[Northkeep] The festival of St. Ignore de Messge
Anawyn at aol.com
Anawyn at aol.com
Thu Aug 26 16:27:31 PDT 2004
Yes, yes but do you indeed know the origin of this? It would seem it goes
back quite far, to a means of honoring St. Kale of Colecrop, who had scorned the
up-to-then tradition of young maidens wearing lettuce leaves strung about
their necks.
It was at that earlier time, the custom for the young men to gather around
the bevy of beauties in the town, in a kind Morris dance, while singing "Oh Come
Lettuce Adore 'Em." The lettuce leaves, being fragile, were of course wilted
before many hours, and this is supposed to have caused some dismay to young
Kale. St. Kale, who remained a virgin all her life, was reported to have said, "
I would have leaf as worn cabbage, rather than endure such a salad as this!"
The cabbage leaves, being more substantial, held up better through the
process and the other young women apparently agreed with Kale, and adopted the new
custom. Well, as the young men then began to poke fun at them with various
jibes and jokes, the young women decided that, if these young men wanted their
company indeed, then they would have to take them at their worst to prove their
love. They boiled the cabbage leaves the next year and made them into saur
kraut neck chains to show their mettle, and to see how much the men really loved
them after all.
Thus came to be the old saying in St. Ignore:
Kraut, kraut, cast about, whether you be tall or stout,
Love me still though this chain I flout,
Lest your true heart should prove in doubt,
And I in sorrow am left to pout,
Kraut, kraut cast about!
Don't you just love the old legends? (sigh)
Anawyn :-)
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