Some Poems about Fairies

[Dave Allen]

Greenteeth


Did you see Arbor Low, did you see Doll Tor?
Did you visit the Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor?
At the end of the day did you let the brothers play
by the River Wye's green banks? Well I give you my thanks.

I stretch out a full reach & I pick me a flower,
I drag it kicking & bubbling to my drowning bower.

'You know, one these days the boys will dive like whales!'
You boasted at the pool during their first armbanded flails.
Yes he was taught how to swim as soon as he could begin,
& then, length after length, you amazed at his strength.

Now its no use to struggle, its no use to tussle,
this undertow is stronger still, this current has muscle.

Did you make him a throne of the tall Andle Stone?
At Arbor Low did cold winds blow & chill him to the bone marrow?
Did you see him pelt a pebble at a Merlin in the sky?
Did you see him holding to his breast a crawling butterfly?

Was he loved by his mother? Did he quarrel with his brother?
These ties that bind are torn asunder as I drag him under.

The Rawhead


Old Aunt Agnes sits and knits,
says: "Stay away from old marl pits.
In old marl pits the Rawhead sits,
he'll pull the arms from your armpits,
pop your eyes and eat your bits,
oh, heed my advice you little nitwits!"

Philly Joe was a brave young cove
and Little Ninny, oh so skinny.
Angelo who was want to rove
with Tricky Vicky - this is sticky.

Old Aunt Agnes sits and knits,
says: "stay away from old marl pits.
In old marl pits the Rawhead sits
and he'll grind your bones to make his grits,
snack your skull, swallow and spit,
oh, heed my advice you little shits!"

But they're out the door and climb the streets
and up the wolds and through the heath.
They'll not stay away from old marl pits,
they'll brave the lair where Rawhead sits.

But when they get there it's a scene of dread,
human bones and giblets, hanging from gibbets,
they'd underestimated old Rawhead,
he's a famishing Ogre - no fey Flibbertigibbet!

Philly Joe thinks of having a go,
but Rawhead's roaring frightens him, so
he runs and hides behind Angelo,
pulls Tricky Vicky to and fro.

He says to Rawhead "Don't eat me,
I've a medical complaint and I taste sickly,
eat Angelo and Tricky Vicky
and Little Ninny - hid within the spinney.
She may be lean but she's fit for the Queen.
She may be lean but she tastes supreme!"

Old Aunt Agnes sits and knits,
says: "Stay away from old marl pits."
And Philly Joe heeds her advice,
he went there once and won't go twice,
he'll stay away from old marl pits,
his lesson's learned and he's better for it.

[Catchabula]

Why did this remain largely unnoticed? Is it because so very few people can feel the magic of places nowadays, the presence of the "genius loci"? Beware maidens, when you go through the haunted woodlands of Weir around the time of Yule. Beware the Stone of Sacrifice, where once the blood of innocents flew, making that ground an evil place. Better sit with me at the cracking fire, and shiver at the howling of the winds... or is it an evil sprite? Come nearer, and I will tell you the story of the seven daughters of Gwyn Raggle, who all loved the young Laird of Brynn...
Wonderful poems!

[Didymos Thomas]

Man, that's strange.... I saw Stanton Moor and my mind hit Stanton Moore, the drummer. In the second poem you mention Philly Joe - and, of course, Philly Joe Jones is a legendary drummer. Just struck me ass odd.

i enjoyed the poems, Dave, thanks!

[Catchabula]

And do I hear the muttering Voice of Joyce?? Take Old Erin, mix in some whiskey (a Redbreast, by preference), and we'll sing bawdy songs together. And then a story.... Aye, tell me about Ireland, tell me ALL about Ireland. Cuchulainn lives, and Deirdre is my love!

YouTube - Celtic Woman - the Voice

[Dave Allen]

Originally Posted by Didymos Thomas

Man, that's strange.... I saw Stanton Moor and my mind hit Stanton Moore, the drummer. In the second poem you mention Philly Joe - and, of course, Philly Joe Jones is a legendary drummer. Just struck me ass odd.

I liked the name when I heard it in a Tom Waits song - Heartattack and Vine - I'm not sure if he was referring to the drummer or not. "Little Ninny" is from a Captain Beefheart song - Moonlight on Vermont - I just thought they sounded like an interesting pair of characters. Stanton Moor is a very picturesque part of the Peak District National park, and the Nine Ladies and other locations are megalithic sites in the area.

Thanks to you and Catch for the kind words - I wrote these as lyrics for a band I played in a while back.

---------- Post added 07-17-2009 at 01:46 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Catchabula

And do I hear the muttering Voice of Joyce?? Take Old Erin, mix in some whiskey (a Redbreast, by preference), and we'll sing bawdy songs together. And then a story.... Aye, tell me about Ireland, tell me ALL about Ireland.

Sorry to disappoint, but the places mentioned are from Derbyshire in the English midlands (though the Rawhead is thought to be an Irish myth originally). I think it's a terribly underrated part of the British Isles, Arbor Low in particular is stunningly wierd, like a giant 2,000 year-old clockface:

http://www.britcastles.com/circles/arbor-sky.jpg

[Catchabula]

A book! A book! My kingdom for a book! Has anyone ever read Scott Peck's "In Search of Stones"? A trip through the western British Isles, combined with an autobiography, and seeking for megalithic monuments as a metaphor of seeking for sense... Hm, what the point was? Thanks for the clarification, but I chose imagination. And a Redbreast tastes good everywhere, no? ;-)

[Dave Allen]

I've not heard of that one - I'll add it to my list of books to seek out. I really like "The Modern Antiquarian" and "The Megalithic European" by Julian Cope, and Aubrey Burl is another author of texts on megalithic sites.

[Caroline]

Originally Posted by Dave Allen

"The Megalithic European" by Julian Cope, and Aubrey Burl is another author of texts on megalithic sites.

I've got that one, it's good.

[Catchabula]

Do I sense some sister-souls here? I have 'm all, from the past to the present (no, not Stukeley...), but Watkins, the Bord couple, Gordon Childe, Jessup... Even Geoffrey of Monmouth is hanging around here, though Ashe's "King Arthur's Avalon" was more exciting reading. In my mind I spent quite some time on the Holy Grounds of Britannia, Caledonia and Erin. It wasn't easy to find a copy of "Stonehenge Decoded", and as to Stanton Moor I was there yesterday, thanks to Dyer's "Penguin Guide to Prehistoric England and Wales". I have a facsimile of James Fergusson's "Rude Stone Monuments", but that's another one that I stranded in. Et évidemment il y a Carnac. Does somebody know a good international guide on megalithic monuments? There's one for the Benelux...

[Dave Allen]

I really would recommend the Megalithic European if you haven't yet read it, it's expensive but it's a huge full colour hardback that covers sites throughout Europe from Ireland to Greece.

Plus, the author wrote "World Shut your Mouth".

Megalithic European: The 21st Century Traveller in Prehistoric Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Julian Cope: Books

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...TL._SS500_.jpg

Julian Cope's long-awaited follow up to The Modern Antiquarian, his bestselling and critically acclaimed guide to ancient Britain. The Megalithic European takes us on a breathtaking journey around prehistoric Europe's first temples.

Contents
* The Megalithic European is a monumental colour guide to the standing stones and ancient temples of prehistoric Europe.
* In a 6-year personal odyssey (leaving no stone unturned) Julian Cope covers 300 of the important sites of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
* The book looks further, revealing several thousand years of information which scholars have previously ignored, to the Classical temples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.
* Section 1: a series of essays, looking at the universal desire of all settlers: to celebrate and mythologize the landscape in which they have chosen to live, highlighting comparisons with British settlements.
* Section 2: a gazeteer of the many ancient sites in Europe that Julian Cope has personally visited, from Ireland to the Netherlands, from Crete to Denmark, discussing many areas outside the European arena, from Mount Ararat in Armenia to Mount Fuji in Japan, via the celebrated Mount Olympus of the Greek Myths to the legendary Tree of Yggdrasil of the Norse Myths.