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The Wassail Bowl more
christmas, wassail, people, december, winter, bowls, beards, bare feet, religion
A bearded man in a tall hat and cravat, eighteenth or early nineteenth century leggings, and with a garland round his head reclines, one hand raised. Nearby, in the undergrowth and sitting on a rock, a short but well-muscled man, barefoot, naked but for a garland of flowers and leaves round his waist, holds a huge bowl. The small man wears a large comical hat of leaves and flowers and has a red nose.
This appears to conflate the loving-cup of the spring with the wassail bowl of winter; even with lots of heart ale it can be difficult to be nude in the snow and wind of winter. This is also Christmas before the red-dresse Santa, because the picture dates from 1856 or earlier. However, comare December from William Hone’s 1826 Everyday Book, where we see a drunk old bearded man (the year past) riding a goat and carrying the wassail bowl.
And what shall be our Wassail Bowl? The old Wassail was a bowl of good ale, with apples and spice, and they used to sing:—
“Wassail, Wassail, over the town,
Our toast is white and our ale is brown;
Our bowl is made of a maplen tree,
e be all good fellows and drink to thee.”
But ours shall be the Wassail Bowl and the “Loving Cup,” one and the same; for the Loving Cup was the ancient Wassail Bowl. The warmth of the spice and the glow of the ale was to testify to the warmth of the heart and the glow of the soul—while in it was drowned all evil thoughts, feelings, and animosities—and good health, and good cheer, and good luck, to all our friends and neighbours. (pp. 2-3)