The boar's head in hand bear I...

[lovetriangle]

The boar's head in hand bear I,
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary;
I pray you, my masters, be merry,
Quot estis in convivio.

Caput Apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land;
Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland.
Let us servire cantico.

Caput Apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

Our steward hath provided this
In honour of the king of bliss;
Which on this day to be served is
In Reginensi Atrio.

Caput Apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

This tribute brought to you by Boar's Head Horseradish Cheddar. A cheese so yummy I had to post about it!

Not for the faint of heart, nor weak of tongue!

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to have more...

Comments

[koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Boar's Head horseradish cheddar is amazing :)

[lindseyerin37.livejournal.com]

We sang that in High School Mardigals while a paper-mache boars head was paraded around...ah memories!

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

I love that carol. I remember singing it in costume when I was at Llancaiach Fawr (17th century re-enactment in Wales) where I had a higher harmony to sing on the chorus!


Lovely!

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

Oh, and do you know the story behind this carol?

[love3angle.livejournal.com]

No, but I sure love that cheese!

Kidding, What's the story? I love the carol...

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

The legend is based around Queen's College, University of Oxford - Reginensi Atrio - the Queen's Hall.

Apparently, the Boar's head became a tradition in Hall where the students and fellows would dine to commemorate an act of valour/courage by a student of the college who had been walking in the forest of Shotover and reading Aristotle. Suddenly, he was attacked by a wild boar. The student promptly thrust the book of Aristotle down the boar's throat, crying, "Græcum est," (trans: "With compliments of the Greeks.") and choked the beast to death.

He then carried the boar back to Hall where it was cooked and processed into Hall with this carol!

The words we have now are based on those from 1521 in Wynkyn de Worde's "Christmasse Carolles", but apparently the carol is older - at least 15th century. When the legend of the student braving the ferocious boar with a volume of Aristotle comes from I don't know - but then, Queen's Hall isn't exactly a young college!!!

[love3angle.livejournal.com]

That is fantastic! :-)

What a treat, thank you!