Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wassail (pronounced wossayl or woss’l)[1] is a hot, spiced punch often associated with winter celebrations of northern Europe, usually those connected with holidays such as Christmas, New Year's and Twelfth Night. Particularly popular in Germanic countries, the term itself is a contraction of the Old English toast wæs þu hæl, or "be thou hale!" (i.e., "be in good health"). Alternate expressions predating the term, with approximately the same meaning, include both the Old Norse ves heill and Old English wæs hāl.
While the beverage typically served as "wassail" at modern holiday feasts with a medieval theme most closely resembles mulled cider, historical wassail was completely different, more likely to be mulled beer. Sugar, ale, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon would be placed in a bowl, heated, and topped with slices of toast as sops. Hence the first stanza of the traditional carol the Gloucestershire Wassail dating back to the Middle Ages:
Wassail! wassail! all over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.
At Carhampton, near Minehead, the Apple Wassailing is held on the Old Twelfth Night (17 January). The villagers form a circle around the largest apple tree, hang pieces of toast soaked in cider in the branches for the robins, who represent the 'good spirits' of the tree. A shotgun is fired overhead to scare away evil spirits and the group sings, the following being the last verse:
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[2].
There are three varieties of wassail custom.
At great fests they would use wassail to toast to someone's good health.
Music and song is a very important part of the customs of Wassailing. Music and singing accompany the wassailers from door to door, in the orchards, and in the hall.
Here is what is believed to be the most ancient Wassail song.[4][5]
Sixteenth Century Wassail-
About 1536:
Wassail, wassail, sing we
In worship of Christ’s nativity.
Now joy be to the Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
That one God is in Trinity,
Father of heaven, of mightes most.
And joy to the Virgin pure
That ever kept her undefiled
Grounded in grace, in heart full sure,
And bare a child as maiden mild.
Bethlehem and the star so shen,
That shone three kinges for to guide,
Bear witness of this maiden clean;
The kinges three offered that tide.
And shepherds heard, as written is,
The joyful song that there was sung:
Gloria in excelsis!
With angel’s voice it was out rung.
Now joy be to the blessedful child,
And joy be to his mother dear;
Joy we all of that maiden mild,
And joy have they that make good cheer.
Wassail, wassail, wassail, sing we
In worship of Christ’s nativity.
More recent versions of Gower Wassail have been recorded by Folk-Rock group Steeleye Span and traditional artist Shirley Collins.
Bladey, Conrad, Jay,(2--2) "Do the Wassail", Hutman Productions, Linthicum,ISBN 0970238673. Gayre, G.R. (1948). Wassail! In Mazers of Mead. Pub. Phillimore & Co.Ltd. London.
was·sail (wsl, w-sl) {from on line free dictionary}
n.1. a. A salutation or toast given in drinking someone’s health or as an expression of good will at a festivity.
b. The drink used in such toasting, commonly ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar.
2. A festivity characterized by much drinking.
v. was·sailed, was·sail·ing, was·sails
v.tr.
To drink to the health of; toast.
v.intr.
To engage in or drink a wassail.
[Middle English, contraction of wæshæil, be healthy, from Old Norse ves heill : ves, imperative sing. of vera, to be; see wes-1 in Indo-European roots + heill, healthy; see kailo- in Indo-European roots.]
More from the OED:
1. A salutation used when presenting a cup of wine to a guest, or drinking the health of a person, the reply being DRINK-HAIL.
c1205 LAY. 14309 Reowen..bar an hir honde ane guldene bolle i-uulled mid wine..& …
3. A custom formerly observed on Twelfth-night and New-Year’s eve of drinking healths from the wassail-bowl. …..
1616 ….. Masque of Christmas 2 Enter..Wassal, Like a neat Sempster, and Songster; her Page bearing a browne bowle, drest with Ribbands. 1661 New Carolls for Christmas, For Twelfth-day iii, The Wassell well spiced, about shall go round.
A custom formerly observed on Twelfth-night and New-Year’s eve of drinking healths from the wassail-bowl
Also, ? the person invited to drink from the wassail-bowl. Obs.
c1650 New Christmas Carols, Carrol for Wassel-Bowl 7 Good Dame here at your Door Our Wassel we begin.
Wassail er : One who takes part in riotous festivities; a reveller.
1634 MILTON Comus 179, I should be loath To meet the rudenesse, and swill’d insolence Of such late Wassailers
additional back reference: a washeallbowle1 woman and girl came to us and sung to us.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1661/12/26/
The wenches with their wassall bowls About the streets are singing.” —Wither’s Christmas Carol.
The old custom of carrying the wassail bowl from door to door, with songs and merriment, in Christmas week, is still observed in some of our rural districts.—B.
Wassail
There’s a website devoted to the tradition of making wassail - http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5567/wassail.html A reversion to saturnalia! from Aus. Susan.