The Padstow May Song - YouTube
This CD, "Blow ye Winds in the Morning," is excellent. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in sea songs and chanteys.
The ancient "Padstow May Song" although observed superficially as a Christian festival has deep roots in Celtic paganism. Folklorists and researchers believe this festival—called ‘Obby ‘Oss is probably linked to Beltane.
The festival is held in Padstow, Cornwall, England on May Eve (April 30 otherwise known as Walpurgisnacht). It involves two men dressed as “horses” or ‘osses (‘obby ‘oss = hobby horse). One ‘oss is called “Old” and the other is called “Blue Ribbon.” On May Eve, the people gather outside the Golden Lion Inn and sing the Night Song. During the night, people dress in greenery and a maypole is erected.
By morning, men called “teasers” prod the two ‘osses through the streets. As the ‘osses cavort through the streets, they try to grab any young maidens they spy. A band is led through the streets by a man called the “Mayer” in a top hat and stick while people sing the Morning Song (or Day Song). At evening, the two ‘osses meet at the maypole and then are afterwards led to their respective stables. The crowd then sings the ‘obby ‘oss death song. The festival ends until the ‘Obby ‘Osses are resurrected next spring. For clearly, we can see this is a spring/fertility festival.
What has this to do with sailing? Nothing except that the Morning or Day Song contains a couple of notable verses:
The young men of Padstow they might if they would,
For summer is acome unto day,
They might have built a ship and gilded her with gold,
In the merry morning of May.
And:
O! where is St. George,
O!, where is he O,
He is out in his long boat on the salt sea O.
St. George, we remember, slew the dragon:
But Melville stated in
Moby Dick his belief that George was a harpooner and the dragon was a whale. I don’t know if Melville was aware of the Padstow May Song but it states that St. George is “out in his long boat on the salt sea…”
This is the seal of the borough of Padstow:
The Padstow sea cadets. On their covers is the word “Petroc” which refers to St. Petroc, a Welsh missionary who founded the town around 500 CE as “Petroc-stow” or “Patrick-stowe” (Petroc’s place).