Read Ritual Songs Sample

Ritual Songs for the Wheel of the Year

by Dr. Charlotte Pipes

Description:

Earth Magick 200. Ritual Songs for the Wheel of the Year. A course designed to meet the needs of the those wishing to celebrate the eight ancient holidays, or sabbats, on the calendar called the Wheel of the Year. Music is an important element of these celebrations, but locating appropriate sabbat music can be difficult. This course will feature 24 songs, 3 for each ritual, suitable for use in each of the eight holidays. Each song will be presented as downloadable sheet music. I will discuss the various uses of music in a typical ceremony and I will illustrate specific uses for each song in this course. To aid the student in learning these melodies, each song will include an MP3 audio file, so that the student may view the sheet music and listen to the tune. The sheet music for each song will be presented in two versions: one with lyrics and one without lyrics. Students are encouraged to try their own hand at writing lyrics and personalizing these tunes for themselves and their unique celebrations. Melodies will be drawn primarily from authentic Medieval and Renaissance songs. I will also offer suggestions for well-known folk melodies that can easily be adapted for use in sabbats.

NOTE: This course is designed to be an INTERACTIVE course. Reference links within the course can be accessed by clicking on the number and outside web site references and referrals are also linked in. To access these web links you will need to read this CD while connected to the Internet or DSL.

PREREQUISITE:

The student should have completed Earth Magick 101 and 102: The Wheel of the Year. The music in this courseis meant to be used in conjunction with the seasonal observances detailed in Earth Magick 102.

COURSE MATERIALS:

In this course, the student will create a personal song book for seasonal observances of the Wheel of the Year. Since the sheet music and lyrics will be available for download, the student should purchase a ring-binder or other folder in which to store the print-outs of the sheet music. The songs can then be labeled for each sabbat.

WEEKLY LIVE CHAT ROOM WORKSHOPS OFFERED:

Yes. When we have enough students signed up for it.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM:

Our certificate program for this field of study includes all the completion of all the programs below and the passing of all tests for Earth Magic 1 - 5

Index

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The Oral Tradition in Ancient Times
Need for Secrecy
20th Century Renewal
How Songs Are Utilized at Sabbat Gatherings
Source Materials for Sabbat Songs
How to Learn the Songs

Sample Read:

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

THE ORAL TRADITION IN ANCIENT TIMES

The calendar currently known as the Wheel of the Year is of ancient origin. It comes down to us from a time when mankind had not yet developed a written language. As such, it belongs to that vast era of human development called prehistory. Mankind was organized into tribes. Within each tribe, specific individuals were assigned the task of measuring the passing of the year, conducting the religious rituals of the tribe, and preserving the history of the people. Having no written language, all of this activity was learned by rote and committed to memory over several years—a prodigious feat. Because these rituals, and their accompanying music, were never written down, it is lost to us. Modern followers of these ancient religions do their best to recreate the rituals of the past, trying their best to follow the ideals of these ancient races, their belief in a higher power and their respect for the natural world.

We believe that from the earliest times, music was an integral part of ritual. It was used especially in Neolithic times, when the great outdoor ceremonial circles were created. Places like Stonehenge in England and the Ring of Brodgar in the Orkney Islands of Scotland were the site of great outdoor assemblies. These great stone rings are surrounded by large circular earthen embankments—viewing stands for the masses. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people would have participated. They would have celebrated the eight holidays of the Wheel with much pomp and pageantry. Music would have been an integral part of these celebrations. And the music would have differed in every season. It would have been specific to each festival, devoted to the unique energy and essence of each holiday.

Unfortunately, we have no written record of music from that time. Archeologists continue to find evidence of music in very ancient civilizations. Instruments made from the bones of the wooly mammoth c. 18,000 B. C. were discovered in the Ukraine. But researchers rarely find actual music. There are a few inscribed stone tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. These tablets seem to indicate melodies that were used in religious ritual.
But for the modern follower of ancient religions, these sources are difficult to decipher. These languages and melodies are far removed from our contemporary tonality and our 21st century ears.

They also present a problem for performance by a large group of people, such as those gathered for modern sabbat events. If a large group of people are going to sing together, they all must adhere to a specific beat and rhythm in order to stay together in the music. Unfortunately, these ancient sources of music are sadly lacking in any indication of rhythm or beat. And they were probably composed to be chanted, in which case they were created to be performed in a manner half-way between speaking and singing, with no regular rhythm utilized.

So, we often look to later civilizations for examples of music from nature-based religions. There are numerous examples of religious sheet music existing from the medieval period, when nature-based religions were still wide-spread. We can examine hundreds of examples of Christian sheet music in the form of Gregorian chant. If the early Christian church left a such a vast legacy of sheet music, surely our pagan ancestors would have left behind a volume of ritual music for us to perform, right?

THE NEED FOR SECRECY

Sadly, we encounter only frustration when trying to locate pagan religious music from the Middle Ages. These centuries are infamous for their attempt to eradicate nature-based religions and convert their believers. Government-authorized religious authorities did their best to eliminate the older religions. Although their attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, it did cause the practice of nature-based religions to become secretive. The believers feared persecution. More and more, the followers of ancient ways kept their rituals private, no longer meeting in groups. Many of them became what we now call “solitary practitioners.” Their knowledge of ancient rituals and music was not written down, for fear of its discovery. Slowly over time, much information was lost, bringing us to the state of affairs that exist today.

TWENTIETH CENTURY RENEWAL

Then, in the 20th century, society witnessed a resurgence of interest in nature-based spiritualism. Along with this revival was the need to recreate rituals and the music to accompany them. Most religious ritual is enhanced by the addition of music. Some modern followers of the old religions formed into communities and groups. They celebrated the old sabbats and created music for their rituals. The music of their circle was taught and maintained exclusively for the membership. Initiates to the circle learned these melodies as part of their apprenticeship.

Still, the old fears and suspicions of nature-based spirituality linger in the 21st century. For reasons of anonymity, many worshipers continue to practice their religious beliefs privately, not within a group. Today, the vast majority of pagans are solitaries, not members of established circles. Often, solitaries will join with other solitaries to celebrate the sabbats of the Wheel. Without access to the melodies of established circles, it can be difficult to locate or create music that is appropriate for celebrating the holidays on the Wheel.

I was one such solitary, searching for authentic ritual music. I had a few advantages—I was a university music professor and a classically trained vocalist. I began to research early music, mining it for melodies that I could craft into modern ritual music. This course is one result of that research. I designed it to present you, the student, with actual sheet music. You can see the melody and read the lyrics. Additionally, each song is equipped with an audio MP3 file so that you can view the sheet music and hear it played simultaneously. You will be able to see exactly which syllable of each word goes with each note. And, while you’re at it, learn to read sheet music.

Further, since you can download the sheet music, you can print it out. Compare and contrast between pieces and select the ones that are most appropriate to your particular ceremony. If you celebrate sabbats with a group, discuss the songs with them. Have everyone agree on a selection and make copies for everyone. Tell them to learn it for performance at your next celebration. It is a great way to get everyone focused on the next sabbat ahead of time.

You will notice that all of the sheet music is in pairs. There are two versions for each song; one version with lyrics and one version without lyrics, marked “melody only.” My reason for creating multiple versions is two-fold. First of all, I am a very weak lyricist. I readily admit that fact, so please don’t feel that you are compelled to use my words. The lyrics you will see here in this music course work for me. They are specific to the kinds of ceremonies I observe and I have personalized the lyrics to fit my needs. And quite honestly, even I never sing them the same way twice. As the year rolls around, I edit my songs from previous years, adjusting the lyrics as I see fit.

My second reason for offering songs without words is because I want you to try your own hand at writing lyrics. So please, print out both versions of the songs with and without lyrics. Rewrite my lyrics as you see fit. You can alter the words every time you use the melody, adjusting the lyrics for each season. You may find you especially like a few specific tunes and want to use those few at every sabbat. That idea is very practical because then your circle folk will always know the tunes and be ready to sing along. Tailor your songs and your lyrics to fit your unique sabbat and ritual needs.

I have grouped the melodies around the sabbats that I think they fit the most. But you may hear a tune I use for a Mabon sabbat and you might want to use it for your Midsummer Solstice celebration. That’s fine. Change out a few words and sing it at Midsummer. The melodies and lyrics are not set in stone. They are tools for your spiritual use. So utilize them as you see fit.And when it comes to changing out the lyrics and inserting your own, please note that you are following a time-honored tradition. Centuries ago, the practice of inserting new words into pre-existing melodies was very popular. So popular, in fact, that there was even a term for it: contrafactum. For example, the early Christian church composers would sometimes take a popular folk tune that was already familiar to their congregation and rewrite the words to carry a religious message. The church composers hoped that the congregation would hear the familiar tune and perk up their ears to hear the message of the new lyrics. Even as late as the Baroque Period (1600-1750) it was not uncommon for solo songs from popular entertainment (opera) to be retooled as religious songs for young people to learn and enjoy.

Ex. 1. Summer is A-Coming In