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"Merry-ma-Tanzie" is solely
a girls' game, of which boys, however, may be interested spectators. The
counting-out rhyme having put one in the centre, the rest join hands in
a ring about her, and moving slowly round, they sing:—
Here we go round the
jingo-ring,
The jingo-ring, the jingo-ring,
Here we go round the jingo-ring,
About the merry-ma-tanzie.
Twice about and then we fa',
Then we fa', then we fa',
Twice about and then we fa',
About the merry-ma-tanzie.
Choose your maidens all
around,
All around, all around,
Choose your maidens all around,
About the merry-ma-tanzie.
Replying to this
invitation, the one in the centre chooses two from the circle, and
retires with them a short distance away. During their absence the
ring-band proceeds as before, and sing with imitating gesture:—
Sweep the house ere the
bride comes in,
The bride comes in, the bride comes in,
Sweep the house ere the bride comes in,
About the merry-ma-tanzie.
When those who left
return, the one who was in the centre takes up her original position, as
also do the others, and the ring moves on again with:-
Here's a bride new come
home,
New come home, new come home
Here's a bride new come home,
About the merry-ma-tanzie.
Then follows "Mary
Auderson is her name," with the usual repeats, and ''Guess ye wha is her
true love," "A bottle o' wine to tell his name,'' "Andrew Wilson is his
name,'' "Honey is sweet and so is he,'' (or Apples .are sour and so is
he,") "He's married her wi' a gay gold rill,," "A gay gold ring's a
cank'rous thing," But now they're married we wish them joy," "Father and
mother they must obey.'' "Loving each other like sister and brather,"
"We pray this couple may kiss together," all, of course, sung with their
repeats as above; and the game may be played until every little girl has
revealed her little sweetheart's name, which, to be sure, is the
motif of the play. |
