Old Sayings,Anecdotes,Related to Wildlife

[posie]

Has anybody any idea why we count sheep to get to sleep, I mean 'WHY SHEEP', why not goats, or ponies, or hedgehogs, or frogs. ?(or even earwigs) Is it cos it rhymes,...Sleep...Sheep,... so auto suggestion kicks in?

[mrmack]

did you know in the christmas carol, the 5 gold rings refered to 5 ring-necked pheasants and 4 calling birds or colly birds where 4 blackbirds...

In Scotland, early in the 19th century, the recitation began: "The king sent his lady on the first Yule day, | A popingo-aye [parrot]; | Wha learns my carol and carries it away?" The succeeding gifts were three partridges, three plovers, a goose that was grey, three starlings, three goldspinks, a bull that was brown, three ducks a-merry laying, three swans a-merry swimming, an Arabian baboon, three hinds a-merry hunting, three maids a-merry dancing, three stalks o' merry corn.........mack

[posie]

Thats facinating, Mack, do you think the 'English version has evolved from this, or the other way round, in other words 'which came first, the chicken or the egg'

[PMG]

To hark back a few posts to 'clowte' meaning clothing - has anyone else been to or past the 'Clootie Well' on the Black Isle in Scotland where folks have hung scraps of clothing (and one time a childs bycycle and various footwear - pumps and shoes - tho I think anything substantial that may fall on someones head has now been removed....)

I first read about it as part of on Ian Rankin story (and I should have realised at the time that such a thing actually existed as he includes real places in his fiction). It gave me a very weird jolt when the whole display came into view as we were driving by and then I saw the sign for it and the car park. I photographed it at the time but have since got rid of those photos as I found the whole thing including pictures of it disurbing - esp the childrens and babies clothing - there is such an air of sadness and pain as well as remembrance ......... it affected me really quite badly ........

Pauline

[Hedera]

On another track (sorry!) I presume that's why a Clootie dumpling was so called: cooked/boiled in a cloth? (Puddencloth to us!)

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Hedera

On another track (sorry!) I presume that's why a Clootie dumpling was so called: cooked/boiled in a cloth? (Puddencloth to us!)

Yup! And very good they used to be I remember puddins I mean not the cloth!

[posie]

Hi Pauline, are you saying that the original owners of these items were dead when they were put there, if that is the case I can understand why you were affected by it. ........Hedera, that is a really good everyday example of use of the word.

[PMG]

[quote=posie;567816]Hi Pauline, are you saying that the original owners of these items were dead when they were put there, if that is the case I can understand why you were affected by it: QUOTE]

I think so Posie ......... In fact I've just googled it and the first one up shows pics and tells all about it - apparently it is to do with illness - which will leave a person when the cloth rots away - even this write up says its an unsettling place .......

[tcvarlh]

Originally Posted by posie

Has anybody any idea why we count sheep to get to sleep, I mean 'WHY SHEEP', why not goats, or ponies, or hedgehogs, or frogs. ?(or even earwigs) Is it cos it rhymes,...Sleep...Sheep,... so auto suggestion kicks in?

'Twas Ships originally meaning all was calm and there were no enemies as the vessels were in port.

[tcvarlh]

Originally Posted by posie

Thats facinating, Mack, do you think the 'English version has evolved from this, or the other way round, in other words 'which came first, the chicken or the egg'

had a look at Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twe...hristmas_(song)