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The Winter Women

from Summon the Sun by Crosscurrents Music

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Explore the female face of midwinter tradition deep beneath Santa Claus.

lyrics

They come, the winter women, at harvest time
Turning the great Yule wheel, cross-quartered,
Down Persephone's dark road
While the earth weeps a mother's tears.

The Baba comes to the barn,
Corn Mother, Corn Maiden, Old Wife, Oatwife
Tossed high on the harvest, dancing, queening it she comes
The year's last sheaf come home.

Creeping she comes, the Old Wife of the Celts,
Cailleach Bheur, hag goddess, crag goddess,
Leaping from the rocks to lock the Bride of spring away.

She whistles up her winter winds, that pack of dogs
That follow dark Frau Gaude on her icy rounds.
Keening she comes! You careless ones,
Who leave your doorways cracked ajar
Will hear her dogs' keen whining at your hearth.

You lazy spinsters, mind your distaff's full
And wind your spindles tidy by the fire
Lest Berchta send you plague or blind your eyes for spying.

Sweep your altar stone
And pile the green boughs high to call her forth
To tell your future in the flames where past and present mingle at your hearth.
Bright candle flames now wreath her, crowned in lingonberry,
Saint Lucia bringing light out of the heart of Northern darkness.

She brings you gifts of plenty, La Befana sweeping on her broom
Beware, and honor her! Lest your Epiphany be black as coal.

Black it was, in the beginning,
When the sun was on the far side of the world
And Spider Woman made the long journey with her pot of clay
To bring the sun back to the Cherokee.

Mary brought the Son, they say, the Prince of Peace --
For unto us a child is born! and the year begins anew.

Children carol for her, Kolyada, whiterobed in her snowy sleigh
In her deep Russian woods of frozen winter streams
where the winter nymphs, Rusalky, sing their secret solstice songs.

There in those winter woods was born the snegurochka, Snow Maiden,
Ancient spirit, daughter of spring and winter come to earth.

At Candlemas, cross-quarter time, the Old Hag springs again,
But this time Brigit's cross wheels high above the door
And the frail Snow Maiden melts into her summer lover's arms.

See where they come, the winter women, in the bleak midwinter night
To summon up the sun and bring us light.

credits

from Summon the Sun, released December 2, 2020

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Crosscurrents Music Boston, Massachusetts

Lynn Noel brings traditional song and heritage arts online to create community. Lynn has a voice of striking clarity and power, equally at home in rhythmic chanteys and flowing ballads.

Lynn is a respected song session leader on both sides of the Atlantic and the producer and host of the Mermaid's Tavern online folk club. She is currently Program Chair of the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA). ... more

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