassail is made of an elberry bough,
Although, my good neighbour, we'll drink unto thou.
Besides all of that, we've apples in store,
Pray let us come in, for it's cold by the door.
We know by the moon that we are not too soon,
We know by the stars that we are not too far,
We know by the sky that we are not too high.
We know by the ground that we are within sound.
Now master and mistress, if you are within,
Pray send out your maid with the lilywhite skin
For to open the door without more delay
For our time it is precious and we cannot stay.
We're a company designed for to taste of your ale
Out of the kinker-gate that's next to the wall.
We want none of your small beer, nor none of your pale
But out of the kinker-keg that's next to the wall.
Horatio Tucker, writing in 1957, says the wassail would be carried out either on New Year's Eve or on Twelfth Night, January 6. The party carried a "susan", a large earthenware pitcher, wrapped in a sheepskin. This held the wassail, a special concoction of warm and highly-spiced ale, which would be replenished at each place where they called. Outside the door, the wassailers sang:
A wassail, a wassail, throughout all this town,
Our jug it is white and our ale it is brown.
Our wassail it is made of the good ale and cake,
Some nutmeg and ginger, the best we could get.
(He does not give a chorus).
Our wassail is made of an elberry bough,
Although, my good neighbour will sing unto thou.
Besides all the others we have apples in store,
Pray let us come in, for it's cold by the door.
We know by the moon that we are not too soon,
We know by the sky that we are not too high.
We know by the stars that we are not too far,
We know by the ground that we are within sound.
We're a company resigned (sic) to drink of your ale
Out of that kilderkin next to the wale.
We want not your pale beer, nor none of your smale
But a drop from the kilderkin next to the wale.
Now master and mistress, if you are within,
Pray send out your maid with her lilywhite skin,
For to open the door without more delay
Our time it is precious and we cannot stay.
(Members of the household replied):
You have brought here your wassail which is very well known,
But I can assure you we've as good of our own.
As for your wassail, we care not a pin
It's your good company that we'll let you in.
(The door was opened; the party entered and decanted some of their wassail into the traditional bowl provided. The "susan" was topped up, gifts were given to the wassailers, and as they left they expressed their thanks):
Here's health to Old Colley and her crooked horn,
Pray God send her master a good crop of corn,
Of barley and wheat, and all sorts of grain,
Pray God send her mistress a long life to reign.
Now master and mistress, thanks we do give
For our jolly wassail, as long as we live.
And if we should live 'til another New Year,
We'll come along to see who lives here.
Mr Eric Gibbs, of Llangennith, remembers Phil Tanner carrying out the wassail ceremony with his friend Billy Bond, always on January 5, the eve of Twelfth Night. Phil would prepare the wassail a week before... a blend of home-brewed brown ale, elderberry wine, fruit cake, ginger and spices. The wassail would be carried in a large tin can holding about a gallon and a half. After a while, the wassail would have been enhanced with brandy, whisky, rum, anything donated by the villagers - and there would still be 12 pints of it. Phil and Billy used to retire to the Picnic Room at the King's Head, where straw would thoughtfully have been provided by the landlady. They would not be seen again for a couple of days.
Last updated 08 March 2010
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