Hop-tu-Naa
Hop-tu-Naa is a Celtic festival celebrated in the Isle of Man on 31 October. Predating Halloween, it is the celebration of the original New Year's Eve ([Oie Houney] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)). The term is Manx Gaelic in origin, deriving from [Shogh ta’n Oie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), meaning "this is the night". Hogmanay, which is the Scottish New Year, comes from the same root.
For modern Hop-tu-Naa children dress up and go from house to house with the hope of being given sweets or money, as elsewhere. However the children carry carved turnip lanterns rather than pumpkins and sing Hop-tu-naa songs.
In older times children would have also brought the stumps of turnips with them and batter the doors of those who refused to give them any money. (An ancient form of trick or treat, however this practice appears to have died out.)
Some of the older customs are similar to those now attached to the January new year. It was a time for prophesying, weather prediction and fortune-telling. The ashes of the fire were smoothed out on the hearth last thing at night to receive the imprint of a foot.
If, next morning, the track pointed towards the door, someone in the house would die, but if the footprint pointed inward, it indicated a birth.
A cake was made which was called Soddag Valloo or Dumb Cake, because it was made and eaten in silence. Young women and girls all had a hand in baking it on the red embers of the hearth, first helping to mix the ingredients, flour, eggs, eggshells, soot and salt, and kneading the dough. The cake was divided up and eaten in silence and, still without speaking, all who had eaten it went to bed, walking backwards, expecting and hoping to see their future husband in a dream or vision.
Another means of divination was to steam a salt herring from a neighbour, roast it over the fire, eat it in silence and retire to bed.
The future husband was expected to appear in the dream and offer a drink of water
The Hop-tu-Naa Song
Hop-tu-Naa in Manx | Hop-tu-Naa in English |
[Shoh shenn oie Houiney; Hop-tu-naa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | This is old Hollantide night; Hop-tu-naa |
[T'an eayst soilshean; Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | The moon shines bright; Trol-la-laa. |
[Kellagh ny kiarkyn; Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Cock of the hens; Hop-tu-naa |
[Shibber ny gauin; Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Supper of the heifer; Trol-la-laa. |
[ 'Cre'n gauin marr mayd ? Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Which heifer shall we kill? Hop-tu-naa |
[Yn gauin veg vreac. Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | The little speckled heifer. Trol-la-laa. |
[Yn chione kerroo, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | The fore-quarter, Hop-tu-naa |
[Ver mayd 'sy phot diu; Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | We'll put in the pot for you. Trol-la-laa. |
[Yn kerroo veg cooyl, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | The little hind quarter, Hop-tu-naa |
[Cur dooin, cur dooin. Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Give to us, give to us. Trol-la-laa. |
[Hayst mee yn anvroie, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | I tasted the broth, Hop-tu-naa |
[Scoald mee my hengey, Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | I scalded my tongue, Trol-la-laa. |
[Ro'e mee gys y chibber, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | I ran to the well, Hop-tu-naa |
[As diu mee my haie, Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | And drank my fill; Trol-la-laa. |
[Er my raad thie, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | On my way back, Hop-tu-naa |
[Veeit mee kayt-vuitsh; Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | I met a witch cat; Trol-la-laa. |
[Va yn chayt-scryssey, Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | The cat began to grin, Hop-tu-naa |
[As ren mee roie ersooyl. Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | And I ran away. Trol-la-laa. |
[Cre'n raad ren oo roie Hop-tu-naa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Where did you run to? Hop-tu-naa |
[Roie mee gys Albin. Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | I ran to Scotland. Trol-la-laa. |
[Cred v'ad jannoo ayns shen ? Hop-til-naa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | What were they doing there? Hop-til-naa |
[Fuinney bonnagyn as rostey sthalgyn. Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Baking bannocks and roasting collops. Trol-la-laa. |
[Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) | Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa |
[ (Loayrt)
- My ta shiu goll dy chur red erbee dooin, cur dooin tappee eh,
- Ny vees mayd ersooyl liorish soilshey yn cayst
- Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.
] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
(Spoken)
- If you are going to give us anything, give it us soon,
- Or we'll be away by the light of the moon.
- Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.
Modern Hop-tu-Naa Songs
Different versions of Hop-tu-naa songs were sung in different areas of the island.
Jinnie the Witch is a modern Manx English song, which was sung around the Douglas area.
According to an article in the "Manx Independent" newspaper in October 2007, Jinny's real name was Joney Lowney. She lived in Braddan and was tried at Bishop's Court for witchcraft in 1715 and 1716. Her greatest "crime" was stopping the Ballaughton Corn Mill. She was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, fined £3 and made to stand at the four market crosses dressed in sackcloth.
The modern song goes as follows :
- Hop-tu-Naa
- My mother's gone away
- And she won't be back until the morning
- Jinnie the Witch flew over the house
- To fetch the stick to lather the mouse
- Hop-tu-Naa
- My mother's gone away
- And she won't be back until the morning
- Hop-tu-Naa, Traa-la-laa
In the West of the Island a longer version was sung, which is more closely related to the Manx version.
The following version dates from the 1930's - a similar version is recorded in A.W. Moore's "A Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect" (1924) :
- Hop-tu-naa! put in the pot
- Hop-tu-naa! put in the pan
- Hop-tu-naa! I burnt me throt (throat)
- Hop-tu-naa! guess where I ran ?
- Hop-tu-naa! I ran to the well
- Hop-tu-naa! and drank my fill
- Hop-tu-naa! and on the way back
- Hop-tu-naa! I met a witch cat
- Hop-tu-naa! the cat began to grin
- Hop-tu-naa! and I began to run
- Hop-tu-naa! I ran to Ronague
- Hop-tu-naa! guess what I saw there ?
- Hop-tu-naa! I saw an old woman
- Hop-tu-naa! baking bonnags
- Hop-tu-naa! roasting sconnags
- Hop-tu-naa! I asked her for a bit
- Hop-tu-naa! she gave me a bit
- as big as me big toe
- Hop-tu-naa! she dipped it in milk
- Hop-tu-naa! she wrapped it in silk
- Hop-tu-naa! Traa la lay!
- Are you going to give us anything
- before we run away with the light of the moon ?
Media References
- Hector Plasm is a comic book character published mainly through Image Comics. There is a Hector Plasm story based on Hop-tu-Naa that also incorporates several other Manx legends and myths.
See also
References
- A.W. Moore, 1896, Manx Ballads [1]