Shrovetide Songs (Songs of the Shrove Tuesday)

1. Vistel-vastel

O today is Visteli, and tomorrow Vasteli, after that will come ash Wednesday. Vistel-vastel little brother, pistel-pastel, little fellow. No, Shrovetide does not sit inside, Vastel watches o'er the commons, squats inbetween the village ways, wearing mittens of frost, mittens, frosty figures on the mittens, waiting for the sleighers, sliders, for the ones who sit a-sleighing. O today is Visteli, and tomorrow Vasteli, after that will come ash Wednesday. Vistel-vastel little brother, pistel-pastel, little fellow. Flax for sleighers, flax for sliders, gliders, for the sliders sitting sleighing, fluff to those who're pulling sleighs now, tow to those who're pushing, pushing, pushing sleighs now. Those who do not come a-sleighing, may their flax lie ever soaking, at the near wall growing mouldy, at the far fence growing musty. Vistel-vastel, little brother!

2. Spell Upon Flax

Let's go sleighing, sliding down. Liugu! May our flax grow long as sleigh tracks. Village flax let grow an ell's worth. Parish flax let grow a span's worth. May our flax grow long as sleigh tracks. Liugu!

3. Sledding Song

Let us slide down, let us glide down, liuge, lauge. Then let our flax grow long as sleigh runners' sliding. Sexton's flax to marh heather, parson's flax to reed-thin willow. Let us slide down, let us glide down, liuge, lauge!