Notes on Song & Folklore
Essays on folk tradition, ancestral practice, and the stories behind the songs including the latest releases of my own music.
Na Ivana Kupala Kupavsya Ivan: A Midsummer Ukrainian Folk Song to Send Energy to the Sun
Here are the beginning verses of “Na Ivana Kupala, Kupavsya Ivan,” or “На Івана Купала купався Іван.” A Ukrainian song for Midsummer, from the Chernihiv region. This song tells a story that takes place on Saint John’s Day, or Midsummer.
Sumer is Icumen In: An 800-year-old English folk song heralding the beginning of spring
“Sumer is Icumen In” is a Medieval English folk song dating back to the mid-13th century and one of the oldest known seculare songs in the English language.