What song did the "Mother of Folk" say her grandmother would often sing on Twelfth Night?
Jean Ritchie Jean Ritchie (December 8, 1922 – June 1, 2015) was an American folk music singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player. Her career formed a kind of bridge between the traditional and modern forms of folk music: in her youth she learned folksongs in the traditional way (orally, from her family and members of her community); and in adulthood she became a successful modern folksinger, promulgating songs in public through concerts and recordings. She was called by some the "Mother of Folk".
The Rattlin' Bog "The Rattlin' Bog" is an Irish folk song about a bog on the grounds of Collon Monastery, Collon, Co Louth in the Boyne Valley, specifically in the woodlands of Collon Scout Campsite. This location has resulted in the song's popularity around the scouting campfire throughout Ireland. Legend says that the hole itself mystically breathes and consumes all manner of things. The adjective "rattlin'" means "splendid" in the context of this song. It is a cumulative song, similar to "The Twelve Days of Christmas", as it has a list at the end of each verse which grows throughout the piece. In some performances of the song, the speed is constantly increased, in the same way that "The Sailor's Hornpipe" is sometimes played. There is some variation in how the lyrics are documented. Some versions record the first word of the chorus as either "Oh" or "Ho" or just "O" followed by the second word as either "ro" or "row".