Name: Can I Sing That? Catawba Nation Songs, Context and Colonization @SaroLynchThomason
Uploaded: 2026-09-26T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: Can I Sing That? Catawba Nation Songs, Context and Colonization

Can I Sing That? Catawba Nation Songs, Context and Colonization

Saro Lynch 2026-09-26 | Can I Sing That? Catawba Nation Songs, Context and Colonization

We Have Mothers Gone to Glory #americana #folksongs #folkmusic #deathcare

Saro Lynch 2025-10-01 | “We Have Fathers Gone to Glory” was sung by Bradley Browning and Charlie Black in 1937 in Bell County, KY, and recorded by Alan Lomax. I’m so struck by this sweet song that raises questions about the afterlife, and confirms the reunion with dear ones after death.

A reminder that my offering “The Unquiet Grave” starts this Thursday, October 2nd! In “The Unquiet Grave,” we use Scottish wisdom and Appalachian song to explore traditional beliefs about death, the afterlife, mourning, and protocols with those who have passed on. This is a perfect autumn exploration of folklore, song, stories and more to help you settle into this season of feasting, abundance, death and transition. Get all the details, and register using the link in the upper left hand corner of my channel page!

Lyrics:
"We have mothers gone to glory (2x)
Pray do tell me if you know
Will our fathers know their children (2x)
When to heaven they do go?

They’ll be watching from those windows
On some far and distant shore
They will know when we are coming
They will meet us at the door"

You can insert "fathers, neighbors, sisters, kindred" etc. to continue singing the song.

Ode to Contentment: A Shaker Song Condemning the Powerful & Praising the Divine Feminine

Saro Lynch 2025-09-23 | A historic song on serenity, condemnation of the powerful, and the bliss of the feminine God.

This song from Shaker traditions is over 200 years old, but has good wisdom for the times we’re living in. “Ode to Contentment” was written in 1910 by Shakers Elder Issachar Bates and Elder Richard Pelham. This song praises the virtues of living with a tempered and tranquil nature as a way to combat passions that might lead to harmful choices. The Shakers have always lived in community, and cultivating a calm character is key to communal harmony (Controlling the passions, for a Shaker, would also mean refraining from s-x as a way to live a more Christ-like life.)

I love this second verse that condemns the wealthy “lordlings,” who only possess “splendid wretchedness” and know nothing of actual joy or peace.

The “She” of this third verse could be a reference to god in the feminine aspect, since the Shakers recognize god as limitless and possessing the nature of many genders. God is spoken of as both “She” and “He” in many songs. This verse could also be a direct reference to Mother Ann Lee, one of the co-founders of the Shaker faith, who was understood to be a conduit for the Christ spirit.

I’m a pagan myself, but these lyrics really speak to me at many levels. What about you?

This is three of the total four verses to the song- you can find more versions online.

Come contentment lovely guest!
Reign unrivaled in my breast;
Thou alone wilt do
Thou alone canst fill the soul
Every passion canst control,
When the stormy billows roll,
Thou canst bear me through.

All the lordlings of the earth
All their boasts, what is it worth?
Nothing but a show
All the wealth that kinds possess
All their vain and gaudy dress
All is splendid wretchedness
Peace they never know

Nothing on this earth below,
Naught that heaven can bestow,
Fills the soul with peace.
If contentment dwell not there,
All is dreary, dark, and bare;
She alone makes heavenly fare,
She alone is bliss.

Mourning Holler #hollering

Saro Lynch 2025-09-17 | Have you heard of hollering? Hollering is any call, cry or phrase that’s used to self-express or communicate across long distances. Hollering used to be incredibly common in urban and rural places- it was a way for people to check in with one another, call to their animals, ask for help, or simply express how their day was going. The key with this practice was to just use vocables instead of words- that is, to use sounds and melodic patterns people would recognize, instead of trying to yell out words that would get muffled or distorted over distances. People often had signature hollers that were recognizable to others.

Hollering sounds vary quite a bit from place to place. In some of the few traditions recorded in the U.S., intentional vocal breaks (that flipping or popping sound you’re hearing me do) were very common.

Hollering was practical, but it was also self-expressive. People would holler off their back porches or in the fields about their joys and sorrows. This holler is a mourning holler I made up to express grief.

In my upcoming virtual offering “The Unquiet Grave,” we’re going to be exploring various sounds and songs for grief and mourning, including hollering traditions. Learn more by going to the lynk on my channel page!

Ghost Story in an Appalachian Ballad- Lady Margaret #ghoststory #folksongs #halloweenmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-09-15 | Has a friend or loved one who’s passed away ever visited you in a dream?
What was it like? Did they have something they needed to tell you?

This Appalachian ballad, which has origins in England, is one of many traditional songs that show us that the dead can visit when something is unresolved. There are many ways to interpret why Margaret appears to William, but I think she wants one more conversation with him to express her anger, be validated by his love for her, and, frankly, to get a dig in at his new wife.

The dead often visit us in much less dire circumstances than what takes place in this song, but ballads like this do connect us to folk knowledge about communication with the dead that goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. If you want to explore more songs and wisdom about the dead, grieving, and the afterlife from Scottish and English traditions, you can join me for my virtual c o u r s e “The Unquiet Grave” starting in early October! Get all the details by going to the top left hand lynk on my channel page.

I learned this version of “Lady Margaret” from Sheila Kay Adams, with the last "blood" verse being from Jean Ritchie.

Lyrics (these are just a few verses of the entire story)
It was late all in the night
They were fast asleep
Little Margaret appeared all dressed in white
Standing at their bed feet

Saying, “How do you like your snow white pillows?
How do you like your sheets?
And how do you like that pretty fair miss
Who’s laying in your arms asleep?”

“It’s well I like these snow white pillows
Well I like these sheets
Fair better I love that pretty fair maid
Who stands at my bed feet”

“Last night I dreamed a terrible dream
Such dreams they are no good
For I dreamed my hall was filled with wild swine
And my true love swimming in blood

George Collins #darkfolklore #folksong #appalachianregion #oldsongs

Saro Lynch 2025-09-05 | Versions of “George Collins” (also known as “Lady Alice”) have been found across the American South, and this version comes from Rena Hicks of Beech Mountain, North Carolina. This version goes back to England, but other manifestations of the ballad have been found across Scandinavia, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Longer versions of the song often contain a folk magic or animist element- George Collins doesn’t die from natural causes, but instead from a cursed kiss from a woman of the water- sometimes interpreted as a water sprite or a bean nighe. Collins dies, leaving his mortal love to mourn his death.

I’m intrigued by the older origins of this story, and I also love this simpler version from Appalachia for its pure focus on the lover’s grief, aided so strongly by a melody full of mourning and alarm.

If you want to explore traditional songs and folk wisdom about death, the afterlife and mourning, then check out my upcoming course “The Unquiet Grave: Wisdom and Songs from Scotland and Appalachia to Help Us Mourn and Set the Dead Free.”
We’ll be looking at Appalachian ballads and Scottish stories, folklore and songs to explore older animist concepts about the soul’s journey after death, how to grieve and let go, and how to be in good relationship with the dead.

Until this Monday, Sept. 8th, I’m offering early bird p r i c e s- so r e g i s t e r now! We start Thursday, Oct. 2nd.

Get all the information you need by going to the l i n k in the upper left hand corner of my channel page!

Lyrics:
She followed him up, she followed him down
She followed him to his grave
There down on the bended knee she fell
She screamed, she cried, she prayed

"Oh daughter, oh daughter, what makes you weep so?
There's more young men as George."
"Oh Mother, oh Mother, Georgie's got my heart
And now he's dead he's gone."

"Now don't you see that lonesome dove
A sailing through the pines
He's mourning for the loss of his own true love
Just like I'll mourn for mine"

Molly Bawn a.k.a. Polly Vaughan #ghoststory #appalachianfolklore #spookystories #spookyseason

Saro Lynch 2025-09-04 | EARLY BIRD PRICES ARE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK for my upcoming course The Unquiet Grave- more info below!

Here’s a bit of an Appalachian ballad called Molly Bawn, also known by many names including Polly Vaughan, Molly Vanders, etc. In the final scene of this story, Molly Bawn arrives as a ghost to exonerate Jimmy Rando, her lover & killer, at his trial. In earlier scenes, Rando accidentally kills Molly when he’s out hunting, and mistakes for a swan resting under a peach tree. This song is originally from Ireland, and this version comes from the late Bobby McMillon of Western NC, who used local lyrics with a tune from England that he liked. A few lyrical adaptations here come from William Ritter and myself.

If you want to sink into some good Halloween vibes for autumn and explore traditional lore about death, the afterlife and communication with the dead, you should check out my new course “The Unquiet Grave: Wisdom and Songs from Scotland and Appalachia to Help Us Mourn & Set the Dead Free.” In this course, we’ll explore Appalachian songs alongside Scottish folk tales, music and lore to understand the long-standing protocols that have kept the living and the dead in good relationship, and the ways that song and folk tradition can help us both grieve and release the souls of those dear to us.

Early Bird prices are available until Sept. 8th, so claim your spot now! Get all the info you need using the lynk at the top left of my channel page.

#halloween #ghoststory #appalachianfolk #darkfolklore #appalachianballad

Oh Death #deathsong #halloween2025 #appalachiansong

Saro Lynch 2025-09-02 | A little bit of "Oh Death!" “Oh Death” is a song that’s traveled far. Its origins are unknown, but versions of the song have been found in Ireland, Scotland and England, as well as in white and Black traditions in the South and Appalachia. I like bringing in sounds of wailing and alarm to this song- helping us meet some of our very real fears about life’s end.

If you want to explore songs and wisdom about death from Appalachia to Scotland- join me for my upcoming course: The Unquiet Grave: Songs and Stories from Scotland and Appalachia to Help Us Mourn & Set the Dead Free. Taking place October 2nd-November 6th, 2025 on Thursdays, 10am PST/ 1:00pm EDT / 6pm GMT

As we enter the autumn season, a traditional time to honor the ancestors, let’s immerse in the folklore, songs and stories that help us remember how to grieve the dead, let go, and honor the soul’s greater journey!

Beliefs about the afterlife, how to care for the spirits of the dead, and customs for mourning have always been a central part of ancestral wisdom. However, our modern culture often sanitizes death and hides it away: When we lose someone, we yearn for the traditional knowledge that helps us to have a healthy grieving process and usher the dead into the next world. In The Unquiet Grave, we explore these important forms of wisdom through the connected inheritance of Appalachian songs and Scottish folk tales, music and lore.

This course is in collaboration with several FABULOUS instructors, including folklorist Scott Richardson-Read, singer Sìne McKenna, and storyteller Eileen Budd!

Until Sept.8th only, I’m offering early bird pricing! So go ahead and claim your spot for this perfect journey for the Halloween season! Learn more by using the linktr.ee link on my channel page!

The Unquiet Grave: Songs & Stories from Scotland and Appalachia to Help Us Mourn & Set the Dead Free

Saro Lynch 2025-09-01 | I'm excited to tell you about a new virtual course now available for enrollment!

Announcing...The Unquiet Grave: Songs and Stories from Scotland and Appalachia to Help Us Mourn & Set the Dead Free. Taking place October 2nd-November 6th, 2025 on Thursdays, 10am PST/ 1:00pm EDT / 6pm GMT

As we enter the autumn season, a traditional time to honor the ancestors, let’s immerse in the folklore, songs and stories that help us remember how to grieve the dead, let go, and honor the soul’s greater journey!

This course is for…
-Anyone who wants to connect to traditions about death, mourning and the afterlife from Scotland and Appalachia
-Anyone who likes to sing or learn exciting folklore!
-Anyone who wants to spend their Halloween season deepening into knowledge about death and remembrance
-Anyone who is curious about using song as a way to mourn and celebrate the dead

I’M OFFERING EARLY BIRD PRICING FOR THIS WEEK ONLY! Go to the linktr.ee link on my channel page to learn more!

Oak Song- A Song Honoring the Oak Tree #autumn #fallsong #folkmagic #druid #witchysong #paganmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-08-25 | A verse and chorus of The Oak Song (it has many more lovely verses). This song is by Anna Richardson, River Jones, Oran Ash of the Children's Forest School. This arrangement is by myself and musician Cate Clifford.

You can listen to the whole song from the Children's Forest School here: youtu.be/VK5N9F4vzNA?feature=shared

Oak, Oak, Oak of old,
King of trees in your crown of gold,
You are the door to worlds unseen,
In winter bare and in summer green.

From gold to green and green once more,
Your leaves will tur-n before they fall,
When twice you’ve worn your golden crown,
Each season’s harvest comes tumbling down.

Maiden in the Moor Lay- A Medieval Song of Devotion & Folk Magic? #medievalsong #folkmagic #witchy

Saro Lynch 2025-08-13 | I love singing this one! Maiden in the Moor Lay (or …“In The Wood Lay” in some versions) is a 14th century song, the lyrics of which have been found in England and Ireland. Originally in Middle English, here I’m singing the song in more modern English, and I’ve added my own tune, since the tune is lost to time.

This mysterious song is full of rich imagery that evokes folk magic, devotion, and asceticism. A maiden lies in a moor for seven nights. Her only food is the violet and the primrose, and her bed is made of roses and lilies (this verse is not included in my recording here). She drinks from the water of a nearby well. The flowers of the song could evoke many meanings depending on the time period and local culture- collectively, they may be allusions to death, loyalty and passionate love. If nothing else, they tell us this scene is taking place in the spring or summer. Some scholars theorize the song may be an allusion to Anglo-Saxon well-wakes, devotional acts that took place at wells that were outlawed under Christendom. Others think she might be performing a spell of some kind. What we do know is that at the time the song was popular, church members considered it to be a secular song- an Irish bishop even tried to rewrite the song as a latin hymn to the nativity.

The feel of the song is just my interpretation. This song was referred to as a “karole” which makes it likely that it was a dance song- and it could have had a much more cheerful tune!
What do you think this song is about?

Lyrics:
Maiden in the moor lay,
In the moor lay,
Seven-night full,
Seven-night full—
Maiden in the moor lay,
In the moor lay,
Seven-night full and a day.

Well was her meat
What was her meat?
The primrose and the—
The primrose and the—
Well was her meat
What was her meat?
The primrose and the loyal violet

Well was her drink
What was her drink?
The water of the—
The water of the—
Well was her drink
What was her drink?
The water of the cold well-spring

May Nothing Evil Cross This Door #uu #protectionspell #humanrights

Saro Lynch 2025-07-22 | A song for the protection of the home in uncertain times. I grew up singing this song in Unitarian Universalist church, with a much brighter and sweeter tune that I also enjoy. But I did want to try a more commanding tone for this song- thus the version you’re hearing here! In times when so many bodies and communities are being invaded and violated- may this song be a reminder of the many forms of shelter we can provide for one another.

On that note, a reminder that you can help feed starving families in Gaza right now! Check out Many Lands Mutual Aid and make a donation today- you can find them through a simple google search. Your support makes a palpable difference.

“May Nothing Evil Cross This Door” was originally a poem written by Louis Untermeyer (1885-1977), a poet and critic of German-Jewish descent who grew up in New York City. Untermeyer was a successful poet in his lifetime, and also wrote at times for Marxist and socialist magazines. Though he claimed to have never joined the American Communist Party, he was accused of doing so and was questioned during hearings by the House Committee on Unamerican Activities in the 1950s. Consequently, he lost work and chose to disappear from public life for a time. He died at the age of 92.

Lyrics (this is 3 of 4 verses of the poem):

May nothing evil cross this door,
and may ill fortune never pry about
these windows; may the roar
and rain go by.

By faith made strong, the rafters will
withstand the battering of the storm.
This hearth, though all the world grow chill,
will keep you warm.

With laughter drown the raucous shout,
and, though these sheltering walls are thin,
may they be strong to keep hate out
and hold love in.

Thoughts in a Colorado Jail: Folk Song #laborhistory #peopleshistory #nokings #laborsong #iww #uu

Saro Lynch 2025-06-25 | This song was written as a poem by labor organizer Davie Robb in 1914 while he was imprisoned in a Colorado jail. This is 3 of a total of 5 verses that he wrote, and I have added my own tune here. Robb wrote a variety of songs and poems in his life, and sang as part of his organizing work. After he was released from prison in Colorado, he never sang again. We can sing for him. Lyrics below.

So many labor songs and poems from the turn of the 19th century have plenty of relevance to our circumstances today. Reviving these songs- or turning these poems into songs- connects us to the ingenuity and strength of the people of our spiritual, political & cultural ancestry.

A few recommended sources to check out:
-Minstrels of the Mine Patch: Songs and Stories of the Anthracite Industry, by George Korson. You can find this one on archive.org
-The Little Red Songbook, by the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World)
-We Rise: A Movement Songbook by the Poor People’s Campaign

Lyrics:
Within the grasp of unjust courts, Behind the bars of jail, Are working men on false reports,
as cowards never fail, To fill the jurors ears with lies, The safeguard of the slave,
Whose lies will fall as truth will rise, To vindicate the brave.

Our noblest men have oft been called
To fill the felon’s cells;
In tyrant’s jails (securely walled)
Our greatest martyrs fell
But progress marches steadily
Truth will open up the door
And justice end the misery
That binds and grinds the poor.

Oh nature’s gifts are not our own,
The master rules the mob.
Even governments, ‘tis clearly shown,
Permit him now to rob.
But watch the revolution grow
Among the lab’ring poor,
For courts and jails and rogues must go-
And greed will reign no more.

A Midsummer Invocation to St Johns Wort #litha #midsummer #herbalism #pagan #Scottishfolkmagic

Saro Lynch 2025-06-19 | Midsummer (also sometimes called Litha by neopagans) is almost here! One of the traditions of Midsummer is the belief that this moment in the year is auspicious for the collecting of herbs. Plants are believed to be at the height of their power, and one particularly beloved plant of Midsummer is St. John’s Wort, also known as the plant of Saint Columba in some Scottish traditions. This plant, with its lovely yellow petals, has been placed over doorways for protection, and under pillows for blessings. It has been an adored companion to many for thousands of years. This song is an invocation to Saint John’s Wort, borrowing phrases from the Carmina Gadelica, a compendium of Scots-Gaelic lore.

Blossoms of Saint Columba
Plant of the joyful feast
Guard me at the threshold
Bringer of sleep and ease

You are welcome to sing this song with your fellow plant lovers and pagans! When singing this song in groups, I like to do it as a call and response chant.

Paganism and Rebellion #folkmusic #rebels #paganism #ancestralvoices #bealtaine #celticsong #witch

Saro Lynch 2025-04-08 | When I look back at the histories of the holidays of the pagan Wheel of the Year, I see a strong history of subversion against local and state governments- a history we can draw on for our own modern day tactics. Here’s just a little dip into what the defiant histories of these holidays advise:

Practice Communal Protection through House Visits, Charity and Ritual
The holidays of the Wheel of the Year are replete with folk magic and giving-based practices that kept the community protected and cared for. On holidays such as Yule, Samhain, and May Day, many people practiced house visits that included songs and performances that collected money for the poor or for communal institutions like schools.

Hide Our Sacred Ideals in Plain Sight: Pagan cultures who were compelled to convert to Christianity took their deities with them, turning them into saints. Some of these are better known, such as St. Brigid of Ireland- who evolved from the deity Bríg- or Saint Modrun of Wales, who has connections to the Welsh mother deity Modron. Some of our most resilient traditions and beliefs can survive through storytelling and syncretism, when other means aren’t available to us.

Publicly Critique Those in Power
Some of the holidays have a history of openly deriding those in power- Midsummer Scandinavian revels in the 16th century included songs and dances that satirized the current leaders and the vices that had been committed in the community. And since the late 19th century, the holiday of Bealtaine has also been celebrated at International Workers Day!

If you’re resonating with these histories, now is a good time to take my upcoming course Singing the Wheel of the Year. This class isn’t just a two-month burst of singing and learning-based pleasure (though it definitely will be that), it’s also a resource to last you and your community years to come. WE START NEXT WEEK!
Get all the info you need by going to sarosings . c o m, scrolling down and clicking on the link!

King Orfeo #scottishmusic #scottishfolk #pagansong #fairysong #celticmythology #orpheus

Saro Lynch 2025-04-07 | Have you heard this rare song that combines Celtic cosmology with Greek myth? “King Orfeo” is a unique ballad collected in the Shetland Islands that tells the story of a king attempting to rescue his wife who has been stolen by the King of Fairies. This moment in the ballad is when Orfeo, after years of searching for his wife Isabel, plays his pipes in the fairy court as a bid to have his wife returned to him.

In my upcoming co urse “Singing the Wheel of the Year,” we’ll be learning traditional ballads like this one alongside rounds, parts songs and folk songs to deepen your understanding of the holidays of the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year. These songs will help us explore the authentic beliefs, history and practices behind these holidays as they’ve been celebrated in Scotland, England and Ireland (+you’ll get bonus material and review sessions for the next 10 months!) You’ll walk away with over 30 songs to use for ritual and communal celebrations for the rest of your life!

I firmly believe these are the songs we need to ground with community, the land and the deities in these disorienting and painful times.

We start next week! Get all the info you need by going to sarosings . c o m and scrolling down for the lynk!

Lyrics:
First he played the notes of noy
Refrain: Green the wood grows early
And then he played the notes of joy
Refrain: Where hart runs yearly

Then he played the gabber reel
That would have made a sick heart heal

The king of faeries then did say
“What shall we give you for your play?”

Prayer to Brigid #saintbrigid #goddessbrigid #imbolc #peoplshistory #handsoff

Saro Lynch 2025-04-06 | Want to learn some subversive facts about the goddess-turned-saint Brigid?

1) St. Brigid performed an abortion!: A 7th-century hagiography describes how she used her strong faith to bless a pregnant nun, making the child disappear

2) St. Brigid is no longer a saint- but continues to be worshipped anyway! The Catholic church took away her sainthood in 1969 (perhaps due to her pagan associations) but her feast day continues to be celebrated in Ireland.
Get more details below- and learn about my upcoming class: Singing the Wheel of the Year!

This is a prayer song I wrote to Brigid, meant to be sung on Imbolc eve! Brigid is an ancient figure: Spoken of as one (and sometimes three) goddesses in medieval Irish texts, her associations with fire, cattle and healing seem to have been passed on to the early Irish saint Brigid, who is said to have founded a holy house at Kildare, where an eternal flame was tended by her nuns.

In my upcoming cl ass Singing the Wheel of the Year, we’ll be learning traditional and new songs inspired by the 8 neo-pagan holidays, including Imbolc, the feast day of Brigid! Each week for 8 weeks, we’ll explore several songs for communal and solo singing that you can bring to your practice- learning LOTS of history and folklore along the way. The pagan holidays hold practices and histories that connect us with people’s history and forms of protest going back over a thousand years. We’ll get to look at some of the riotous- and righteous- histories of these holidays as part of our cl ass! And then…you’ll get to enjoy review sessions and bonus materials throughout the rest of the year! We start soon! Learn more by going to sarosings . c o m and scroll down to find the lynk to the cl ass!

More on these rad Brigid facts:
On the abortion story: St. Cogitosus, who wrote a hagiography of Brigid ca 650 AD, wrote of how Brigid assisted a nun who had become pregnant: “...exercising the most potent strength of her ineffable faith, blessed her, causing the child to disappear, without coming to birth, and without pain.”
The Catholic church took Brigid out of the calendar in 1969, perhaps due to doubts of her historical veracity (i.e. awareness of her pagan origins). However, she remains a patron Saint of Ireland- becoming more and more a folk saint!

Chraobh nan Ubhal #applesong #gaelicsong #celticsong #paganmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-04-02 | When we’re in times of stress and loss, what songs keep you feeling connected to the ancestors and to the spirits of nature?

This Scots-Gaelic song from the Hebrides, “Chraobh nan ubhal,” means “Apple tree.” The verses repeatedly praise the beauty of an apple tree, and heap blessings upon it, with phrases like “May the east and west be with thee,” and “May the sun and moon be with thee.” This apple tree of this song has often been seen as a metaphor for a youth of the McKay family from the Rhinns of Islay, but we can also see this song in its essential, animist essence. Apple trees (and many fruit trees in general) have long held a very special status in Celtic and Germanic cultures. They are associated with access to the Otherworld, connote eternal youth, and the great world tree itself that holds up the sky has sometimes been described as a fruit or apple tree: In the eddic poem Fjǫlsvinnsmál, the Mímameiðr (thought to be a name for Yggdrasil) is described as bearing a fruit called “aldin.” Aldin is an old Norse word referring to tree fruits including apples, acorns and nuts.

This song is also a waulking song from the Hebrides: It would have been sung as women massaged wet tweed in order to felt it and make it more watertight. A reminder of the cooperative nature of our historical labor- and how much we need one another to get anything of beauty accomplished in these hard times.

If you’re looking for ancestral and pagan songs that can fortify you and your community in these hard times, check out my upcoming cl ass Singing the Wheel of the Year! We start week after next! Go to saro sings . com and scroll down on the home pa-ge to learn more!

Thank you to @sinejeannie for teaching me this one!

Chraobh nan ubhal o,
Craobh nan ubhal, geug nan abhull
O chraobh nan ubhal, o
Chraobh nan ubhal, gu robh Dia leat o

Verse 2 line: Gu robh ‘n àird an ear ‘s an iar leat o

Hoof and Horn 2025 #paganchant #wiccancommunity #witch

Saro Lynch 2025-04-01 | Do you know this pagan chant for harvest time? “Hoof and Horn” by Ian Corrigan, is about the cycle of death and rebirth. We need songs like this one to help us accept the gains and losses of each season, make community with each other and make commitments to our own growth as the year turns.

If you’re looking for new pagan songs inspired by authentic tradition to spice up your repertoire, then read below about my special offering coming up in just a few weeks!

If you’re yearning to learn songs like this based in pagan & agricultural traditions from England, Ireland and Scotland, you should take my cl ass Singing the Wheel of the Year, which begins April 17th. We’ll be exploring songs for the quarter and cross-quarter days- from Samhain and Bealtaine to Ostara and Mabon. You’ll get live sessions, lots of song recordings (including practice tracks and karaoke tracks), historical liner notes, and bonus materials throughout the rest of the year for each holiday! These songs will sustain you and your community for many, many years to come.

Go to the sarosings . com to learn more and register! Payment plans and subscription options are available.

Lyrics:
Hoof and horn (2x)
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and hay (2x)
All that dies shall rise again

Proto-Celtic Chant to Ancestral Goddesses #celticchant #protoceltic #paganmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-03-31 | I created this song “Bundo Matir” as a prayer to ancestral mother deities. This layered song was created in the proto-Celtic language, a partially reconstructed language which was spoken in the Bronze Age (about 4,000+ years ago). The words translate to: “Ground/Earth Mother, Death Mother, Shining Mother, Wisdom Mother” and “Praise, praise, praise.”

Most of us have experienced some kind of disconnection or loss of ancestral deities. This can be for a variety of reasons- from colonization to migrations of various kinds, forced conversion and more. Even if we’ve lost the names of the dear ancestral spirits we wish to be in relationship with, we can still find ways to recognize and name them again. I personally do this work of renaming, feeding and thanking these spirits through the vehicle of song.

If you’ve been wanting to connect to songs that root you in ancestral or European pagan spiritual traditions, you should check out my upcoming virtual co urse “Singing the Wheel of the Year.” Over 8 weeks, we’ll be exploring songs for each of the 8 neopagan holidays, focused on folk beliefs and traditions from England, Ireland and Scotland- and then you’ll be getting additional songs and resources for the rest of the year! You’ll emerge equipped with over 30 songs like “Bundo Matir” that you can use in your communities for ritual and ancestral connection for many years to come! Get all the info you need by going to sarosings . com

Sir Mannelig #pagansong #renfaire #renfairemusic #medievalmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-03-24 | "Herr Mannelig" or "Sir Mannelig"
In this Swedish folk ballad, first recorded in 1877, a mountain troll proposes to a Christian knight. The troll offers him gifts of twelve steeds, twelve mills, a gilded sword and a silken shirt. He rejects her proposal because she is pagan and “of the devil” and she flees, wailing. In some versions she is a “forest maiden”- another figure who might also be seen as a supernatural being. The troll/maiden may essentially be a pagan woman, and the knight, symbolically, represents the rejection of the old ways, of heathenry. Too bad for Mannelig, he missed out!

Although I find the message of the song to be a sad one, I’m still captured by the tune and the historical tension that the song illustrates between pagan and Christian faith, and in general humanity's sense of separation from the wild. This woman's proposal could be seen as an invitation to initiation into the spirit world, or the Otherworld, or simply back to the wild. Mannelig made his choice, but we can make our own.

This English language version of the song comes from musician Brian Kay. I have changed the lyrics slightly in a few parts.

Lyrics:
To you I would give the twelve great mares
And to you I would give the twelve fine mills
That stand between Tillo and Terno

Oh, Mannelig, Sir Mannelig
Would you marry me?
For all that I’d gladly give thee
You may only answer with a yes or no
My dear Mannelig

And to you I would give the gilded sword
That jingles with rings of gold
You will always conquer on the battlefield
In the battlefield you’ll not falter

Oh Mannelig….

Erce, Erce, Eorþan modor #anglosaxon #anglosaxonengland #heathenry #pagani #wiccancommunity

Saro Lynch 2025-03-23 | This prayer, created by me, is based on an elaborate 11th century Anglo-Saxon field blessing known as the Æcerbot. The Æcerbot, which means “field remedy,” is an extensive and exacting ritual used to bring abundance back to a field that has grown fallow. In this long ritual, the field and the earth are addressed several times, in all instances in the feminine form. This song, though in a Christian framework, synthesizes with an understanding of the field and the earth as a whole as a living being. My song, Erce, Erce, Eorþan Modor is a prayer to the “Eorþan modor”- the “Earth Mother” of the Æcerbot- to bring fertility and protection to one's field ("Erce" may be a command to break ground, or an invocation of an earth deity- we don't know for sure).

If you’re yearning to learn songs like this based in pagan & agricultural traditions from England, Ireland and Scotland, you should take my class Singing the Wheel of the Year, which begins April 17th. We’ll be exploring songs for the quarter and cross-quarter days- from Samhain and Bealtaine to Ostara and Mabon. And we learn a great deal of the authentic history of these holidays along the way!

Go to sarosings. c o m and scroll down to find the lynk to learn all about this offering!

Oh Erce, Erce
Eorþan modor
The prayer of our plow is
For grains in great store
Shielded from evil
Bright blooming your yield
All health to the modor
The matron, the field

Blossoms of Saint Columba #plantlore #plantmagic #plantsong #traditionalwitchcraft #foragerwitch

Saro Lynch 2025-03-21 | A song to invoke the powers of Saint John’s Wort, based on Scots Gaelic traditions! St. John’s Wort is also known as the plant of Saint Columba in parts of Scotland. This plant is named for St. John the Baptist (with “wort” being an Old English word for “plant”) because its beautiful yellow blossoms would usually be out at Midsummer, which coalesces with the feast day for the saint. The Irish Saint Columba- who lived much of his life in Scotland- also has his own lore associated with this plant.

In the Anglo-Celtic Isles, St. John’s wort has many beneficial gifts, and has often been seen as providing protection against bad spirits or those with malicious intent. In parts of Scotland, for example, it’s been placed over doorways for protection, and under pillows for blessings. It’s believed that the plant has its greatest power at Midsummer, making that the most beneficial time to harvest this yellow-petaled beauty. It has been an adored companion to many for thousands of years.

This simple prayer is one of my own, created by borrowing phrases from the Carmina Gadelica, a compendium of Scots-Gaelic lore, mostly collected from the Hebrides Islands.

If you’ve been looking for more songs to incorporate into your pagan practice, check out my virtual course Singing the Wheel of the Year! We’ll be learning a big mix of new and old songs drawing on pagan/folk tradition for each of the holidays of the Wheel- from the Celtic holidays like Samhain and Bealtaine to the quarter-days of Midsummer, Yule, and the equinoxes. We’ll enjoy 8 weeks of learning together (all classes are recorded and shared with students in case you miss some dates), followed by bonus materials and review sessions for the rest of the year!

We begin Thursday, April 17th. Get all the details by going to the link on my home page at sarosings . c o m

Lyrics:
Blossoms of Saint Columba
Plant of the joyful feast
Guard me at the threshold
Bringer of sleep and ease

As the Dawn Defies Despair #protestsong #protestchant

Saro Lynch 2025-03-19 | As the dawn defies despair
I defy those who dare
To insist that you and I
Cannot be each other’s freedom

This is a chant I came up with that I’ve been singing the last few years. In moments where so much is going wrong (which is only an indication of how bad things have already been leading up to this point), our instinct so often is to freeze, to feel helpless, to panic. Keeping the energy moving is one of the most important things we can do. Grieving out loud, singing, dancing, laughing and just as importantly turning to the work that is possible around us. You do not have to do some great romantic act of sacrifice. You don’t have to work so hard you burnout. But you can learn how to show up in the ways that you’ll continue to have capacity for- for the neighbor who needs those hot meals or needs help getting their medication, for those incarcerated who need a letter or books, for the relative who could really use more phone calls, for the river that needs clean up, for the folks who are organizing their local union. The act in of itself is the reward. This is how our spirited, resilient ancestors did it. This is how we can do it now. We can be each other’s freedom.

If you’re looking for more resistance history, I recommend checking out the Zinn Education Project.
AND you’re looking for some great songs for these times, check out “We Rise: A Movement Songbook” by the Poor People's Campaign.

Saffron Maiden #ostara #eostre #springequinox #paganchant #paganpolyphony #indoeuropean #anglosaxon

Saro Lynch 2025-03-07 | Happy almost Spring Equinox!

I call this song “Saffron Maiden”- it’s an invocation of the dawn goddess of Indo-European traditions, who has come to be known by names including Eostre, Saule, Aušrinė, Ushas, Ostara, Eos and Aurora. This parts song (lyrics below) invokes the goddess, through Her ever-widening travels across the sky in the spring, to bring the winter world back to life again. Singing a song like this one can connect us to practices of honoring Her that go back 6,000 years or more!

From mid-April to mid-June I’ll be teaching my class Singing the Wheel of the Year! This is a song-centered virtual course that explores the authentic ritual history of the quarter and cross-quarter days (the solstices and equinoxes + Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasadh) as they’ve been observed in the Anglo-Celtic Isles. Come learn the accurate history you’ve been seeking out, and explore a variety of new and traditional songs that you can carry in your own practice and teach others!

Sayles start soon! Join my newsletter using the lynk on my artist channel to be the first to know when this class opens- and get a special offer!

Lyrics:
Part 1:
Saffron Maiden, Rosy Maiden
Open the door now

Part 2:
Rise, arise

Part 3:
Everlasting Maiden
Rise and rise again

Greenwood Laddie #irishlovesong #valentinessong

Saro Lynch 2025-02-14 | A few verses of the Irish love song “Greenwood Laddie” for Valentine’s Day! I find this song so tender and loving. Despite the narrator expressing in the first verse that their feelings aren’t necessarily reciprocated, by later verses the two seem to be enjoying some tender kisses together :) I learned this song from the singing of friend Sam Gleaves.

This song is thought to have originated in County Antrim, Ireland, and was collected from singers including Robert Cinnamond of Glenavy and Charles Boyle of Belfast who learned it from his mother. Boyle’s mother recalled that the song was sung in the mills and factories in Belfast. Peter Kennedy made the song better known through some of his recordings.

I find Valentine’s Day to be a fun excuse to explore all the traditional songs out there about romantic love, yes, but also heartbreak- the full range of emotions we can feel through these precious and miraculous and complex attachments we have with one another.

Lyrics:
You muses assist me, there's none can resist me
Except for the fair lad that I love so well
While others they grieve me, he's the young man can please me
He'll be my Greenwood Laddie wherever he be

If you'd seen my dearest whose eyes shine the clearest
His cheeks like the red blood that's new dropped in snow
He is neat, tall and slender and his hands warm and tender
He'll be my Greenwood Laddie wherever I roam

Irish Love Song: Courting is a Pleasure #irishfolksong #tragiclovesong #celticsong

Saro Lynch 2025-02-11 | Valentine’s Day approaches- so here’s an Irish song of heartbreak for you! “Courting is a Pleasure” has been found Ireland, and a wide number of versions have been collected in American old-time music traditions by titles such as “Loving Hannah” and “Handsome Molly.”

The gender perspective of this song changes depending on the version- here I’m singing from a male perspective (though you could definitely imagine this as a queer narrative with these lyrics too!), but what I suspect to be newer versions tell the story from the perspective of a woman who feels betrayed by a man.

There’s much more to this Irish traditional song beyond these first few verses- and the lyrics get very punchy! I recommend looking up Rita Gallagher and Julie Fowlis’ “Going to Mass Last Sunday” and Jean Ritchie’s “Loving Hannah” versions on YouTube.

Join my newsletter for upcoming courses and events by going to the link in my bio!

Lyrics:

Courting is a pleasure between my love and I,
And it's down in yonder valley I will meet her by and by.
It's down in yon green valley she is my heart's delight,
And it's with my lovely Molly, I would stay 'til the broad daylight.

Going to mass last Sunday, my love she passed me by,
I could tell her mind was changing by the roving of her eye.
I could tell her mind was altered to a lad of high degree,
Oh Molly, cruel Molly, your looks have wounded me.

#irishfolksong #americanoldtimemusic #valentinesdaysong #romancesong #heartbreaksong #irishtraditionalsong #bard #celticsong #celticlovesong

West Virginia Mine Disaster #jeanritchie

Saro Lynch 2025-01-14 | Do you know this Appalachian ballad, “West Virginia Mine Disaster,” by female folk legend Jean Ritchie? This song, inspired by the disastrous Farmington/Mannington Mine Disaster in West Virginia in 1968, is told from the perspective of a miner’s wife.
We hear her perspective as she receives the news that her husband may be trapped in a mine accident. Her thoughts race as she thinks about the fate of her family. Songs like these by Appalachian women give an important perspective often missing from our labor histories.

In my Badass Women in Folk Song course (starting this week) we’ll get to explore working women’s songs of protest- and so much more! This is a 6 week course exploring songs from Scotland, England and Ireland about women/femmes/non-binary and trans folks who use their intellect, magic work, strength and humor to triumph in the face of patriarchy. We have two online cohorts you can join- learn more by going to sarosings . com and scroll down and click on "Badass Women in Folk Song."

I Went to See Molly #appalachianballad #englishfolksong

Saro Lynch 2025-01-11 | Did you know that, for a long time, some of the most popular songs to come out of England and Scotland were about women who lived as sailors, smugglers and soldiers?

The characters of these gender disguise ballads often went to war or set out on the ocean to rescue a lover (like in this song), but in their new roles they always exceed the men around them in skill and ability.

This ballad, called “I Went to See My Molly” is from England (perhaps about the Napoleonic Wars or earlier wars) but made its way to Appalachia. I learned it from the singing of Lee Monroe Presnell. In this song, we hear a woman describing her plan to cut her hair short and go fight in the American Civil War alongside her sweetheart.

These stories reflect the real choices of many people during the early modern era in Britain- people who in modern times might have identified in a variety of ways concerning their gender/s and sexuality.

If you want to explore English, Scottish and Appalachian songs about badass women/femmes/trans folks, then you should sign up for my Badass Women in Folk Song Course!

I’m hosting two virtual cohorts on Zoom starting January 16th, and an in-person cohort in Asheville, NC starting January 13th. Get all of the details by going to saro sings . com and clicking on "Badass Women in Folk Song" on the home page!

Go From My Window: Elizabethan Era Song & its Interpretations #renaissancewomen #renaissancemusic

Saro Lynch 2025-01-09 | Badass Women in Folk Song starts next week! Virtual cohorts start on Thursday, January 16th, and the Asheville in-person cohort start on Monday, January 13th.
In our time together, we’ll learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia, and strategies of resistance that these folk songs teach us.

Go to sarosings . com and scroll down on the home page to learn more!

I love this nearly 500 year-old English folk song for the many meanings we can draw from its lyrics. In “Go From My Window,” sung from a woman’s perspective, the narrator repeatedly tells her lover to leave, saying “you cannot have a harboring here.”

There have been many popular stories about what this song means…Often, it’s told that a woman is having an affair, and when her husband is unexpectedly home, she sings this song to her baby, but loud enough for her lover at the window to safely get the message and go home. Sometimes, it’s a young woman singing to her lover because her father is home instead.

But to me, the first time I heard it, this song was about something else…The complexities that can come about in relationships in which we might love someone, but they’re not good or even safe for us to be around.

To have to say, “I love you, but you still have to leave.” This second verse, with the lyrics “the devil’s in the man,” makes me think of this.

I love how oral traditions allow us to put our own meaning into the old songs and stories. The old folk songs are designed in such a way that they easily can become our own. We’ll be exploring this aspect of folk tradition in Badass Women- sign up now before classes start next week! Go to sarosings . com and scroll down on my home page to learn more!

Let No Man Steal Your Thyme #abortionrights #abortionhistory

Saro Lynch 2025-01-08 | How do folk songs transmit histories of ab*rtion and the uses of ab*rtive herbs? This song, “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme,” uses layered puns to communicate experiences about how to resolve unwanted pregnancies. Women are warned to let no man steal their thyme/time. In some contexts a few hundred years ago, singers would have understood thyme as an herb that helped to regulate menstrual cycles- so in this case, stolen thyme could mean your cycle has stopped! In the place of thyme, rue spreads… and rue was historically used as an abortive herb (It was often called "the grey herb" or "the bitter herb." A song like this one would have helped everyday people to understand their options when they found themselves “in trouble.”

*I’m NOT endorsing the use of herbal ab*rtifacients, which can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, especially if taken with no guidance- but we still have a right to know this history *

We’ll be exploring songs like this one in my course Badass Women in Folk Song. Learn a one-of-a-kind collection of songs from Scotland, England and Appalachia all about creative, cunning and subversive women- and get lots of history along the way. We start the week of January 12th, so sign up now! You can get more info by going to sarosings. com

**I’ve just added an additional experience for the course: We’ll have a special guest lecture about how women have used literature and plant metaphors to talk about their experiences of ab*rtion and miscarriage, to parallel our studies of ab*rtifacients and coded language in folk song.**

Maid on the Shore #witchsong #witchcraft #womenshistory #folksongs

Saro Lynch 2025-01-07 | You know those songs where the story builds up so much tension- and then you just want to give a triumphant yell when it all works out in the end?

This centuries-old folk song “Maid on the Shore” is one of my faves! In this story, a woman is pressured to come aboard a ship- the captain and his men want to have their way with her. But instead she sings them to sleep (some see this as witchcraft). Then she robs for everything they’ve got! In my upcoming class, we’ll look at some of the ways women use magic and witchcraft in the old songs to save themselves from attackers (sleep magic is a popular method :)!

If you’re hungry for songs where women triumph and get sh*t done, you should start your year with my course “Badass Women in Folk Song!” This is a 6 week experience that you can take virtually (with two different times to choose from) or locally if you’re in western NC! In our time together, we’ll learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia, and strategies of resistance that these folk songs teach us.

Get all the info you need by going to the lynks on my creator page. We start January 13th for local cohorts, and January 16th for virtual cohorts!

The Ballad of Penny Evans by Steve Goodman #warresistance #feministsong

Saro Lynch 2025-01-06 | Who are your favorite “sheroes” in traditional songs? There are so many fierce women I love from the old songs and ballads- women who do daring feats, who use magic, fight off their attackers, or curse their enemies. But I also love songs that illustrate powerful, everyday protest too. Folk songs don’t just help us witness the experiences of others- they also teach a variety of tactics of resistance.

We’ll be exploring what songs like this one have to teach us in my upcoming offering Badass Women in Folk Song. This six week class explores songs from Scotland, England and Appalachia about powerful, subversive women- just what we need in these times! You’ll get a chance to write your own songs “in the tradition” as well!
You can take this class over zoom (with two different times to choose from) or locally if you’re in western NC!

Virtual cohorts start on January 16th, and the in-person cohort starts on January 13th! Check out the schedule and register using the link in my bio!
Learn more using the link on my creator page!

Union Organizing Song: Come All You Coal Miners

Saro Lynch 2025-01-05 | Lots of badass women before us have written songs from ground zero of the fight for union rights. Do you know any of these songs?
This one, “Come All You Coal Miners” is by Sarah Ogan Gunning. Gunning (1910-1983) grew up in the coal fields of eastern Kentucky… and the hardships of her life called her to advocate for the safety and stability that unions can bring. She ends this song with the lines “Let’s sink this dirty capitalist system to the darkest pits of hell!” Can’t say I disagree!

You can learn working women’s songs of protest in my upcoming offering Badass Women in Folk Song. We’ll be exploring songs from Scotland, England and Appalachia about witty women, witches and warriors who get their way and fiercely fight for what and who they love. This is a 6 week experience that you can take virtually (with two different times to choose from) or locally if you’re in western NC, USA!

**I’ve also just added an additional experience: We’ll have a special guest lecture about how women have used literature and plant metaphors to talk about their experiences of abortion and miscarriage, to parallel our studies of abortifacients and coded language in folk song.**

With the dire political times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

Virtual cohorts start on January 16th, and the in-person cohort starts on January 13th! Learn more using the lynk on my creator page!

Womens Vengeance Song: Red Haired Becky #goodbyeearl #revengesong #feministsong

Saro Lynch 2025-01-05 | Sometimes we like a song where a woman gets vengeance! In this new song written in a traditional ballad style, our heroine takes a shotgun and seeks out the man who left her for another woman. What do you think will happen next? We’ll be looking at this song, and lots of others in my upcoming offering “Badass Women in Folk Song.” We’ll explore ballads and folk songs where women kick ass and take names, and you’ll have the chance to write your own song in the tradition!

So, if you’re hungry for songs where women triumph and get sh*t done, you should start your year with “Badass Women in Folk Song!” This is a 6 week experience that you can take virtually (with two different times to choose from) or locally if you’re in western NC! In our time together, we’ll learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia, and strategies of resistance that these folk songs teach us.

**I’ve also just added an additional experience: We’ll have a special guest lecture about how women have used literature and plant metaphors to talk about their experiences of abortion and miscarriage, to parallel our studies of abortifacients and coded language in folk song.**

With the dire political times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

I’m offering this at a big discount, so take advantage now!
Virtual cohorts start on January 16th, and the in-person cohort starts on January 13th! Check out the schedule and regyster using the lynk on my creator page!

The song I’m singing, “Red Haired Becky” is written by Si Kahn, a contemporary folk musician and organizer who writes excellent new songs inspired by folk tradition!

Divine Feminine Song: Round a Round the Mothers Blessing from Shakers #womenshistory #womeninmusic

Saro Lynch 2025-01-01 | Did you know there are historic songs that recognize God as feminine?
For hundreds of years, the Shakers, a communalist faith tradition, have described the Divine in feminine and masculine aspects: There is God the Mother as well as God the Father. This joyful song depicts the Mother (who may also be a representation of Shaker co-founder Mother Ann Lee) working a spindle, producing love and unity between peoples as she twists the fibers into threads.

In the year ahead, we’ll need songs like this one to embolden and reassure us as we combat sexism and threats to the rights of many. Let’s be ready while we stand on the shoulders of such beautiful songs and singers.

Start your year with my course “Badass Women in Folk Song!” Badass Women in Folk Song is a 6 week course that you can take virtually (or locally if you’re in western NC)! In our time together, we’ll learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia, and strategies of resistance that these songs teach us. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

We start in mid-January- check out the schedule and regyster by going to this lynk: songsthatspeak.teachable.com/p/badass-women-landing-page

Lyrics:
Round a round the mother’s blessing
Goes round, round the world around
Round a round the mother’s blessing
Goes round, round the world around
Twisiting strands of love and union into life’s eternal bliss
Mother’s hand is on the spindle, turning us to peace and rest

Womans Song: Katie Cruel #womenoffolk #womenshistory #womensong #womensstruggle #matriarchy

Saro Lynch 2024-12-31 | This song, “Katie Cruel” which originally comes from Scotland, is told from the perspective of a s-x worker who, in many versions, is following an army infantry for her work. The lyrics of this folk song (which you’ll learn if you join my course) depict her sense of independence, her pursuit of the one she loves, and the ironies of how she’s treated by the clients she soothes.

This coming year, with everything that’s changing politically, we’ll need songs to embolden and reassure us as we combat sexism and threats to the rights of many.

Start off 2025 with my course “Badass Women in Folk Song!” This is a 6 week course that you can take virtually (or locally if you’re in western NC)! In our time together, we’ll learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. We’ll also get to explore what these songs have to teach us about women’s historic tactics of resistance, and enjoy writing our own songs using traditional tunes and techniques. You’ll also get loads of materials- recorded songs, historic lectures, YouTube playlists and more!

With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter and beyond!

We start in two weeks- you can learn more by going to the linktr.ee li nk on my creator page!

Ancient Solstice Tradition? Please to See the King #yuletide #yuletradition #pagantradition

Saro Lynch 2024-12-21 | You are listening to a song from Pembrokeshire, Wales that celebrates what might be an ancient folkloric midwinter tradition. “Please to See the King” is a song about…not Jesus, but a wren! At dawn on December 26th, Saint Stephen’s Day, it was traditional for the youths of the village to go out and capture and kill a wren bird in the woods. The wren would be brought back to the village, displayed with ribbons and paraded around from house to house while young boys sang this song. Money collected from this house visiting procession would go to throw a party for the community.

We don’t know how this tradition originated, but it may have been an animist or pagan ritual meant to kill winter and welcome the return of the light. The wren was associated with wintertime (as opposed to the cuckoo, who heralded summer), so killing the wren might have been sympathetic magic to bring warmer weather. Though no wrens are killed anymore, versions of this tradition continue!

Our Wassailing troupe performed this song in St. Lawrence’s Basilica in Asheville. We loved the acoustics in here!

**Right now I am offering courses in feminist folk song (LOW PRYCES AVAILABLE NOW) + a local pagan winter choir! Check out those offerings here: https://linktr.ee/songspeaksaro

Lyrics to our version:
Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this place
By your leave we will sing concerning our king

Our king is well dressed in the silks of the best
In ribbons so rare, no king can compare

We have travelled many miles over hedges and stiles
In search of our king, unto you we bring

We have powder and shot to conquer the lot
We have cannon and ball to conquer them all

Old Christmas is past, Twelfth Night is the last,
And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new

#yuletradition #solsticetradition #pagantradition #midwinter #wassailing #wassail #yuletidings #Welshfolktradition #welshfolksong #midwinterfolkore #yulefolklore #wintersolstice #folksong #englishfolksong #paganwinter #paganfolk #paganfolkwitch

Women in the Napoleonic Wars: Heres the Tender Coming #womensstruggle #englishfolksong

Saro Lynch 2024-12-20 | In the past, how have women resisted wars they find unjust?
This song, “Here’s the Tender Coming” comes from women’s experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. This song is set in the Tyneside of England, where, during war time, able seamen were often press-ganged on to ships and forced to serve in the Navy. This song is told from a woman’s perspective as she strategizes to hide her husband so he won’t be taken to the wars.

If you like to learn ballads and folk songs about empowered women/femmes/trans folks, I encourage you to check out my offering Badass Women in Folk Song! In our time together, we learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

It’s on sa le now at a MAJOR 45% dis count, but only for a few more days! You can take Badass Women starting mid-January online or in person. Learn more & regyster by going to the lyntr.ee lynk on my creator page!

English Folk Ballad: Maid in Love #feministsong #renaissancewomen #transhistory #womenshistory

Saro Lynch 2024-12-19 | Old English and Scottish ballads tell us stories of heroines who adventure as sailors and soldiers! Sometimes these scenarios lead to unconventional and queer romantic encounters. This song- Maid in Love is narrated by a woman who dresses as a sailor and serves on a ship so that she can find her lover. But the captain falls in love with her (in her persona as a sailor) and confesses his attraction. Though sometimes sparks do fly in these scenarios, in this case the narrator tells the captain to wait and court women on shore. Songs on themes of gender disguise and homoerotic attraction/tension were incredibly popular in the 1600 and 1700s.They show us that audiences were curious about pushing norms of gender and erotic attraction!

If you like to learn songs about empowered women/femmes/trans folks, I encourage you to check out my offering Badass Women in Folk Song! In our time together, we learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

It’s on sa le now at a MAJOR 45% dis count, but only for a few more days! You can take Badass Women starting mid-January online or in person. Learn more & regyster by going to the lynk on my creator page!

Occoms Carol #colonialchristmas #christmascarol #oldchristmasmusic

Saro Lynch 2024-12-18 | This American nativity song goes back to 1751! Known as “Occom’s Carol” and “O Sight of Anguish,” this song emphasizes the vulnerability of a newly-born Jesus. This song portrays him weeping and innocent, hosted kindly by barn animals but denied aid by cruel humanity. Though I’m a pagan, this song has always struck me for its poetry and its call for mercy towards children. Taken from a wider angle, I see here an illustration of each child as divine, and a command towards acting towards each of us with love.

Look to the lynks on my creator page to support an American family.

The lyrics are by Samson Occom (1723-1792), a member of the Mohegan Nation, who was a Presbyterian minister for much of his life. Musical arrangement by William Knapp.

O sight of Anguish, view it near
What weeping innocence is here
A manger for his bed.
The brutes yield refuge to his woe;
Man, the worst brute, no pity shows,
Nor give him friendly aid
Nor gives him friendly aid

Say, did that infant bathed in tears
Call into form the rolling spheres?
Did seraphs wait his nod?
Helpless he calls, but man delays,
The moral chaos disobeys
This offspring of a God
This offspring of a God

Redemption! ‘Tis a boundless theme!
Thou boundless mind our hearts inflame
With ardor from above.
Words are but faint, let joy express,
Vain is mere joy, let actions bless
This prodigy of love
This offspring of a God

#carol #bard #palestine #freepalestine #folksong #oldchristmassong #Americanhistory #Americanmusichistory #colonialchristmas #Americancolonialhistory #christmascarol

Feminist Folk Song? Rain and Snow #feministsong #womenshistory #murderballad

Saro Lynch 2024-12-17 | How does the same song about a woman as a victim become a song about a woman retaliating against her abuser?

This American folk song. “Rain and Snow,” used to be about a man abused by his wife who responds by ending her life. But recordings of this song in recent decades have switched the genders. Instead the woman is abused by her husband, and chooses to end the abuse one fatal night. So many women are in prison in the U.S. because they defended themselves against their abusers. And a disproportionate number of these women are women of color. This song reflects a very real part of women’s history that needs to change. It also shows us how singers in oral tradition have changed the outcome of the song to match their experiences or aspire to safer outcomes for women.

You can explore women’s history through ballads & folk song in my upcoming winter offering: Badass Women in Folk Song! Learn more below. Right now, I’m excited to be offering my 6-week experience Badass Women in Folk Song at a 45% discount! In our time together, we learn a one-of-a-kind collection of ballads and songs about witches, warriors and triumphant women from Scotland, England and Appalachia. With the dire times we’re in, Badass Women is intended to be a balm to carry you through the winter.

Learn more & regyster by going to the lynk on my creator page!

For more resources on supporting incarcerated women, check out the Women’s Prison Association and PrisonActivist. Org

Irish Song for the Goddess Brigid: Gabhaim molta Bride #goddessbrigid #celticmusic #gaelicsong

Saro Lynch 2024-12-14 | A few verses- one in Gaelic and one in English, of "Gabhaim molta Bride." This song is in praise of Brigid, who is chronicled in several medieval texts as both a pre-Christian deity/divine being (in some cases, she is three sisters named Bríg- daughter of the Dagda) and as a saint who founded a holy house at Kildare.

The lyrics are thought to come from a poem by Tomás Ó Flannghaile, or Thomas Flannery (1846-1916). Ó Flannghaile was born in County Mayo, Ireland in 1846, but from the age of seven onward he lived in England, spending much of his adult life as an English teacher. He was active in the Irish language literary revival.

This song is so soothing, and a good balm for winter! Lyrics below!

Gabhaim molta Bride
Ionmhain í le hÉireann
Ionmhain le gach tír í
Molaimis go léir í

Praise to you dear Bride
Cherished of our people
Cherished foster-mother
Midwife and provider

Mirie It Is While Sumer Ilast: Middle English Song for Winter #medievalsong #medievalmusic

Saro Lynch 2024-12-11 | You are listening to the earliest known secular song in the English language! “Mirie it is while sumer ilast” was written down sometime in the first half of the 13th century, and was found miraculously on a flyleaf added to a Book of Psalms created in the late 12th century. In this song, of which we only have one verse, the narrator praises the pleasantness of summer and mourns the harshness of winter, with its long nights and threat of starvation. The song is originally in Middle English, which evolved from Anglo-Saxon, and is generally described as being spoken from ca 1100-1500 CE.

If you like folk songs like this one- you should sing with me sometime! Right now I’m offering “Badass Women in Folk Song!” In this 6-week winter experience, we’ll gather round the hearth and learn ballads and folk songs of powerful, witty and magic-wielding women (and femmes, and non-binary and transfolks!) from Scottish, English and Appalachian tradition. You can attend online or in person, starting in mid-January!

I’m currently offering Badass Women at special early bird prices- an over 45% discount!! Holy moly! Go to the linktr.ee link on my creator page to learn more!

Mirie it is while sumer ilast
With fugheles song
Oc nu necheth windes blast
And weder strong
Ei ei what this nicht is long
And ich with wel michel wrong
Soregh and murne and fast

Translation:
Merry it is while summer lasts
With bird song
But now, close by, the winds blast
And the weather is strong
Oh, oh! This night is long
And I also am done much wrong
Sorrow and mourn and go without food

Medieval Witch Folk Song? #witchcraft #feminist #womansong #pagansong #watermagic

Saro Lynch 2024-12-10 | What traditional songs do you know that show us women in roles of power- spiritually, economically, emotionally?

This mysterious medieval song “Maiden in the Moor Lay” is about a woman thought to be performing magical rites at a well. Some think she might be a water sprite, while others see her as performing Anglo-Saxon magic, and others still think it’s a representation of Mary Magdalene performing devotions in the wild.
Evidence shows us that the church viewed this song as secular, other times profane. In at least one case the lyrics were changed to make the song be about the nativity instead.

The woman, who lays in the moor for seven nights, drinks only the water of the well spring, and eats only primroses and violets. I love how this folk song gives us beautiful imagery to spark our imaginations!

Feminist Folk Songs: Special Offer

Saro Lynch 2024-12-06 | What songs remind you of your own resilience?
With everything going on in our nation right now, I’ve been thinking about songs like this one (more info below) where women proudly declare their own strength and power.

This winter, I’m offering a timely course: Badass Women in Folk Song
Starting in January, we’ll spend six weeks exploring folksongs from England, Scotland and Appalachia on themes of witches, warrior women, survivors and s!x workers, reproductive rights and more. Meditating with these songs helps us to tap into the cleverness and strategies of our communal ancestors, and take some restive time for these songs to work their healing magic on us.

This course goes on sale next week- virtual and in-person options are available!

If you joyn my newsletter now (lynked in the linktr.ee on my creator page), you’ll get a special discount offer when sales begin!

This song is called “Song of Myself” by Peggy Seeger. This autobiographical ballad documents Peggy’s life’s journey and shift in her life towards social justice work. You can learn more about her at peggyseeger. com

Feminist Folk Songs in Upcoming Course! #feministsong #feministfolksong #ballad #Appalachianballad

Saro Lynch 2024-12-06 | In our current political climate, we can feel panicked when it comes to what’s happening to the rights of women, trans folks, nonbinary folks, and SO many more.

One thing that can soothe us is sinking into songs about the cleverness, bravery, and patience of women in generations before us. These songs contain literal strategies to teach us about women’s historic practices of survival and autonomy.

This winter, you can rest, recuperate and strategize for what’s ahead with my Badass Women in Folk Song course.

This course lasts from mid-Jan through mid-February, and each week we learn and explore songs on themes of practicing magic, reproductive rights, outwitting assailants, and more from England, Scotland and Appalachia.

Cozy up and learn these songs passed down to us from generations of wise and witty women.

This course goes on sale next week- virtual and in-person options are available!

If you joyn my newsletter now (lynked via the linktr.ee on my creator page), you’ll get a special discount offer when sales begin!

Feminist Folk Songs Course: Badass Women in Folk Song #feministsong #womensrights

Saro Lynch 2024-12-04 | There’s a lot of fear right now for women’s safety and autonomy. In times like these, I look to old folk songs and ballads to remember how brilliant and subversive women and femmes have always been. This English folk song, known as “The Maid Who Sold Her Barley” goes back nearly 350 years, and tells the story of a clever maiden who cleverly and resoundingly rebukes an eager erm, “suitor” on the road.

If you want to feel into your own strength by singing the old songs of creative, humorous and witty women, join me for Badass Women in Folksong this winter! Our class goes from mid-January to mid-February, and every week we explore a different theme related to witty and wily women from English, Scottish and Appalachian folk song. These are stories about creativity, survival, reproductive choices, soldiering, magic wielding and more.

With the current climate in our culture, and the very real harm happening women both cisgender and trans, nonbinary folks, AFAB folks of any gender and more- this is the time to dig into feminist songs that express anger, humor and hope in the face of these struggles.

This course goes on sale next week- virtual and in-person options are available!
If you joyn my newsletter now (lynked through the linktr.ee on my creator page) you’ll get a special discount offer next week when sales begin!

*A note that when I talk about women’s experiences in this course, we’re talking about people perceived of, treated as, or identified as women both historically and today. In other words, people who have gendered themselves as women or been gendered by the broader culture as women. This includes trans women, nonbinary folks and other identities. We also talk about femmes in the context of the course as folks who might have a variety of sexual or gender identities, but who present as feminine (and as a result, can also be impacted negatively by patriarchal cultures)*

Pagan Song for Sacred Space

Saro Lynch 2024-12-04 | In the season finale of our fall Pagan Choir near Asheville, NC, choir members and new folks came together to sing this song. It’s all about that feeling of safety and wholeness that can happen in sacred space. We wove around each other, feeling the meaning of the words.

The Winter Season of Pagan Choir begins Sunday, January 5th! We’ll be singing folk songs, parts songs, rounds and more for the winter solstice, dawn goddesses, the hearth, and the goddess/Saint Brigid.

Early bird pryces are available NOW and prices will go up soon! Learn more and regyster using the lynk in the linktr.ee on my channel page!

The Sacred Space Song- this is one of mine :)

Part 1:
Oh we are whole again
We raise our wards again
In union with our kin
Oh we are safe

Part 2:
I wade deep, deep in the mystery
Seeking, sensing, reveling

Part 3:
We, we stand between the earth and
Earth and the sky
We fold together time and space

Pagan Origins of Christmas Carols #paganhistory #pagansong #paganchristmascarol #fertilitygoddess

Saro Lynch 2024-12-04 | This time of year, we hear all kinds of Christmas carols- but did you know some of them tell stories that connect us to the pre-Christian past? The Cherry Tree Carol is a ballad that tells a story about the holy family that goes back thousands of years. This story, found in what were called “Infancy Gospels” about Jesus’ life, didn’t make the cut into the Bible, but has traveled as a popular tale in writings, plays and songs up to the present day. And, most intriguingly, the Cherry Tree Carol connects us to pre-Christian beliefs in sacred trees and waters, fertility goddesses, and other holy families- such as that of Leto and her children Apollo and Artemis.

My short doc on the history and folklore of this Appalachian ballad is available on my YouTube channel!

I offer classes and workshops on pagan song and other cool topics year-round. You can keep track of all my offerings by joyning my newslettr via the lynk on my creator page.

Pagan Chant for Sacred Space: Gathered Here in the Mystery of the Hour #paganchant #pagansong

Saro Lynch 2024-12-02 | This fall I hosted my first-ever season of Pagan Choir! We learned folk songs, rounds, parts songs and chants to praise the animate world, inspired by pagan traditions from Scotland, Ireland and England. This round “Gathered Here in the Mystery of the Hour,” comes from Philip Porter (lyrics below), and for me is all about calling in sacred space and listening more closely to spirit.

Early bird regystration is now open for our Winter Season, which starts Sunday, January 5th! You can find out more by going to paganchoir. b l o g

We will be learning songs on themes of hearth & craft, yule, the divine woman/goddess Brigid and more! We will end our season with a private ritual for Imbolc, the traditional Irish holiday that honors Brigid and heralds the return of life to the land.

If you aren’t local to Western North Carolina, I offer virtual courses year round on themes of paganism and folk song- joyn my newslettr, using the main lynk on my creator page!

Lyrics:
Gathered here in the mystery of the hour
Gathered here in one strong body
Gathered here in the struggle and the power
Spirit draw near