The Cutty Wren

I found this amazing recording of Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick from 1969, where this song is used in the context of English class conflict:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd2V4XaiH6M

We have many hundreds of beautiful Fairy Wren's living in our yard and the surrounding river land here in Australia. Photos of wren's from Pixabay.

The lyrics (and most of the melody) I am using here is from The Cambrian Journal, in 1857:
https://archive.org/details/cambrianjournal04cambuoft/page/182

The Cambrian tradition seems clearly connected to the Wren Boys of Ireland:
https://pilgrimagemedievalireland.com/2016/12/25/an-irish-st-stephens-day-tradition-la-an-dreoilinwren-day/

https://www.sligoheritage.com/archwrenboys.htm

The lyrics in this Cambrian version make it very clear that the boys are going out to hunt something considerably larger than a wren.

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