Traditional & Folk Songs with lyrics & midi music www.traditionalmusic.co.uk 
Please to See the King 
Please to See the King
 Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this place By your leave, we will sing concerning our King 
Our King is well dressed, in silks of the best In ribbons so rare, no king can compare 
We have traveled many miles, over hedges and stiles In search of our King, unto you we bring 
Old Christmas is past, Twelfth Night is the last And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new 
The king was the wren. The wren was the king of the birds. In ancient religions the king was sacrificed every seven years for the fertility and good of the tribe. In some places (Ireland) the queen was royal and married new consorts to be sacrificed. The consort was treated well for seven years (or one year) and then sacrificed by the new consort. A wren was killed and dressed up in ribbons, etc. and carried around the village. This is from Pembrokeshire in South Wales, commemorating the wrenkilling on St. Steven's Day, Dec 26. Old Christmas, still celebrated rather than December 25, is Twelfth Night. 
Recorded by Steeleye Span on Please to See the King; by Carthy and Swarbrick on Prince Heathen SOF