Cornish Sea Shanties

[Matusalem]

I accidentally ran across this on Youtube. I figgers it be full of "Robert Newton Tongue", bein' from Cornwall:

[Hester]

Cool, Matusalem! [be yer first name "Ron", perchance?]

The "related" links are good too, such as:

And for your drinking pleasure as you listen, might I suggest this traditional drink favoured by Cornish sailors and fishermen:

"Mahogany"

2 parts gin

1 part black treacle (aka molasses)

I came across a reference to this drink in a biography of Ashley Hutchings, the founder of the folk-rock bands Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. One night in the early 70s, his wife at the time, traditional folksinger Shirley Collins, was performing at a pub in Plymouth, with a backing band. The locals began to ply the band with this drink. When interviewed, 30 years later, members of the band said they had very little memory of the night, except for that drink.

Hutchings recalled it as "hot gin & molasses", but none of the recipes I've seen on-line mention this. I suspect he may have thought it had been heated because it does have quite a "burn" going down.

Apparently, this mixture is also drunk up in Yorkshire, where it's called "Whistlejacket" and is considered a traditional cold remedy.

Cheers, Hester ... "coz I spent all of me tin, with the lassies drinkin' gin, and I think I'll have to go back there tomorrow!"

[CapnJake]

I accidentally ran across this on Youtube. I figgers it be full of "Robert Newton Tongue", bein' from Cornwall:

That might have been recorded IN Cornwall, but the song was contemporary, written by Tom Lewis: www.tomlewis.net. Tom is an amazing international artist and the author or some amazing tunes, some of which have been mistaken for "traditional," but depend upon his copyright, in fact. "Sailor's Prayer," "Marching Inland," and "One Big Ocean" are all his, as well as "A Sailor Ain't a Sailor," (his first song).

[Matusalem]

That might have been recorded IN Cornwall, but the song was contemporary, written by Tom Lewis: www.tomlewis.net. Tom is an amazing international artist and the author or some amazing tunes, some of which have been mistaken for "traditional," but depend upon his copyright, in fact. "Sailor's Prayer," "Marching Inland," and "One Big Ocean" are all his, as well as "A Sailor Ain't a Sailor," (his first song).

Now, that man is a true salt.....in the way that only old salty sea dogs can be!