938:" in old writing can be easily confused....As best we can tell the song originated in Yorkshire, and people who have studied Yorkshire culture and dialect tell us that the word really is "fleet" with an "f". "Fleet" is an old word for a large room in a house, related to "flet" or floor. People who have read Tolkien may recall the Elvish platforms up in the trees in Lothlorien, which were called "flets" and were little more than floors surrounding the trunks of large trees. When "fleet" appears in English poetry, it is generally together with "fire" in the phrase "fire and fleet," to indicate the comforts of home. (Today we would say "hearth and home.")
668:. We were opening our set at the time with the Lyke Wake Dirge, a grim piece of music from Yorkshire concerning pergatory and we all dressed in dramatic mummers ribbons with tall hats. The effect was stunning. 5 gaunt figures in line across the front of the stage, lit from below casting huge shadows, intoning this insistent dirge alarmed some members of the audience whose reality was already tampered with by 1970s substances. It was most satisfying.
481:
542:
587:) with words altered slightly to fit the canonical single melody, the second countertenor starting one bar behind the first. At the end of each versicle the line rises by a semitone producing an eerie and climactic ending on top D before dropping back down to the starting tone.
590:
A version with a different tune (but with the "fire and fleet" version of the lyrics) was collected by the folk song collector, Hans Fried, from the singing of "an old
Scottish lady", Peggy Richards.
152:, an undead monster in fantasy fiction. "Lyke-wake" could also be from the Norse influence on the Yorkshire dialect: the contemporary Norwegian and Swedish words for "wake" are still
104:, reminding the mourners to practise charity during lifetime. Though it is from the Christian era and features references to Christianity, much of the symbolism is thought to be of
345:
in the version that Aubrey collected. Unlike the preceding and following pairs of stanzas, nothing happens at the Brig o' Dread. Richard
Blakeborough, in his
598:
recording on their 1965 debut album, using quite a primitive harmonisation, in which two of the vocal parts move in parallel fifths. The folk band
391:
In this version, the Brig o' Dread (Bridge of Dread) is the decisive ordeal that determines whether the soul's destination is Heaven or Hell.
796:
563:
709:
1067:
980:
788:
528:
89:
861:
Wit, character, folklore & customs of the North Riding of
Yorkshire; with a glossary of over 4,000 words and idioms now in use
626:
502:
455:
1072:
506:
410:
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148:, the roofed gate at the entrance to a churchyard, where, in former times, a dead body was placed before burial, and the
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seems to be corrupted from selt, or salt, a quantity of which is frequently placed on the breast of a corpse
898:
678:
231:
1052:
399:
349:, fills this apparent gap with verses he says were in use in 1800, and which seem likely to be authentic:
1077:
812:
683:
568:
342:
93:
1025:
fire and flet (corruptly fleet): 'fire and house-room'; an expression often occurring in wills, etc.
591:
546:
330:, are in the old ballad made contingent on the dead person's willingness in life to participate in
105:
865:
665:
621:
121:
338:
in 1686, who also recorded that it was being sung in 1616, but it is believed to be much older.
116:
The title refers to the act of watching over the dead between the death and funeral, known as a
976:
844:
792:
784:
660:, drily characterises the song's countercultural appeal, in describing one 1970s performance:
51:
630:. Most later renditions of the song use the Richards-Fried melody; these include versions by
714:
698:
646:
context, changing the refrain to "May earth receive thy soul". This version can be found on
635:
599:
558:
331:
999:
604:
576:
572:
117:
859:
690:
617:
613:
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881:
edited by Hannah Aitken, Scottish
Academic Press, Edinburgh and London, 1973. Page 82
838:
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247:
575:
uses individual verses as interludes between the longer movements. English composer
725:
608:, using the same tune as The Young Tradition, but elaborating the arrangement, and
463:
are a summary of the comforts of the house, which the dead person still enjoys for
1011:
1006:, Wolfe Publishing Ltd, 1968. This includes the version collected by Hans Fried.
748:
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126:
17:
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The safety and comfort of the soul in faring over the hazards it faces in the
68:
120:. "Lyke" is an obsolete word meaning a corpse. It is related to other extant
989:, published for the Yorkshire Dialect Society by Sidgwick and Jackson, 1916.
918:
729:
327:
256:
138:
101:
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set it for voice and piano in 1908 and made an orchestral version in 1934.
1019:
First verse in 3-part harmony, based on the singing of The Young
Tradition
825:
A glossary of the
Cleveland dialect: explanatory, derivative, and critical
132:
144:
142:, all meaning "corpse". It survives in modern English in the expression
437:. F.W. Moorman, in his book on Yorkshire dialect poetry, explains that
206:
182:
with the same meanings as previously described for "lyke" and "wake").
994:
Wit, Character, Folklore, and
Customs of the North Riding of Yorkshire
541:
1018:
935:
721:
642:. The annual Spiral Dance in San Francisco has adapted the song to a
934:
Some think the word is really "sleet," since the letters "f" and "
741:
579:
wrote a duet (This Eane Night) for two countertenors (recorded by
540:
225:
85:
744:– church service (office) for the dead, later somber funeral song
656:, writing in the liner notes to the Steeleye Span retrospective
362:
149:
97:
40:
673:
474:
100:'s travel, and the hazards it faces, on its way from earth to
879:
A Forgotten
Heritage: Original Folk Tales of Lowland Scotland
433:; the latter is in Aubrey's version of the words and in the
987:
Yorkshire dialect poems: (1673–1915) and traditional poems
827:
by John
Christopher Atkinson, J.R. Smith, 1868. Page. 601
347:
Wit, Character, Folklore, and
Customs of the North Riding
951:"Matt Berninger & Andrew Bird – "A Lyke Wake Dirge""
553:
The poem has been recorded a number of times as a song.
394:
This ballad was one of 25 traditional works included in
66:
58:
46:
39:
34:
707:In 2016 a version was used as the theme for BBC's
781:Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions
769:The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Part 3, Volume 5
359:Bud if o' siller an' gawd thoo nivver ga' neean,
351:
200:
171:
153:
648:Let It Begin Now: Music from the Spiral Dance
467:, and then goes out into the dark and cold."
356:At t' Brigg o' Dreead thoo'll finnd footho'd,
241:The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane;
177:
165:
159:
8:
720:"Lyke-Wake Dirge" is sometimes considered a
713:supernatural horror TV series, performed by
969:Remaines of gentilisme and judaisme 1686–87
840:The Oxford Book of English verse, 1250-1900
616:in the "Collector's Choice" version of his
509:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
971:. Reprinted in: John Buchanan-Brown (ed),
624:also included this song on her 1967 album
354:If ivver thoo gav' o' thi siller an' gawd,
190:The song is written in an old form of the
31:
27:Traditional Yorkshire-dialect English song
783:by Wendy Doniger, Merriam-Webster, 1999,
529:Learn how and when to remove this message
269:The fire will burn thee to the bare bane;
253:From Brig o' Dread when thou may'st pass,
239:If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
84:" is a traditional English folk song and
602:performed a version on their 1969 album
267:If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane,
1023:The Oxford English Dictionary includes
761:
244:From Whinny-muir when thou may'st pass,
38:
1035:version, with a quotation that sleet
837:Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas (1900).
264:The fire sall never make thee shrink;
7:
897:. Vol. Compact (2nd ed.).
843:. Oxford University Press. pp.
564:Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
507:adding citations to reliable sources
449:. He also notes that the expression
1029:old northern song over a dead corps
425:Some versions of the words include
232:If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon
222:When thou from hence away art past,
216: (Refrain:)
689:In 2014 the dirge was recorded by
627:Fire & Fleet & Candlelight
361:Thoo'll doon, doon tumm'l tiwards
334:. The poem was first collected by
262:If ever thou gavest meat or drink,
25:
919:"Understanding "Lyke Wake Dirge""
809:Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
682:, the angel Islington (played by
561:set it to music as a part of his
279:Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
214:Fire and fleet and candle-lighte,
1012:The Oxford Book of English Verse
479:
1015:, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1900
815:, Penguin Books, 1964 Page. 231
461:Fire and fleet and candle-light
456:Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
272:This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
203:This ae nighte, this ae nighte,
864:. London: H. Frowde. pp.
858:Blakeborough, Richard (1898).
751:" – a similar Norwegian ballad
664:5 nights at the LA Forum with
453:appears in the mediaeval poem
283:And Christe receive thy saule.
236:Sit thee down and put them on;
218:And Christe receive thy saule.
1:
996:, Henry Frowde: London, 1898.
903:Variant or dialectal form of
813:Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
638:(titled 'This Ay Nicht') and
409:of this tale also appears in
1009:Arthur Quiller-Couch (ed.),
1004:100 folk songs and new songs
724:, but unlike a ballad it is
594:used this version for their
569:Cantata on Old English Texts
435:Oxford Book of English Verse
292:Oxford Book of English Verse
411:The Well of the World's End
396:Ballads Weird and Wonderful
341:There would appear to be a
1104:
398:(1912) and illustrated by
376: Note:
299: Note:
228:-muir thou com'st at last;
894:Oxford English Dictionary
471:Versions and performances
451:Aboute the fyre upon flet
274: —
259:fire thou com'st at last;
205: (
124:words such as the German
1068:Buffy Sainte-Marie songs
717:featuring Howlin' Lord.
281:
96:. The song tells of the
975:, Centaur Press, 1972.
899:Oxford University Press
710:The Living and the Dead
992:Richard Blakeborough,
670:
550:
374:
297:
276:Every nighte and alle,
211:Every nighte and alle,
178:
172:
166:
160:
154:
137:
131:
125:
1073:Northumbrian folklore
1031:, but also notes the
901:. 1989. p. 1041.
662:
567:in 1943, and, in his
544:
415:"Muir o' Heckle-pins"
1083:Year of song unknown
684:Benedict Cumberbatch
503:improve this section
250:thou com'st at last;
94:Roud Folk Song Index
1063:Traditional ballads
592:The Young Tradition
547:the Young Tradition
459:and explains that "
445:and references the
1088:Songwriter unknown
1058:English folk songs
658:Spanning the Years
622:Buffy Sainte-Marie
551:
136:and the Norwegian
1027:and refers to an
973:Three prose works
917:Duntemann, Jeff.
797:978-0-87779-044-0
771:, 1983. Page. 533
539:
538:
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192:Yorkshire dialect
88:listed as number
78:
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52:Yorkshire dialect
35:"Lyke-Wake Dirge"
16:(Redirected from
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636:Mediaeval Baebes
612:had a duet with
559:Benjamin Britten
545:Sheet music for
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577:Geoffrey Burgon
573:Igor Stravinsky
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371:Stanzas 6 and 7
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82:Lyke-Wake Dirge
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691:Matt Berninger
618:Zero She Flies
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431:fire and fleet
427:fire and sleet
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1053:English poems
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978:
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967:John Aubrey,
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585:Charles Brett
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488:This section
486:
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465:this ae night
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307:: stockings;
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249:
248:Brig o' Dread
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106:pre-Christian
103:
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69:Songwriter(s)
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926:. Retrieved
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764:
728:rather than
719:
708:
702:
688:
677:
672:In the 2013
671:
663:
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652:
647:
625:
603:
589:
581:James Bowman
562:
552:
525:
516:
501:Please help
489:
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429:rather than
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198:. It goes:
189:
143:
130:, the Dutch
115:
81:
79:
29:
1078:Death music
799:. Page 282.
749:Draumkvedet
715:The Insects
695:Andrew Bird
686:) sang it.
676:radio play
666:Jethro Tull
654:Maddy Prior
614:Mimi Fariña
549:'s version.
407:Whinny-muir
400:Vernon Hill
388:: foothold
336:John Aubrey
294:(1900) #381
1047:Categories
962:References
701:TV series
679:Neverwhere
610:Al Stewart
596:a cappella
555:Arnold Bax
380:: silver;
365:fleeames,
315:: thorns;
186:The lyrics
891:"fleet".
730:narrative
600:Pentangle
571:of 1952,
519:June 2017
490:does not
328:afterlife
323:: bridge
311:: shoes;
290:from the
257:Purgatory
112:The title
102:purgatory
50:English (
736:See also
697:for the
644:neopagan
386:footho'd
384:: gold;
369:—
319:: bone;
288:—
145:lychgate
122:Germanic
108:origin.
47:Language
928:12 June
620:album.
511:removed
496:sources
413:as the
332:charity
313:whinnes
303:: one;
207:Refrain
161:likvaka
155:likvake
92:in the
74:Unknown
62:Unknown
59:Written
979:
795:
787:
722:ballad
634:, the
441:means
378:siller
343:lacuna
226:Whinny
127:Leiche
868:-124.
847:-362.
756:Notes
742:Dirge
726:lyric
443:floor
439:fleet
309:shoon
305:hosen
86:dirge
80:The "
977:ISBN
930:2015
905:flet
793:ISBN
785:ISBN
704:Turn
693:and
583:and
494:any
492:cite
405:The
382:gawd
363:Hell
321:brig
317:bane
209::) —
179:vake
173:vaka
170:and
158:and
150:lich
133:lijk
118:wake
98:soul
90:8194
41:Song
866:123
845:361
811:by
699:AMC
674:BBC
505:by
447:OED
255:To
246:To
224:To
194:of
167:lik
139:lik
1049::
1002:,
932:.
921:.
791:,
732:.
650:.
417:.
402:.
301:ae
1039:.
936:s
907:.
747:"
532:)
526:(
521:)
517:(
513:.
499:.
234:,
176:/
54:)
20:)
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