It Rained, It Mist- Cole (VA) pre1980 Yates REC
[From: Far in the Mountains: Volume 2 of Mike Yates' 1979-83 Appalachian Collection. His notes follow. Several other versions begin, "It rained, it mist," cf. Abrams, Reed version sung by York.
R. Matteson 2015]
This once popular European ballad has survived well in the upland south of America, although I doubt that Viola really understood the full horror of the tale. The abduction and murder of Christian children by the Jews was a well-known idea in the Middle Ages. In England, the story of Hugh of Lincoln was included in the Annals of Waverly (1255), and Chaucer took the idea for The Prioress's Tale. But there are many other similar tales scattered throughout Europe. According to Professor Child, 'Murders like that of Hugh of Lincoln have been imputed to the Jews for at least seven hundred and fifty years, and the charge, which there is reason to suppose may still from time to time be renewed, has brought upon the accused every calamity that the hand of man can inflict, pillage, confiscation, banishment, torture, and death, and this in huge proportions'. Bernard Malamud's novel The Fixer is but a retelling of this very ancient theme and James Joyce incorporates the ballad (as a short song) in his novel Ulysses. Other American recordings include those by Ollie Gilbert on Rounder CD 1707 and the curiously named Nelstone's Hawaiians on Smithsonian Folkways Anthology of American Folk Music (SFW CD 40090), while there is a Scottish set sung by Margaret Stewart on Greentrax CDTRAX 9005 and an Irish version sung by John Byrne on the European Ethnic cassette Early Ballads in Ireland (no issue number) edited by Tom Munnelly and Hugh Shields.
It Rained, It Mist - Sung by Viola Cole at her home near Hillsville, Carroll County, VA. on 23.8.80.
It rained, it mist, it rained, it mist,
It rained all over the town.
And two little boys went out to play,
To toss their ball around, around.
To toss their ball around.
It was first too high and then too low,
Till they tossed it into the jury[1] room,
Where no one was allowed to go, to go,
Where no one was allowed to go.
Pretty soon, pretty soon, there came a pretty miss,
All stylish and dressed in green.
'Come in, come in, my dear little ones,
You shall have your ball again, again.
You shall have your ball again.'
'I shan't come in, I won't come in,
Unless my playmate comes too.
For I've often heard of the one's going in,
And never coming out anymore, anymore.
And never coming out anymore.'
At first she showed him a red rosy apple,
And then she showed him a chain.
And then she showed him a diamond ring,
To entice the little one in, oh, in.
To entice the little one in.
She took him by the little white hand,
She led him through the hall.
She led him into the dining room,
Where no one could hear his call, his call.
Where no one could hear his call.
She pinned a napkin over his face,
She pinned it with a pin.
And then she took her little penknife,
And took his little heart in, oh, in.
And took his little heart in.
'Oh, spare my life, Oh, spare my life,
Oh, spare my life,' he cried.
'If ever I live to be a man,
My treasures shall all be thine, oh, thine.
My treasures shall all be thine.'
'Oh, place the prayer book at my feet,
The Bible at my head.
And when my playmate calls for me,
You can tell him that I am dead, oh, dead.
You can tell him that I am dead.'
1. Jewery (Jew'ry) room