Yes, it's active writing and research time, so there'll probably be more posts coming through here. Today it's Yorkshire dialect, which led me to this page, which has lots of good material. It also cites this song by Steel Eye Span, which I remember fondly.
The image is from Wikipedia here.
I'm quoting the first two verses. The rest are on the site with a link to them singing it. I can't find the true URL on this computer, so you'll have to click on examples and scroll down a bit. It's wake song, that is, one sung at a funeral, and about the soul's journey over the moors, which will be hard or easy depending on their actions in life.
This ean night, this ean night Every night and awle Fire and Fleet and candle-leet And Christ receive thy Sawle |
When thou from hence dost pass away Every night and awle To Whinney-moor thou comest at last And Christ receive thy Sawle |
I love this not only for the song and the dialect, but for the folklore and the philosophy behind it.
Jo
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