In September, we had hungry ravens ogling a fallen knight. This month, we have a cheerful song about someone who is warned that he might die from not wearing a hat, and who would then be eaten by worms, which are eaten by ducks, and so on. This song is famous in the Yorkshire area of northern England, and it is full of Yorkshire dialect words; but, according to song historian Arnold Kellatt, it may have actually originated in the south. The beginning of the song is actually the hardest part to understand (Where have you been—Ah ha, you’ve been out on the moor with Mary Jane). It gets easier as you go on and the worms, ducks, etc. are introduced.
Lyrics
There is a full set of lyrics here.
Video Links
Ilkley Moor Baht'at, sung by Melody Thomas Clark. Cheerful, lively, though a bit hard to follow unless you have the words handy. Video includes drawings of the gravedigger, worms, skulls wearing hats, etc.
Ilkley Moor bar t'at, sung by Wallace House with guitar (from Folkways LP English Folk Songs). Also lively and clearly sung.
On Ilkla Moor Baht’at, sung by “Old Ned.”
For Further Exploration
As explained by Arnold Kellatt, the tune "Cranbrook" was originally written as a hymn tune (and perhaps the Ilkley Moor song was created as a bit of a joke during a choir members' hike). It has also been used for the Christmas hymn "As Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night."
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