Comparative Studies in Nursery Rhymes Part 17

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.

Derbys.h.i.+re: One was dressed in green O.

Norfolk: One left alone no more can be seen O.

Hereford: One was G.o.d 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 s.h.i.+ners.

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 s.h.i.+ners.

C.: Bold rainers.

Db.: Bright s.h.i.+ners.

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 Derbys.h.i.+re. 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 Derbys.h.i.+re.

_Gabriel hounds_ is a word applied to the winds. The winds are also a.s.sociated with eight in the one Breton chant. In Cornwall _bright s.h.i.+ners_ are a.s.sociated with three, but in Dorsets.h.i.+re and Derbys.h.i.+re _bright s.h.i.+ners_ are a.s.sociated 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 sh.o.r.es. 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?--G.o.d 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 G.o.d (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:--