An all but unknown version of "Reynardine"

[FrankHudson]

Halloween element coming. Wait for it. This song had to wait about a century to get it's supernatural content.

In my Parlando Project I do a lot of "Poetry's Greatest Hits" with music, but I also like finding lesser and little-know poets and poems to work with. One of my "finds" is an early 20th century Irish poet Joseph Campbell (who also used the Gaelic version of his name Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, which confused folks then just as now his English name confuses folks who think of the American Power of Myth guy.)

Campbell used folkloric material in his poetry, and may have directly collected songs from the Irish countryside. And he's also the first Irish poet to use modernist free verse, and effectively too. But all that's another story.

Do you know the folk song "Reynardine" and particularly do you know it as the story of a shape-shifter were fox? Well until 1909 no version of that song that anyone can find or find mention of had that element, until a successful anthology of Irish Country Songs published that year included a footnote that introduced that idea.

Where did that idea come from? Well, my boy MacCathmhaoil/Campbell (also in 1909) published a poem "Reynardine, " which in just three short effective verses makes the title character a clear were-fox. Best supposition is that Campbell may have inspired the footnote, and the footnote then inspired the way the song is explained by singers later in the 20th century, but Campbell's version of "Reynardine" has (AFAIK) never been sung. Totally forgotten. I maintain it's too good to forget.

I wrote about this on my Project's blog. There's a link there to hear what may be the premiere performance of Campbell's words to the traditional tune. Or you can just use this link to play it directly.

The blog post also includes a chord sheet of my version, but you can use any arrangement of "Reynardine" that you already know. What I like about Campbell's version: you don't have to "explain" what the song is about, it's all there in the lyrics, and that he tells the story so concisely.

[Glennwillow]

Thanks for all your efforts on this, Frank! It's all quite fascinating. I liked the song that you linked.

It's great to dive into one of your projects! Well done!

- Glenn

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Thanks for all your efforts on this, Frank! It's all quite fascinating. I liked the song that you linked.

It's great to dive into one of your projects! Well done!

- Glenn

Thanks. Over the course of the project my voice has improved to where I'm now a run-of-the-mill below-average singer on good days. If I get some good singer to incorporate these lyrics I'll consider it job-done.

I always enjoy, with pleasant envy, your vocals and clean playing.