The Legend of John Barleycorn

Posted on August 1, 2014 by ladyoftheabyss

The Legend of John Barleycorn

By Patti Wigington, About.com

In English folklore, John Barleycorn is a character whorepresents the crop of barley harvested each autumn. Equally as important, hesymbolizes the wonderful drinks which can be made from barley — beer andwhiskey — and their effects. In the traditional folksong, John Barleycorn, thecharacter of John Barleycorn endures all kinds of indignities, most of whichcorrespond to the cyclic nature of planting, growing, harvesting, and thendeath.

Although written versions of the song date back to thereign of Queen Elizabeth I, there is evidence that it was sung for years beforethat. There are a number of different versions, but the most well-known one isthe Robert Burns version, in which John Barleycorn is portrayed as an almostChrist-like figure, suffering greatly before finally dying so that others maylive.

In TheGolden Bough, Sir James Frazer cites John Barleycorn as proof thatthere was once a Pagan cult in England that worshipped a god of vegetation, whowas sacrificed in order to bring fertility to the fields. This ties into therelated story of the Wicker Man, who is burned in effigy. Ultimately, the characterof John Barleycorn is a metaphor for the spirit of grain, grown healthy andhale during the summer, chopped down and slaughtered in his prime, and thenprocessed into beer and whiskey so he can live once more.

The lyrics to the Robert Burns version of the song are asfollows:

There was three kings into the east,
three kings both great andhigh,
and they hae sworn a solemnoath
John Barleycorn must die.

They took a plough and plough’d him down,
put clods upon his head,
and they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful Spring came kindly on’
and show’rs began to fall.
John Barleycorn got up again,
and sore surprised them all.

The sultry suns of Summer came,
and he grew thick and strong;
his head well arm’d wi’ pointedspears,
that no one should him wrong.

The sober Autumn enter’d mild,
when he grew wan and pale;
his bendin’ joints and droopinghead
show’d he began to fail.

His colour sicken’d more and more,
and he faded into age;
and then his enemies began
to show their deadly rage.

They took a weapon, long and sharp,
and cut him by the knee;
they ty’d him fast upon a cart,
like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
and cudgell’d him full sore.
they hung him up before thestorm,
and turn’d him o’er and o’er.

They filled up a darksome pit
with water to the brim,
they heav’d in John Barleycorn.
There, let him sink or swim!

They laid him upon the floor,
to work him farther woe;
and still, as signs of lifeappear’d,
they toss’d him to and fro.

They wasted o’er a scorching flame
the marrow of his bones;
but a miller us’d him worst ofall,
for he crush’d him between twostones.

And they hae taen his very hero blood
and drank it round and round;
and still the more and morethey drank,
their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
of noble enterprise;
for if you do but taste hisblood,
’twill make your courage rise.

‘Twill make a man forget his woe;
’twill heighten all his joy;
’twill make the widow’s heartto sing,
tho the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
each man a glass in hand;
and may his great posterity
ne’er fail in old Scotland!