Country Lore

[+Woody's Wanderers]

There is an open area on the common, where magpies have begun to congregate. I've just seen 14. Now I know that: -

 

1 for sorrow

2 for joy

3 for a girl

4 for a boy

5 for silver

6 for gold

7 for a secret never told

8's a wish

9's a kiss and;

10's the one you shouldn't miss!

 

Does anyone know if the rhyme goes on past this? Or do you just stack? (ie 14's the boy you shouldn't miss. Don't tell Mrs Woody's Wanderers!)

 

Also, the common is coverd in spikey bushes that have the most glorious creamy white blossom on them, which smells divine (hiding the fact the twigs have inch long (2.54cm) spikes on them!!) I gues this might be hawthorn, but does anyone know for certain?

 

Thanks.

[+davy boy]

There is an open area on the common, where magpies have begun to congregate. I've just seen 14. Now I know that: -

 

1 for sorrow

2 for joy

3 for a girl

4 for a boy

5 for silver

6 for gold

7 for a secret never told

8's a wish

9's a kiss and;

10's the one you shouldn't miss!

 

Does anyone know if the rhyme goes on past this? Or do you just stack? (ie 14's the boy you shouldn't miss. Don't tell Mrs Woody's Wanderers!)

 

Also, the common is coverd in spikey bushes that have the most glorious creamy white blossom on them, which smells divine (hiding the fact the twigs have inch long (2.54cm) spikes on them!!) I gues this might be hawthorn, but does anyone know for certain?

 

Thanks.

The spikey bushes are not hawthorn,they are blackthorn,there is also another rhyme about magpies but cannot remember how it goes!!

 

Here is the other one.

I cross the magpie,the magpie crosses me,bad luck to the magpie,good luck to me!

Edited April 26, 2006 by davy boy

[+milvus-milvus]

There was an article about this on the radio yesterday. It seems that the TV program theme has made more of an impression than the original folklore! It apparently should be something like "one for sorrow, 2 for mirth, 3 for marriage, 4 for a birth" and so on. It seems that some of this wasn't acceptable to the theme tune writers, so they used some "artistic license".

 

But as far as I know, none of the versions goes past 10.

[+milvus-milvus]

And here's a gratuitous picture of Sue Stranks (and the others).

 

[johnzissler]

There is an open area on the common, where magpies have begun to congregate. I've just seen 14. Now I know that: -

 

1 for sorrow

2 for joy

3 for a girl

4 for a boy

5 for silver

6 for gold

7 for a secret never told

8's a wish

9's a kiss and;

10's the one you shouldn't miss!

 

There are no more than the 10 you have quoted, but here is a selection of similar rhymes.

Some people think that seeing a group of magpies may have some sort of meaning depending on how many there are. There are many different rhymes that tell what the meaning may be. The rhymes have an unsavory reputation, and are not repeated in polite company. Children were sometimes slapped for saying them.

 

1 for joy

2 for homes

3 for death

and 4 for bones

5 for dwarves in halls of stone

6 for trees from murders blood grown.

 

1 for spirit

2 for life

3 for mothers

and 4 for strife

5 for luck and its glad tale

6 for flesh that soon fails

 

1 for fish

2 for boats

3 for cows

and 4 for goats.

5 for gnomes and ticking wheels

6 for death from ice cold steel

 

1 for earth

2 for sky

3 for ghosts that pass you by

4 for love

5 for hate

6 for the souls at the Bleak Gate

 

1 for dogs

2 for cats

3 for children

and 4 for rats

5 for elves in halls of boughs

6 for Loromu and his black crown

 

Regards.................Red Squadron......John & Ann

[+Flyfishermanbob]

We were always taught.....

 

1 for 6's

 

2 for 6's

 

3 for 6's

 

No four.....

Edited April 26, 2006 by Flyfishermanbob

[+Learned Gerbil]

I go for the aggregation theory and make 14 = the joy of two ladyboys.