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The Cutty Wren

[ Roud 236 ; Ballad Index DTcutywr , SBoA165 ; GlosTrad Roud 236 ; Wiltshire 202 ; trad.]

David Herd: Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, Second Volume Gale Huntington: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People

Una Brandon-Jones, Hertzel Goldbloom and Martin Lawrence with the Topic Singers sang The Cutty Wren in 1940 on the Topic 78rpm shellac album TRC7. This track was also included in 1954 on the first Topic LP TRL1.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group sang The Cutty Wren in 1962 on their Topic EP Songs of Protest. A.L. Lloyd had a somewhat far-fetched explanation in the sleeve notes:

Some of the most ancient, most enduring and at the same time most mysterious English folk songs are those concerned with the attributes and sacrifice of monstrous animals. At the end of the 14^th century, when peasant rebellion was in the air, the old magical song of the gigantically powerful bird (presented by a kind of folklore irony as a tiny wren) took on a tinge of new meaning. For here was the story of a great fowl so hard to seize, so difficult to dismember but so apt for sharing among the poor; and what did that suggest but a symbol of seignorial property?

They returned to this song in 1972 on their album Something to Sing About. Ian Campbell noted:

This song is said to have been sung by the insurgents during the Peasants Revolt of 1381, although the words refer to a much earlier ritual of pre-Christian origin. We can only guess at the tune that was used at the time. Green Bushes, the eminently suitable one given here, was put to the song by A.L. Lloyd.

Danny Spooner and Gordon McIntyre sang The Cutty Wren on the 1968 album Soldiers and Sailors (Folksingers of Australia Volume 2). They returned in their notes to A.L. Lloyd’s above explanation:

Dating from the 14^th Century, this song was almost certainly a magical or totem song. In the opinion of A.L. Lloyd it took on a strong revolutionary meaning during the peasants’ revolt 1381. In countless legends the wren features as a tyrant and it would seem that, in this song, it became the symbol of baronial property, for which preparation for the seizure and redistribution to the peasants was to be carried out in the greatest secrecy. Hence the symbolism and hidden meaning.

An excellent version of this ancient song has been collected by N. O’Connor from Simon McDonald of Crewick, Victoria, 1963.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sang The Cutty Wren on the 1972 Living Folk anthology Pleasant and Delightful Vol. 2. They, Fred Breunig and Steve Woodruff also sang it in 1981 on their Front Hall album The Second Nowell. This track was included in 1989 on Nowell Sing We Clear’s anthology The Best of Nowell Sing We Clear 1975-1986. Nowell Sing We Clear also sang The Cutty Wren in 1995 on their Golden Hind album Hail Smiling Morn!.

Royston Wood and Heather Wood sang The Cutty Wren in 1977 on their Transatlantic LP No Relation.

Robin Dransfield sang The Cutty Wren in 1984 on his LP Tidewave.

Chumbawamba sang The Cutty Wren in 1988 on their LP English Rebel Songs 1381-1914 and re-recorded it in 2003 for their CD English Rebel Songs 1381-1984. They noted:

The Cutty Wren was written at the time of the Peasant’s Revolt in 1381. It tells the story of the capture of the wren—a symbol for the King—and its division amongst the poor people. An ancient custom in those times declared that for one day in each year the commoners would have the freedom of the kingdom, and it was on this day that the wren was hunted. The people obviously wanted more than this token relief from daily poverty and starvation: when the King tried to introduce a Poll Tax, further crippling the peasants, they ganged together and began to murder first the tax collectors and then the Lords and Bishops. The peasants had had enough.

Opposition to the tax created a spontaneous revolutionary army. Under the leadership of Wat Tyler, a commoner from Colchester, the people marched through Kent and into London. Palaces were ransacked. Archbishops were dispatched to meet their maker. For nine days the peasants had, in effect, control of England. The King proclaimed that servants, peasants, commoner—all were now free people.

The jubilation didn’t last long. At a prearranged meeting between Tyler and the King’s courtiers, and out of sight of the peasant army, Wat Tyler was murdered. The huge people’s army, too dependent upon his leadership, was divided and routed by the King’s soldiers.

The re-introduction of the Poll Tax in Britain, over six hundred years later, suitably demonstrated the historical link of outright defiance and resistance across the centuries. The Poll Tax, both then and now, was scrapped.

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge?”
(Shakespeare, from The Merchant of Venice, 1594)

Steeleye Span sang The Cutty Wren in 1996 on their CD Time. They noted:

The wren is known as the King of the Birds, because there is a fable in which a competition takes place to decide which bird is supreme. It is decided that he that flies highest is the monarch. The wren craftily hitches a ride on the back of the eagle and wins.

Also the wren was sacred to the Druids and the custom of catching and killing wrens at Christmas time would not be incompatible with this history of reverence. It would be protected all year and then ritually slain as a sacrifice at the appropriate time. As with all possible remnants of ancient religions, their meaning becomes obscured and their enactment trivialised, and so this song until recently was attached to the Christmas tradition of wassailing and the demanding of monies.

Jessica Radcliffe sang The Cutty Wren on her, Lisa Ekström’s and Martin Simpson’s 2000 album celebrating the Winter Solstice, Beautiful Darkness.

Mawkin:Causley sang Cutty Wren in 2009 on their Navigator album The Awkward Recruit. This track was nominated for best traditional track at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2010.

Corncrow sang The Cutty Wren on the Leigh Folk Festival 2010 anthology Horses & Hangings, Homicide & Hellfire.

You Are Wolf (Kerry Andrew) sang Little Wren on their 2014 CD Hawk to the Hunting Gone.

Burd Ellen sang Cutty Wren on their 2020 album Says the Never Beyond.

The Wilderness Yet sang Cutty Wren on their 2021 CD Turn the Year Round. They noted:

This song is thought by some to represent the human sacrifice of the Year King, or the symbolic slaughter of the wren as king of the birds at the end of the year for similar purposes, and such songs are traditionally sung on Wren Day (26 December).

The Magpie Arc sang The Cutty Wren in 2022 on their album Glamour in the Grey.

Compare to this Hunting the Wren on Steeleye Span’s album Live at Last!

Lyrics

Nowell Sing We Clear sing The Cutty Wren

“O, where are you going?” said Milder to Molder,
“O, we may not tell you,” said Festel to Fose,
“We’re off to the woods,” said John the Red Nose,
“We’re off to the woods,” said John the Red Nose.

“And what will you do there?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“We’ll hunt the Cutty Wren.”

“And how will you shoot her?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“With bows and with arrows.”

“But that will not do.”
“O, what will do then?”
“Big guns and big cannons.”

“And how will you carry her?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“On four strong men’s shoulders.”

“But that will not do.”
“O, what will do then?”
“In a big horse and wagon.”

“And how will you cut her up?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“With knives and with forks.”

“But that will not do.”
“O, what will do then?”
“Big hatchets and cleavers.”

“And how will you cook her?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“In pots and in pans.”

“But that will not do.”
“O, what will do then?”
“In a bloody great brass cauldron.”

“And who’ll get the spare ribs?”
“O, we may not tell you.”
“We’ll give ’em all to the poor.”

Steeleye Span sing The Cutty Wren

“O where are you going?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“We’re off to the woods,” said John the Red Nose

“What will you do there?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“We’ll hunt the Cutty Wren,” said John the Red Nose

“How will you shoot her?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“With bows and with arrows,” said John the Red Nose

“That will not do then,” said Milder to Maulder
“O what will do then?” said Festle to Foes
“Big guns and big cannons,” said John the Red Nose

“How will you bring her home?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“On four strong men’s shoulders,” said John the Red Nose

“That will not do then,” said Milder to Maulder
“O what will do then?” said Festle to Foes
“Big carts and big waggons,” said John the Red Nose

“How will you cut her up?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“With knives and with forks,” said John the Red Nose

“That will not do then,” said Milder to Maulder
“O what will do then?” said Festle to Foes
“Big hatches and cleavers,” said John the Red Nose

“Who’ll get the spare ribs?” said Milder to Maulder
“O we may not tell you,” said Festle to Foes
“We’ll give them all to the poor,” said John the Red Nose