Prästens lilla kråka is a Swedish

singing game A singing game is an activity based on a particular verse or rhyme, usually associated with a set of actions and movements. As a collection, they have been studied by folklorists, ethnologists, and psychologists and are seen as important part of ...

, now also a children's song, which is used when dancing around the

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

and the

Midsummer pole A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some countries it is instead erected at ...

. There are several versions of whose little crow it is, for example ''mormors'' ("grandmother's"), ''mosters'' ("aunt's"), ''prostens'' (the provost's) and so on. However, ''prästens'' (the priest's) is the most common. When dancing around the Christmas tree or the midsummer pole the ring of people is moving inwards and outwards, before being split up and finally throwing themselves on the floor or grass. When sung with a

child A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

in the knee, the child is rocked in one direction, and the person singing it moves in the other direction and when the lyrics come to "slank han/hon ned i diket" the singer removes his thigh to make the child feel it will fall down.

Recordings

An early recording was done as an acoustic version by

Eric Sellin The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

in 1912 as "Gammal polska från Nerike (Prestens krage)", and the record was released the same year. Another early recording was done by Anna Jönsdotter in August 1898. The song has also been recorded by Glenmarks on the 1974 Christmas album '' Jul a la carte'', and by Anita Lindblom on the 1975 Christmas album '' Jul med tradition''.

References

External links

Västmanland record, dated 1845

Västergötland record, dated 1819
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prastens lilla kraka Swedish songs Songs in Swedish Anita Lindblom songs