Dulcimer Players Notebook ~
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Lorraine Lee I chose "Groundhog" because the song is fun and easy to play, and the subject is fitting for this time of year. The origins of our Groundhog Day observances are deeply roOled in antiquity. Ground hogs don't really become a nuisance, though, until our gardens start 10 spro ul. The Northern European cave bear was a deity of the cave men. It was still a di vi ne figure in the seventh century at the time of th e creation of the epic poem Beowu lf in Northern England. Beowulf is poetic Old English for bear, literally bee-
throughout the co un try. If he sees his shadow, forecasters predict anoth er six weeks of winter. No shadow means an early spring. Beowulf is rarely mentioned. The song "Gro undhog" is widespread in American tradi tion and there are many popular versions, each with its ow n varia tion of lyrics and melody. This is the way I learn ed it years ago and J'd be hard put to figure out exactl y whose version I st<1rled with. I use an Ionian (major) melody, but I have often heard partly major, partly mi xolydian tunes. They arc always played at a li vely tempo.
wolf. T he disa ppearance of the bear durin g the winter, and the absence of sunli ght indicated the death of the god. If the bear cast a shadow on its first appearance in the warm days of late winter it meant th at the resurrection was incomplete. If he did nOt cast his shadow he was bel ieved to be a god, the cycle was complete, and the new solar year could beg in. These days on February 2nd the appearance of Punxsutawney Pete, our modern Pennsylvania gro undhog, provides copy for weather reporters and columnists
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