The West Clare Wrenboys

http://www.setdancingnews.net/wcss/wcsst.htm
On the 26th December each year the Wrenboys take to the road. They visit each house in the locality playing music,dancing,singing and reciting poems. The style of set dancing in Clare is symbolised by the "battering" or foot tapping that goes on in time with the music. This clip was taken when set dancing was neither profitable or popular. Every time I look at this video it raises my heart another few beats. I love it!

In Ireland, St. Stephen's Day is the day for "Hunting the Wren" or "Going on the Wren." Originally, groups of small boys would hunt for a wren, and then chase the bird until they either have caught it or it has died from exhaustion. The dead bird was tied to the top of a pole or holly bush, which was decorated with ribbons or colored paper.

Early in the morning of St. Stephen's Day, the wren was carried from house to house by the boys, who wore straw masks or blackened their faces with burnt cork, and dressed in old clothes. At each house, the boys sing the Wren Boys' song. Such as:

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he is little, his family is great,
I pray you, good landlady, give us a treat.

My box would speak, if it had but a tongue,
And two or three shillings, would do it not wrong,
Sing holly, sing ivy--sing ivy, sing holly,
A drop just to drink, it would drown melancholy.

And if you draw it of the best,
I hope in heaven your soul will rest;
But if you draw it of the small,
It won't agree with these wren boys at all.

Sometimes those who gave money were given a feather from the wren for good luck. The money collected by the Wren Boys was used to hold a dance for the whole village.

There are different legends about the origin of this custom. One is that St. Stephen, hiding from his enemies in a bush, was betrayed by a chattering wren. The wren, like St. Stephen, should be hunted down and stoned to death. Another legend holds that during the Viking raids of the 700's, Irish soldiers were betrayed by a wren as they were sneaking up on a Viking camp in the dead of night. A wren began to eat breadcrumbs left on the head of a drum, and the rat-a-tat-tat of its beak woke the drummer, who sounded the alarm and woke the camp, leading to the defeat of the Irish soldiers and the continuing persecution of the wren.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Wrenboys
• Music
• Clare
• Ireland
• Irish
• Traditional
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[jayrbee60]

That looks like fun! Makes me want to stay on the good side of the Irish - seems they hold a grudge for a while, but also know how to make it fun!!! Thanks for the history lesson!

John

[andrewaaaaaaaa]

Nice clip, nice hornpipe, nice tune.

[Tess6210]

Brilliant! Miss those days!

[Cuchullain10]

Dance after 1:51 Mullagh half set ?

[jonesthephones]

Smiles all round... except for the poor Wren! Tradition and fun, marking the end of the old year and the start of the new. Grand

[TheHeathfield]

Athena 9621. You and your friends must have sounded better than my efforts. 1955/6/7 around meanus/bruff/croom in co limerick I was out at first light disturbing the peace and sleep of all the houses that showed signs of life, no respite until after dark. The best days take I can recall was about £3-10-0 in real money Oh what I would give for an hour with the people I loved so much . Most are gone but not forgotten RIP folks. Ah ,..those were the days, honest and humane, I remember them well.

[thissong4you]

Marvelous clip, Michael. I did not know this tradition. Wonderful music and dancing. Loved your notes and all the comments. Very illuminating. A classic clarebannerman. Thank you, and Happy Christmas. I do feel bad about the wren, though :0(

[SuperCeol]

man I love all this stuff you have where do u get it!!! up the banner!

[lissycarn]

Jesus this is my favourite clip. i

[jonesthephones]

Magical, just magical!

[fiddler1950]

young people should keep this tradition going... thanks mike

[moorewalshman]

Just great