'Maiden in the Moor Lay'

Who is the mysterious 'maiden' of the '14^th' century Middle English carol 'Maiden in the Mor Lay?'

(A carol was originally, not a song, but a round dance performed to sung, rather than instrumental, accompaniment. Witches still use the term this way.)

Is she some enticing witchly daughter?

Is she, perhaps, some woman of Faerie?

Or is she the witches' Goddess herself, Maiden Earth in her Springtime?

In the interest of readability, I have rendered the original Middle English lyrics directly into their Modern English equivalents. The reader will note a certain amount of semantic 'slippage' in the course of the six intervening centuries.

To my eye, this only adds to the carol's charm.

Maiden in the Moor Lay

(English, '14^th' Century)

Maiden in the moor lay—

in the moor lay

seven nights full—

seven nights full.

Maiden in the moor lay—

in the moor lay

seven nights full—

seven nights full

and a day.

Well* was her meat**.

What was her meat?

The primrose and the—

the primrose and the—

Well was her meat.

What was her meat?

The primrose and the—

the primrose and the

violet.

Well was her drink.

What was her drink?

The cold water of the—

the cold water of the—

Well was her drink.

What was her drink?

The cold water of the—

the cold water of the

well-spring.

Well was her bower.

What was her bower?

The red rose and the—

the red rose and the—

Well was her bower.

What was her bower?

The red rose and the—

the red rose and the

lily flower.

Maiden in the moor lay—

in the moor lay

seven nights full—

seven nights full.

Maiden in the moor lay—

in the moor lay

seven nights full—

seven nights full

and a day.

*Well: i.e. good

**Meat: i.e. food

 Check out the Oxford Girls' Choir's version.

If you start now, you can have it down by Beltane!

Robert Mullally (2011) The Carole: A Study of a Medieval Dance Burlington VT: Ashgate Publishing Company