Paganistan: Notes from the Secret Commonwealth

In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.

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The Samhain Song Everybody Knows

For all its liturgical and cultural importance, Samhain has yet to inspire much popular music.

So when we end our big public Samhain ritual by joining hands and announcing, “Let's finish with the Samhain song that everybody knows,” you'll see eyebrows go up all around the circle.

When you first start in, you'll get a nice laugh, and then folks will belt it out like they mean it. After all, what's Samhain for, if not for Old Long Ago?

 Auld Lang Syne

Robert Burns (1788)

 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and days of auld lang syne?

 

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet

for auld lang syne!

 

We two have run around the braes

and pulled the gowans fine,

but we've wander'd many a weary foot

since auld lang syne.

 

We two have paddled in the burn

from morning sun till dine,

but seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

 

And there's a hand, my trusty fere,

and give us a hand o' thine,

and we'll take a right good willie-waught

for auld lang syne!

 

And surely you'll buy your pint-stowp,

and surely I'll buy mine!

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

for auld lang syne!

 

syne since   braes banks   gowans daisies   burn creek   fere companion   willie-waught hearty swig  

stowp mug

 For the sake of singability, comprehension, and a personal distaste for faux accents, I've “regularized” Burns' “Lallands” text. I hope that Robbie would approve the sentiment, if not the result.

 

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Poet, scholar and storyteller Steven Posch was raised in the hardwood forests of western Pennsylvania by white-tailed deer. (That's the story, anyway.) He emigrated to Paganistan in 1979 and by sheer dint of personality has become one of Lake Country's foremost men-in-black. He is current keeper of the Minnesota Ooser.

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