The Bitter Withy or Mary Mild ( Roud #452) is an English

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

reflecting an unusual and apocryphal vernacular idea of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. The ''

withy A withy or withe (also willow and osier) is a strong flexible willow stem, typically used in thatching, basketmaking, gardening and for constructing woven wattle hurdles.

'' of the title is the

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

and the song gives an explanation as to why the willow tree rots from the centre out, rather than the outside in. The song was recorded by

The Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

on their album '' The Last Month of the Year''. English folk artist

John Tams John Tams (born 16 February 1949) is an English actor, singer, songwriter, composer and musician born in Holbrook, Derbyshire, Holbrook, Derbyshire, the son of a Public house, publican. He first worked as a reporter for the ''Ripley, Derbyshire ...

recorded the song on his album ''The Reckoning'' (2005; won 2006 the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for the 'Best Album') and is contained in ''The Definitive Collection'' (2007) also.

Lyrics

:As it fell out on a holy day, :The drops of rain did fall, did fall, :Our Saviour asked leave of His mother, Mary, :If He might go play at ball. :“To play at ball, my own dear Son, :It’s time you was going or gone, or gone, :But be sure let me hear no complaint of you, :At night when you do come home.” :It was upling scorn and downling scorn! :Oh, there He met three jolly jerdins :Oh, there He asked the three jolly jerkins :If they would go play at ball. :“Oh, we are lords’ and ladies’ sons, :Born in bower or in hall, in hall. :And you are but some poor maid's child :Born in an ox's stall.” :“Oh, if you are lords’ and ladies’ sons, :Born in bower or in hall, in hall. :Then at the very last I’ll make it appear :That I am above you all.” :Our Saviour built a bridge with the beams of the sun, :And over He gone, He gone He; :And after followed the three jolly jerdins, :And drownded they were all three. :It was up the hill and down the hill! :The mothers of them did whoop and call, :Crying out: “Mary mild, call home your child, :For ours are drownded all!” :Mary mild, Mary mild called home her Child, :And laid our Saviour across her knee, :And with a whole handful of bitter withy :She gave Him slashes three. :Then He says to His Mother: “Oh, the withy! Oh, the withy! :The bitter withy that causes me to smart, to smart, :Oh, the withy, it shall be the very first tree :That perishes at the heart!”

Notes

External links

On hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com

a blog of traditional music
A 1905 paper titled "The Ballad of Bitter Withy"
which discusses the history of the ballad including story elements, folk etymology and different versions English folk songs Year of song unknown Songs with unknown songwriters {{Folk-song-stub