So, I've been looking up lullabies.

[conuly]

And I've discovered something. Two sometimes.

1. In the world of lullabies-concerning-future-jobs, they all talk about what their son is going to do when he grows up. So... what did these people sing to their daughters? Isn't there even *one* about growing up, getting married, and having your own kids (the presumed occupation of all these daughters, just like they knew in advance what their sons would likely do)?

2. And why are they all featuring moonlight and such? Okay, yes, children do (hopefully) sleep at night, but... didn't these children take naps during the day? Were our ancestors so different from us, only a few generations ago? Didn't their parents feel silly singing about how late it was and the moon was shining, when it *wasn't*? I know I sure do.

Comments

[sayga.livejournal.com]

i can't think of any lullabyes that fall into either of those categories. i don't know about you, but i'd feel sillier singing to my baby about putting her to sleep in a tree than singing about moonlight. :P
maybe they only sang to their kids at night, when their husbands were home, because it was something a man would want a woman do to for his kids. or something. :P struggling to come up with a valid answer. or, maybe kids all slept in slings during the day and just woke and slept whenever they wanted and didn't need lulling to sleep.

lullabye -- lull to bye. hmm.

[conuly]

Nah, a lot of lullabyes mention daddy not being there because he's working.

And I know I have to sing to Eva to get her to sleep, even though she's strapped to my chest. She wants to see the world!

Etymology of lullaby (No e? Damn.)

I find it interesting that in Scots, "ba" apparently was another word used to make kids fall asleep. I go "sho sho sho" at the baby, sometimes, when I'm tired of singing.

[conuly]

As for putting the baby to sleep in a tree, that song irritates me. Aside from the gratuitious cruelty (go to sleep and DIE! YEAH!), I dislike how so many illustrations show a precariously-balanced floor cradle on a tree. Clearly, a hanging cradle is the sort that's meant.

But I have issues with *everything* sometimes. I shouldn't post when I do.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

Coventry Carol doesn't mention either of those :). Ok, so it's kind of religious too... dates back to the sixteenth century.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

1. O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

2. Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

3. That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

And the one my mother used to sing us doesn't have either either.
I don't remember all the words, so I tend to make a bit up, but the gist of it:

Little birdie in a tree
in a tree
in a tree
Little birdie in a tree
Sing a song for me.

Sing about the ?(roses)
on the garden wall
Sing about the ?(poplars)
growing straight and tall

Little birdie in a tree
in a tree
in a tree
Little birdie in a tree
Sing a song for me.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Silly girl.

Boys were too silly to be able to choose what to do, and thus needed to be told, and reminded every night. Girls are smart enough to choose for themselves, and thus don't need telling and reminding.

:)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Whilst yours clearly makes more sense, the normal interpretation is far more fun :0D

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

What about "all the pretty little horses"?

There. Connie's wrong and Austin's right because he has pointed out one exception. (It's not as if she didn't do a post on exactly this just a few months ago)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Brahm's lullaby (which is, to me, pretty much the definition of a lullaby) doesn't have any of that stuff. Although it's kinda religious. But if you sang it in the German you might not notice ;0)

[sayga.livejournal.com]

wow, i want that hanging cradle... but there are no trees here big enough to hang it from.

and i never knew the correct spelling was lullaby (no e). hmm.

[conuly]

1. Me too - I think you can hang it from your ceiling, though.

2. Neither did I. *sigh*

[conuly]

If you say so.

[conuly]

1. I did? Wow. I usually don't repeat myself that soon.
2. That's a morbid little song. "Way down yonder, in the meadow, there's a poor little lamby. The bees and the butterflies pecking out his eyes...."

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

1) Or maybe it was a few weeks ago, or maybe it was a year plus ago. I'm actually not sure at all. I know that it was you, though, and I know that if it was in the past four months, I read it twice but did not reply to it, or else I would have been able to find it through my g-mail account.

2) Yeah, I tend to avoid that verse when ever possible.

[conuly]

2) Yeah, I tend to avoid that verse when ever possible.

I sing it extra loud. 'cuz I'm like that.

(You know what's really scary? Ana can sing parts of "Pretty Polly" with me, I've sung it so much.

[conuly]

That's "and ever mourn and say", i.e. sigh. I love that song dearly. Pity I generally try not to sing Christmas songs before September, or after February.

[conuly]

If I sang it in the German, I might be too overawed at my l337 German skillz to care.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

Sorry. That one was grabbed from a google, I don't remember the words that well. A medieval singing group that I turn up to very occasionally sang it recently. It's yummy in four-part harmony *grin*

[sayga.livejournal.com]

i can't think of any lullabyes that fall into either of those categories. i don't know about you, but i'd feel sillier singing to my baby about putting her to sleep in a tree than singing about moonlight. :P
maybe they only sang to their kids at night, when their husbands were home, because it was something a man would want a woman do to for his kids. or something. :P struggling to come up with a valid answer. or, maybe kids all slept in slings during the day and just woke and slept whenever they wanted and didn't need lulling to sleep.

lullabye -- lull to bye. hmm.

[conuly]

Nah, a lot of lullabyes mention daddy not being there because he's working.

And I know I have to sing to Eva to get her to sleep, even though she's strapped to my chest. She wants to see the world!

Etymology of lullaby (No e? Damn.)

I find it interesting that in Scots, "ba" apparently was another word used to make kids fall asleep. I go "sho sho sho" at the baby, sometimes, when I'm tired of singing.

[conuly]

As for putting the baby to sleep in a tree, that song irritates me. Aside from the gratuitious cruelty (go to sleep and DIE! YEAH!), I dislike how so many illustrations show a precariously-balanced floor cradle on a tree. Clearly, a hanging cradle is the sort that's meant.

But I have issues with *everything* sometimes. I shouldn't post when I do.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

Coventry Carol doesn't mention either of those :). Ok, so it's kind of religious too... dates back to the sixteenth century.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

1. O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor Youngling for Whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay?

2. Herod the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

3. That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day
For Thy parting neither say nor sing,
By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
By, by, lully, lullay.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

And the one my mother used to sing us doesn't have either either.
I don't remember all the words, so I tend to make a bit up, but the gist of it:

Little birdie in a tree
in a tree
in a tree
Little birdie in a tree
Sing a song for me.

Sing about the ?(roses)
on the garden wall
Sing about the ?(poplars)
growing straight and tall

Little birdie in a tree
in a tree
in a tree
Little birdie in a tree
Sing a song for me.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Silly girl.

Boys were too silly to be able to choose what to do, and thus needed to be told, and reminded every night. Girls are smart enough to choose for themselves, and thus don't need telling and reminding.

:)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Whilst yours clearly makes more sense, the normal interpretation is far more fun :0D

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

What about "all the pretty little horses"?

There. Connie's wrong and Austin's right because he has pointed out one exception. (It's not as if she didn't do a post on exactly this just a few months ago)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Brahm's lullaby (which is, to me, pretty much the definition of a lullaby) doesn't have any of that stuff. Although it's kinda religious. But if you sang it in the German you might not notice ;0)

[sayga.livejournal.com]

wow, i want that hanging cradle... but there are no trees here big enough to hang it from.

and i never knew the correct spelling was lullaby (no e). hmm.

[conuly]

1. Me too - I think you can hang it from your ceiling, though.

2. Neither did I. *sigh*

[conuly]

If you say so.

[conuly]

1. I did? Wow. I usually don't repeat myself that soon.
2. That's a morbid little song. "Way down yonder, in the meadow, there's a poor little lamby. The bees and the butterflies pecking out his eyes...."

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

1) Or maybe it was a few weeks ago, or maybe it was a year plus ago. I'm actually not sure at all. I know that it was you, though, and I know that if it was in the past four months, I read it twice but did not reply to it, or else I would have been able to find it through my g-mail account.

2) Yeah, I tend to avoid that verse when ever possible.

[conuly]

2) Yeah, I tend to avoid that verse when ever possible.

I sing it extra loud. 'cuz I'm like that.

(You know what's really scary? Ana can sing parts of "Pretty Polly" with me, I've sung it so much.

[conuly]

That's "and ever mourn and say", i.e. sigh. I love that song dearly. Pity I generally try not to sing Christmas songs before September, or after February.

[conuly]

If I sang it in the German, I might be too overawed at my l337 German skillz to care.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

Sorry. That one was grabbed from a google, I don't remember the words that well. A medieval singing group that I turn up to very occasionally sang it recently. It's yummy in four-part harmony *grin*