The River Saile
Encyclopedia
The River Saile is a children's nursery rhyme
from Ireland
. This type of song is also known as a murder ballad
or Child ballad, named for Francis James Child
who was the first person to catalogue them before his death in 1896. The ballad was popularized by Irish folk band The Dubliners
.
in the city of Dublin. Salach is an Irish language word meaning filthy or unclean.
Child documented thirteen versions of the ballad, which he named the cruel mother. All have variations on the same theme, a leal maiden
giving birth to two children. The children are killed in different ways such as stabbing with a penknife
, bound hand and feet and buried alive, or strangled.
Annie Dunne, and More Bread or I'll Appear. The ballad was sung at the funeral of Ronnie Drew
a member of The Dubliners.
"Weile weile waile" was the preferred title for the book Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry, who first heard the song aged four. The ballad was used by Barry in his novel to prepare readers for the violent anger of the protagonist, Annie, towards a young boy who had ruined a present.
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. This type of song is also known as a murder ballad
Murder ballad
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...
or Child ballad, named for Francis James Child
Francis James Child
Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry...
who was the first person to catalogue them before his death in 1896. The ballad was popularized by Irish folk band The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
.
Lyrics
There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, weile weile waile.
There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, down by the river Saile.
She had a baby three months old, weile weile waile.
She had a baby three months old, down by the river Saile.
She had a penknife, long and sharp, weile weile waile.
She had a penknife, long and sharp, down by the river Saile.
She stuck the penknife in the baby’s heart, weile weile waile.
She stuck the penknife in the baby’s heart, down by the river Saile.
There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, weile weile waile.
There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, down by the river Saile.
There were two policemen and a special-branchman, weile weile waile.
There were two policemen and a special-branchman, down by the river Saile.
They put a rope around her neck, weile weile waile.
They put a rope around her neck, down by the river Saile.
They pulled the rope and she got hung, weile weile waile.
They pulled the rope and she got hung, down by the river Saile.
And that was the end of the woman in the woods, weile weile waile.
And that was the end of the baby too, down by the river Saile.
History of the ballad
The River Saile is believed to reference the Salach which is the local name given to the River PoddleRiver Poddle
The River Poddle , is one of the best known of the more than a hundred watercourses of Dublin. It is the source of the name "Dublin", the city being named after a pool that was once on its course...
in the city of Dublin. Salach is an Irish language word meaning filthy or unclean.
Child documented thirteen versions of the ballad, which he named the cruel mother. All have variations on the same theme, a leal maiden
Loyalty
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause There are many aspects to...
giving birth to two children. The children are killed in different ways such as stabbing with a penknife
Penknife
A penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a pen nib. Originally, penknives did not necessarily have folding blades, but resembled a scalpel or wood knife by having a short, fixed blade at the end of a long handle...
, bound hand and feet and buried alive, or strangled.
Usage in popular culture
The ballad has been cited in the following books: Out of history: essays on the writings of Sebastian Barry, Sebastian Barry`sSebastian Barry
Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year....
Annie Dunne, and More Bread or I'll Appear. The ballad was sung at the funeral of Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew
Joseph Ronald "Ronnie" Drew was an Irish singer and folk musician who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin...
a member of The Dubliners.
"Weile weile waile" was the preferred title for the book Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry, who first heard the song aged four. The ballad was used by Barry in his novel to prepare readers for the violent anger of the protagonist, Annie, towards a young boy who had ruined a present.