Helston May Celebrations, Hal an Tow

The Words of the song are:

Hal-an Tow, jolly rumble O
For we are up as soon as any day. O
And for to fetch the Summer home
The Summer and the May, O,
For Summer is a come, O,
And Winter is a gone, O.

Robin Hood and Little John,
They both are gone to Fair O,
And we will to the merry green wood
To see what they do there, O,
And for to chase, O,
To chase the buck and doe.

Hal-an Tow, jolly rumble O
For we are up as soon as any day. O
And for to fetch the Summer home
The Summer and the May, O,
For Summer is a come, O,
And Winter is a gone, O.

Where are those Spaniards
That makes so great a boast, O?
For they shall eat the grey goose feather
And we shall eat the roast, O,
In every land, O,
The Land where e'er we go.

Hal-an Tow, jolly rumble O
For we are up as soon as any day. O
And for to fetch the Summer home
The Summer and the May, O,
For Summer is a come, O,
And Winter is a gone, O.

As for that Good Knight, St George,
St George he was a Knight O,
Of all the Knights in Christendom
St George he is the right, O,
In every land,O,
The land where e'er we go.

Hal-an Tow, jolly rumble O
For we are up as soon as any day. O
And for to fetch the Summer home
The Summer and the May, O,
For Summer is a come, O,
And Winter is a gone, O.

But to a greater than St George,
Our Helston has a right, O,
St Michaer with his wings outspread
The Archangel so bright, O,
Who fought the fiend, O,
Of all mankind the foe.

Hal-an Tow, jolly rumble O
For we are up as soon as any day. O
And for to fetch the Summer home
The Summer and the May, O,
For Summer is a come, O,
And Winter is a gone, O.

God bless Aunt Mary Moses
And all her power and might, O,
And send us peace in Merry England
Both day and night, O,
And send us peace in Merry England
Both now and evermore, O.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Helston
• Flora
• Cornwall
• Folk
• Lore
• Robin
• Hood
• Hal
• an
• Tow

[chapyermouth]

Proper job. Brought back memories - lived in helston until I was 18, only saw the Hal an Tow a few times and remember being scared stiff of the dragon! Now live in Nottingham so great to see the Robin Hood connection. Long may this great traditional be continued - Kernow bys vyken!

[StGeorgeisCross61]

How great to watch the folk of Helston performing as a strong community in this film on Hal an Tow. I loved it!

[BobMonkfish]

Not Merrie England, but Merrie Kernow -

"Britain is divided into four parts whereof one is inhabited by Englishmen, the other by Scots, the third by Welshmen and the fourth by CORNISH peoples" - Polydore Vergil, 1546. See thisisnotengland dot yookay and cornishnotenglish dot yookay

[jamerturnip]

Fantastic - watch it all - this be proper.

[dennytwp]

Jolly Rumble oh !

And I thought the Oysterband made this uo

Great vid 5stars :)