Cutty Wren
The Cutty Wren and its variants like The Hunting of the Wren are traditional English folk songs. The origins and meaning of the song are disputed. It is thought by some to represent the human sacrifice of the Year King, or the symbolic substitute slaughter of the wren as "king of the birds" at the end of the year for similar purposes, and such songs are traditionally sung on Boxing Day, just after the winter solstice. These rituals are discussed in The Golden Bough. It is number 236 in the Roud Folk Song Index.
Read more about Cutty Wren: The Rebellious Wren?, Chips With Everything, Recordings
Famous quotes containing the word wren:
“Old, aching God, grey with endless care,
calmly piercing evil’s new disguises,
glad of good surprises, wiser than despair
Hail and Hosanna, old, aching God!”
—Brian Wren (b. 1936)