all together now: waes hael!

I was reading one of my favorites blogs, for the garden at the Cloisters, where they discussed making their decorations
for the Christmas season and said that they used songs, carols, and "wassails" as reference for which plants would be in keeping with the Medieval focus of the museum. That got me wondering -- what is "wassail" anyway and what does it mean to "go a-wassailing"?

Over at Wikipedia (I know, but it's so darn convenient) I learned that there are two kinds of wassailing. One is a solicitation of charity which can be benign (serfs reminding the lord of his christian duty to provide alms) or more like the kind of hardcore treat-or-treating that merges with vandalism (feed me or I'll trash your house, tra-la).

The other wassail is a ceremony of sorts that involves serenading apple trees -- yes, you heard that correctly -- serenading apple trees to drive out bad spirits and encourage a good crop. And having the Wassail Queen decorate the trees with cider-soaked toast for the robins "who represent the good spirits of the tree." And banging on pots and pans, and -- oh, yes -- the drinking of cider until the whole crowd is "merry and gay." This formal portion of the ritual ends with a bang: either a single rifle shot or a volley of rifle fire depending on which article you read. Then the cheer-full gaggle moves on to the next orchard. Rest, rinse, repeat. Clearly these folks in the cider-producing West Country of England are people who know how to mix business with pleasure. Except for the rifle part, I could really get into this.

So, this holiday season, remember to bid your neighbors waes hael (good health), feed the birds, and sing to the trees. It's traditional.

Old Apple tree, old apple tree;
We've come to wassail thee;
To bear and to bow apples enow;
Hats full, caps full, three bushel bags full;
Barn floors full and a little heap under the stairs.

[images from the Cloisters "The Medieval Garden Enclosed" blog and Wikipedia: apple]