Hunting the Wren
This is one of my favorite songs by Lankum, with Radie Peat as the vocalist. Every time I struggle to listen to it. Can’t stop listening to it. Again and again. Every time I struggle.
It’s not about wrens. The birds.
The Irish had a holiday, Lá an Dreoilín, Day of the Wren. The day after Christmas, a small bird would be hunted down and killed, and attached to a fancy pole with decorations. Straw boys or wren boys would dress up, dance, play music. Carrying the bird on the pole. The celebration of Saint Stephen.
This song is actually inspired by the Wrens of the Curragh. A 19th century encampment of women of who lived on the plain of Curragh outside of Kildare. Like a caravan. Women who were outsiders in society. Many of them orphans from the famine who had turned to sex work to survive. Others free thinkers, unmarried mothers, addicts, harvest workers, gleaners.
They had no leader, and lived communally. They supported each other with the essentials of life— food, shelter, clothing, childcare. They were all women beyond the norms of society. They supported themselves in sex work, largely with army men at Curragh Camp. They also wove, made things like sweaters, scarves, to sell at market. All for mutual survival.
The song writer, Ian Lynch of Lankum, came up with the song in a song writing competition with Lisa O’Neill. The ‘wren’ is a mataphor of the abuse of women by violent men. As in the Day of the Wren. Being taken and used for an object of entertainment. It is a play off the Wrens of Curragh, as many lived in nest-like shelters.
Such a deep resonance for me. The Wrens of Curragh, Lankum, Radie Peat.
[media=https://youtu.be/lUReQ9GhT8s]
It’s not about wrens. The birds.
The Irish had a holiday, Lá an Dreoilín, Day of the Wren. The day after Christmas, a small bird would be hunted down and killed, and attached to a fancy pole with decorations. Straw boys or wren boys would dress up, dance, play music. Carrying the bird on the pole. The celebration of Saint Stephen.
This song is actually inspired by the Wrens of the Curragh. A 19th century encampment of women of who lived on the plain of Curragh outside of Kildare. Like a caravan. Women who were outsiders in society. Many of them orphans from the famine who had turned to sex work to survive. Others free thinkers, unmarried mothers, addicts, harvest workers, gleaners.
They had no leader, and lived communally. They supported each other with the essentials of life— food, shelter, clothing, childcare. They were all women beyond the norms of society. They supported themselves in sex work, largely with army men at Curragh Camp. They also wove, made things like sweaters, scarves, to sell at market. All for mutual survival.
The song writer, Ian Lynch of Lankum, came up with the song in a song writing competition with Lisa O’Neill. The ‘wren’ is a mataphor of the abuse of women by violent men. As in the Day of the Wren. Being taken and used for an object of entertainment. It is a play off the Wrens of Curragh, as many lived in nest-like shelters.
Such a deep resonance for me. The Wrens of Curragh, Lankum, Radie Peat.
[media=https://youtu.be/lUReQ9GhT8s]
