“Cailín Deas Cruíte na mBó” is a song in Irish Gaelic of the eighteenth century with an English version titled “Pretty girl milking her cow”, a version erroneously attributed to the Irish poet Thomas Moore who actually used the same Irish melody for another song entitled “The valley before smiling” (“The Song of O’Ruark, Prince of Breffni”)
The “Cailin Deas” melody is found in “Ancient Irish Music” by Edward Bunting (1796). The actress singer Judy Garland (from the Irish origins) has made the song very popular also in America, proposing it in various arrangements since 1940. (the Gaelic version in the first part)
THE SYMBOLS OF THE GODDESS
A maiden milking a cow is a figure found carved on the walls of many medieval churches, and is a very old presence in the land of Ireland, or more generally along the coasts of Europe: already in the megalithism there are names like The Cow and Calf attributed to particular rocks. In Ireland Boinn-Boann, the “White Cow” is the goddess who represents prosperity. The Cow or Bull ridden by Goddesses or by the Moon itself is the symbol of the power of Mother Earth, the force enclosed in the secret of Nature. Thus the cult of the ancient goddess is always transformed according to the new conceptions .. to remain always unchanged! (see more)
The White Cow of Crichie,in the Buchan, has a name “frequently given to great stones, presumably, as this one, of white quartz”.vi The Cow and Calf Rocks loom near a dense cluster of carved rocks on Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire. The Buwch a’r Llo – ‘Cow and Calf’ – are two standing stones by the road near Melindwr, Ceredigion, Wales. Such names may be the last trace of narratives associated with these configurations,vii evoking the belief that ‘the presence of her calf was essential when a cow was being milked and that a cow deprived of her calf would retain her milk’.viiiL’ Épine Blanche (‘White Thorn’), the heroine of a Breton folktale, used a holly stick to strike a rock on the sea-shore, from which a cow emerged, to provide copious amounts of milk for the girl and her mother.ix One story, from Ireland, relates how a family on Dursey Island found a black bull and cow near the beach. The cow furnished sufficient butter and milk for all domestic wants, and soon a calf was added to the number. However, a wicked servant girl, milking the parent cow, struck the beast and cursed her. The animal turned to the other two and lowed to them, sorrowfully, and the three moved off to the sea. They plunged in, and forthwith the three rocks, since known as the Bull, Cow and Calf, arose. Milking legends’ surround megalithic structures such as Mitchell’s Fold stone circle in Staffordshire, where a witch milked a magical cow through a sieve, the cow thence ceasing to give her bounty of milk.xi During a famine, a benevolent white sea-cow provided milk at the Callanish stone circle on the Isle of Lewis, until a witch milked her through a sieve.xii The Glas Gowlawn (the Grey Cow), presented itself every day before each house in Ireland, giving a day’s supply of milk. So she continued until an avaricious person laid in a quantity for traffic, whereupon she left Ireland, going into the sea off the Hill of Howth.xiiiY Fuwch Frech, ‘The Freckled Cow’, roamed the Mynydd Hiraethog near Ruthin. Her pasture was near a farm called Cefn Bannog (‘Horned Ridge’); she drank at the spring called Ffynnon y Fuwch Frech.xiv A stone circle, Preseb y Fuwch Frech (‘The Freckled Cow’s Crib’) was her shelter.xv Whenever anyone went to her for milk, she filled the vessel with milk of the richest quality, and she never became dry. Eventually, a witch took a sieve and milked her dry. In response she walked to Llyn dau ychain, the Lake of the Two Oxen, in the parish of Cerrig-y-drudion, followed by her two children the Ychen Bannawg, the legendary long-horned oxen, bellowing as they went. They disappeared into the lake and were never seen again.xvi In County Limerick, a cow emerged from the River Deel; if she were milked a hundred times a day she would each time fill a can. She departed into the river and was never more seen, when she was cursed by a woman milking her.xvii This confluence of stone, water and animals in these narratives is a discernible element in a wide array of rock art traditions worldwide.” (from here)
THE MELODY
A slow air that is almost a lullaby, typical of the aisling song, a literary genre of Irish poetry of the 1600-1700 in which the protagonist (often a poet) has the vision in dream of a beautiful girl who represents Ireland.
Duck Baker and his guitar arrangement
John Renbourn & Stefan Grossman
The text, however, does not speak of fairies, it is rather an irish pastoral love song (a courting song), with more or less serious marriage proposals. The theme of bucolic romantic contrast is reminiscent of the medieval tradition of troubadours and of troubadour lyricism, and indeed the language is florid and full of elaborate images! Nowadays the lyrics appear a little laughable, but these songs were part of the “educational system” of the past, where the girls learned how to behave especially with noblemen who wandered the countryside in search of easy prey!
The stanzas contained in the English version are 6-8 out of 4 in Gaelic: the gallant proposals of the young man are not accepted because the girl prefers to be free rather than to bond to a man, she will marry only when she will be rich. But he replies that money does not count becouse the time of love is that of youth.
The pastoral genre was also widespread among the “gentry”, but more like a playful form or “divertissement“.
Clannad
Hannah Peel
I It was on a fine summer’s morning The birds sweetly tune on each bough And as I walked out for my pleasure I saw a maid milking a cow II Her voice was so enchanting, melodious Left me quite unable to go My heart, it was loaded with sorrow For the pretty maid milking her cow III Then to her I made my advances “Good morrow most beautiful maid Your beauty my heart so entrances” “Pray sir do not banter,” she said IV “I’m not such a rare precious jewel That I should enamour you so I am but a poor little milk girl,” Says the pretty maid milking her cow V The Indies afford no such jewel So bright, so transparently clear I do not add things to my funeral Consent but to know me my dear VI Oh, had I the Lamp of Aladdin(1) Or the wealth that gold mines can bestow I’d rather be poor in a cottage With the pretty girl milking her cow.” |
NOTE 1) the verse is also found in another song of the same genre entitled Lough Erne Shore |
In this other version we come to know the reason for the girl’s refusal, a very “feminist” motif, the girl prefers independence rather than a life of submission to her husband (see marriage in the story here)
Cathie Ryan
Sara Redding
I It being on a fine summer’s morning As the birds sweetly tuned on each bough, I heard a fair maid sing most charming As she sat milking her cow II Her voice was enchanting melodious Which left me scarce able to go My heart it was soothed with solace By the cailín deas crúite na mbó III I courteously did salute her “Good morning, most amiable maid I’m your captive slave for the future” “Kind sir, do not banter,’ she said… IV I’m not such a precious rare jewel That I should enamour you so I am but a plain county girl Says the cailín deas crúite na mbó” |
V “The Indies afford no such jewels So precious, so transparent clear Oh do not refuse me, my jewel Consent now and love me, my dear VI For riches I care not a farthing It’s your love that I want and no more I’d rather live poor on the mountain With my cailín deas crúite na mbó'” VII “I don’t understand what you mean, sir I ne’er was a slave yet to love For these feelings I have no desire I pray your affection remove VIII To marry, I can assure you That state I will not undergo I’m prepared to live single and airy” Says the cailín deas crúite na mbó… |
Sources
The Sacred Whore: Sheela Goddess of the Celts by Maureen Concannon
http://ontanomagico.altervista.org/blanchebiche.htm
http://ontanomagico.altervista.org/curragh-kildare.html
https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/gruagach-mhara-a-gruagach-or-a-selkie/
http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/clannad/pretty.htm
https://musescore.com/mike_magatagan/scores/118434
https://thesession.org/tunes/1758
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=6543
https://thegrammarofmatter.wordpress.com/till-the-cows-come-home-part-one-towards-a-natural-history-of-megaliths/
http://tairis-cr.blogspot.it/2015/11/oran-buaile-teiris-bho.html