LL-L "Literature" 2005.05.15 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 15.MAY.2005 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Thomas Byro <greenherring at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Games" 2005.05.14 (04) [E/German]

Thank you, Gabriele,  Your memory is extraordinary.  I wonder if the
brothers Grimm collected these songs?  It would be hard to imagine
their overlooking such an important source of folklore.

Tom Byro

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From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Games" 2005.05.14 (04) [E/German]

Hi Lowlanders,

It took me some time but I pried a game song from the petrified gray
matter:
It goes as follows:
Varen, Varen, Wiedewiede Waren.
Wie gaat er mee naar Engeland varen.
Engeland is gesloten,
De sleutel is gebroken,
Is er dan geen Engelsman,
Die die sleutel maken kan.

This is also a very old one dating back to 1667 when the Dutch Navy
blockaded the South East Coast of England during the second Anglo Dutch
war. I do not remember what we did while singing this ditty, but falling
down in a heap and giggling seems to be a likely candidate.

Also, maybe this question does not belong in the "Games" section, but
the idea came from Gabrielle Kahn mentioning "Da weint' die XYZ
kartoffeldicke Tränen"
This must be a fruitful strain of research. I have never heard about
"potato thick" tears. In Dutch I know "tranen met tuiten huilen" (
tuiten probably derived from the French tuyau ) and "krokodillentranen"
both in Dutch and in English. Are there any other descriptions of the
nature of tears in our lowland languages?

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Games

Hi, Jacqueline!

> kartoffeldicke Tränen"
> This must be a fruitful strain of research. I have never heard about
> "potato thick" tears.

I have never heard of it either, and I am from the general neighborhood.
Unless I'm sorely mistaken, it is no common phrase, may well be one made up
especially for this song.  Employment of amusing turns of the sort are not
uncommon in children's verse.

For the benefit of our friends without Dutch (and note the archaic, now
Low-Saxon-like _wiedewiede_), here is my rough English translation of the
ditty, because there's an interesting historical twist that may be of more
general interest:

Traveling, traveling, merchandize far and wide.
Who will join us on our voyage to England?
England is all but closed up.
The key is all but broken.
Isn't there an Englishman
That can make the key?

It's one of those examples of children's songs or other sorts of folksy
ditties containing veiled historical information.

Thanks, Jacqueline.

I think this thread is really turning into "Literature," dealing with street
and oral literature.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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