Christmastide - online book

Its History, Festivities And Carols

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	— 198 — to wordy antiquaries. The English refrains, however, seem equally as inexplicable as the French; unless we suppose, with some learned expositor, that the well-known u Down derry down" has reference to the oak, and is derived from the Druid, u Hob y deri danno;" but then how are we to account for " Hey troly loly lo," and " Dumble dum deary," &c. ? In the Elizabethan age, " Hey, nonny, nonny " was somewhat a favourite, though there were some strange burdens also at this time, that would make us fancy that the celebrated Tarleton and Kemp must occasionally have improvised any clinking nonsense that entered their heads, which was after­wards printed with the songs.