Name: The Contest of the Holly and the Ivy
Duration: P00H03M49S
Description: This song dates back to 14th Century England and is the precursor to the modern carol, The Holly and the Ivy. The narrative reflects a timeless dance between masculine and feminine forces.

The Contest of the Holly and the Ivy

from A Very Very Cassie and Maggie Christmas by Cassie and Maggie

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about

This song dates back to 14th Century England and is the precursor to the modern carol, The Holly and the Ivy. The narrative reflects a timeless dance between masculine and feminine forces.

lyrics

The Holly standeth in the hall fair to behold,
Ivy stands outside the door, full of sore and cold.
Holly and his merry men, they dance and they sing;
Ivy and her maidens, they’re weep'n while they wring.

Chorus:
Nay, Ivy, nay, though it’s not as I wish,
the Holly has the mastery as the manner is.
Nay, Ivy, nay, though it’s not as I wish,
the Holly has the mastery as the manner is.

The Holly hath berries, as red as any rose,
The foresters, the hunters, keep them from the does
Ivy hath berries as black as the coal
There will come the owl and eat them as she goes.

Holly hath birds a full fair flock,
The nightingale, the poppinjay, the gentle laverock.
Good Ivy, good Ivy, what birds hast thou?
None but the owlet that cries How! How!

credits

from A Very Very Cassie and Maggie Christmas, released November 25, 2022
Traditional, 14th c.

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Cassie and Maggie Nova Scotia

cassieandmaggie.com

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