Soul Cake
On All Souls' Day, in Great Britain and Ireland it used to be customary for children to go Souling. They would go door-to-door begging for pastries with crosses on them called soul-cakes. Sometimes they were given fruit or coins instead. Just like Halloween and The Day of the Dead, symbolically these were treats put out for the dead to appease their souls when they came back to earth for a day. It was also a promise from the person receiving the soul-cakes to pray for the dead relatives of the people who gave out the soul-cakes (to help their relatives' souls go from purgatory to heaven).
Here's a song kids would sing for All Souls Day when they were begging for treats…
Soul Cake
Souling Song
(Chorus)
Soul! Soul! Soul-cake!
Please good Missis, a soul-cake!
Apple, pear, plum or cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all.
God bless the master of this house,
The mistress also,
And all the little children
That round your table grow.
Likewise young men and maidens,
Your cattle and your store;
And all that dwells within your gates,
We wish you ten times more.
(Chorus)
Down into the cellar,
And see what you can find,
If the barrels are not empty,
We hope you will prove kind.
We hope you will prove kind,
With your apples and strong beer,
And we'll come no more a-souling
Till this time next year.
(Chorus)
The lanes are very dirty,
My shoes are very thin,
I've got a little pocket
To put a penny in.
If you haven't got a penny,
A ha'penny will do;
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
Then God bless you.
(Chorus)
Notes
The 1st verse of this song was recited by a Puritan girl in the TV show Legends of Tomorrow (4.02).
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Image: Wikipedia (edited by Lisa).
