The Wintering (The King)

 The Wintering (The King) 

To no one’s surprise at this point, “The King” is a song I know from Loreena McKennitt’s winter albums. Steeleye Span recorded it as well for their 1971 album “Please See to the King”, consisting entirely of traditional songs. The king refers to a wren, a symbol of winter, that is hunted and killed to represent the death of winter. It is paraded around, bedecked in ribbons. It is associated with the Feast of Stephen. – Wikipedia and mainlynorfolk.info  

Kind of a bummer for the bird, as superstitious animal sacrifices are not something I have much respect for. I rarely even sacrifice them for my own nutrition. I do, of course, acknowledge the medical advancements we have made at animals’ expense, though not all were done with conscientious respect for the lives taken. But that’s another topic for another day. 

A line in the original reads: we have powder and shot to conquer the lot, we have canon and ball to conquer them all. Just like “On Christmas Day It Happened So” I wanted to dispense with the judgmental violence.  

 

Good health, love and peace be all here in this place 
By your leave we will sing, during our wintering. 
 

Our winter is dressed in silks of the best 
In ribbons so rare no season compares. 
 

We trudge through the snow, so crunchy and slow, 
In search of our sledding hill, o'er snow drifts so still. 
 

We have chocolate so hot on the stove in a pot, 
We have tons of sweets and treats, for all friends to eat. 
 

The dark solstice night, shall yield to the light,  

And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new 

 

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