Difference between revisions of "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
m
m (Lyrics)
Line 5: Line 5:
  
 
==Lyrics==
 
==Lyrics==
:"A bear there was,"
+
A bear there was
:"A bear, A BEAR!
+
a bear, a bear
:"All black and brown,"
+
all black and brown
:"And covered with hair!
+
and covered with hair
  
:
+
Oh come they said
:"Oh come they said,"
+
oh come to the fair
:"Oh come to the fair!"
+
the fair? said he
:"The fair? said he,
+
but I'm a bear
:"But I'm a bear!"
+
all black and brown
:"All black and brown,"
+
and covered in hair!
:"And covered in hair!"
 
  
:
+
And down the road
:"And down the road,"
+
from here to there
:"From here to there,"
+
from here, to there
:"From here! To there!"
+
three boys, a goat
:"Three boys, a goat,"
+
and a dancing bear
:"And a dancing bear!"
+
they danced and spun
:"They danced and spun,"
+
all the way to the fair!
:"All the way to the fair!"
 
  
:
+
Oh, sweet she was
:"Oh! sweet she was,"
+
and pure and fair
:"And pure and fair,"
+
the maid with honey
:"The maid with honey,"
+
in her hair, her hair
:"In her hair! Her hair,"
+
the maid with honey
:"The maid with honey,"
+
in her hair
:"in her hair!"
 
  
:
+
The bear smelled the scent
:The bear smelled the scent,
+
on the summer air
:"On the summer air!"
+
the bear, the bear
:"The Bear! The Bear!"
+
all black and brown
:"All black and brown,"
+
and covered with hair
:"And covered with hair!"
+
he smelled the scent
:"He smelled the scent,"
+
on the summer air
:"On the summer air,"
+
he sniffed and roared
:"He sniffed and roared,"
+
and smelled it there
:"And smelled it there!"
+
honey on the summer air
:"Honey on the summer air!"
 
  
:
+
Oh I'm a maid
:"Oh I'm a maid,"
+
and I'm pure and fair
:"And I'm pure and fair,"
+
I'll never dance
:"I'll never dance,"
+
with a hairy bear
:"With a hairy bear,"
+
a bear, a bear
:"A bear! A bear!"
+
I'll never dance
:"I'll never dance,"
+
with a hairy bear
:"With a hairy bear!"
 
  
:"The bear,the bear!"
+
The bear, the bear
:"Lifted her high,"
+
lifted her high
:into the air!"
+
into the air
:The bear, the bear!"
+
the bear, the bear
  
:"I called for a knight!"
+
I called for a knight
:"But you're a bear!"
+
but you're a bear
:"A bear! A bear,"
+
a bear, a bear
:"All black and brown,"
+
all black and brown
:"And cover in hair!"
+
and covered in hair
  
:
+
She kicked and wailed
:"She kicked and wailed,"
+
the maid so fair
:"The maid so fair,"
+
but he licked the honey
:"But he licked the honey,"
+
from her hair
:"From her hair!"
+
her hair, her hair
:"Her hair! Her hair!"
+
he licked the honey
:"He licked the honey,"
+
from her hair
:"From her hair!"
 
  
:"Then she sighed and squealed,"
+
Then she sighed and squealed
:"And kicked the air,"
+
and kicked the air
:"She sang: My bear so fair,"
+
she sang: my bear so fair
:"And off they went,"
+
and off they went
:"The bear! The bear!"
+
the bear, the bear
:"And the maiden fair!"<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 6|Chapter 6]], Sansa</ref>
+
and the maiden fair<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 6|Chapter 6]], Sansa</ref>
  
 
==Recent Events==
 
==Recent Events==

Revision as of 01:07, 27 January 2014

Art by jubah

"The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is a ribald traditional song sung throughout the Seven Kingdoms. It describes in a humorous tone the story of a hairy bear that, while going to a fair with a band of three boys and a goat, rescues a maiden who was hoping for a knight.

The song is at least older than 209 AC, when it was already sung.[1] It is very popular, being enjoyed both by nobles and smallfolk.

Lyrics

A bear there was a bear, a bear all black and brown and covered with hair

Oh come they said oh come to the fair the fair? said he but I'm a bear all black and brown and covered in hair!

And down the road from here to there from here, to there three boys, a goat and a dancing bear they danced and spun all the way to the fair!

Oh, sweet she was and pure and fair the maid with honey in her hair, her hair the maid with honey in her hair

The bear smelled the scent on the summer air the bear, the bear all black and brown and covered with hair he smelled the scent on the summer air he sniffed and roared and smelled it there honey on the summer air

Oh I'm a maid and I'm pure and fair I'll never dance with a hairy bear a bear, a bear I'll never dance with a hairy bear

The bear, the bear lifted her high into the air the bear, the bear

I called for a knight but you're a bear a bear, a bear all black and brown and covered in hair

She kicked and wailed the maid so fair but he licked the honey from her hair her hair, her hair he licked the honey from her hair

Then she sighed and squealed and kicked the air she sang: my bear so fair and off they went the bear, the bear and the maiden fair[2]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

The song is sung at the harvest feast at Winterfell.[3]

A Storm of Swords

Tom of Sevenstreams sings it with Hot Pie on the ride to the Inn of the Kneeling Man. When Tom wants someone to sing with, Hot Pie tells him he knows the song about the bear. Tom starts to sing it and Hot Pie joins in lustily, even bouncing in his saddle a little on the rhymes. Arya Stark is astonished; Hot Pie has a good voice and sings well, she thought all he could do was bake. [4]

During the grim march back to Craster's Keep after the Fist Grenn tries to encourage Samwell Tarly to keep marching by telling him to sing a song in his head. Sam knows a hundred songs but is so terrified he cannot think of any. Grenn suggests "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" and starts to sing it - but Sam begs him not to as it makes him think of the hideous wight-bear that had come at them at the Fist. [5]

It is sung by Butterbumps at Sansa Stark's dinner with Margaery Tyrell and Olenna Redwyne to cover the conversation about Joffrey Baratheon.[6] Greatjon Umber sings it, drunkenly, at the Red Wedding.[7]

During the Battle of Yunkai Ser Barristan Selmy tells Daenerys Targaryen that Robert Baratheon liked songs that made him laugh. Barristan adds that Robert only sang when he was drunk, and then by that point one of the songs was likely to be the "The Bear and the Maiden Fair". [8]

Feast for Crows

It is sung by Dareon on the voyage to Braavos.[9]

A Dance With Dragons

The song is sung by Abel for Barbrey Dustin during a meal at Winterfell.[10]

In Meereen Tyrion Lannister realizes that Ser Jorah Mormont is doomed if purchased by Zahrina. Tyrion manages to get the slave overseer Nurse to convince Yezzan zo Qaggaz to purchase Jorah by lying and telling Nurse that Jorah is part of their show - the bear and the maiden fair. Jorah is the bear, Penny is the maiden, and Tyrion is the brave knight who rescues her. During their bondage Tyrion notes that Jorah has not adapted well. When called upon to play the bear and carry off the maiden fair, he has been sullen and uncooperative, shuffling lifelessly through his paces when he deigns to take part in their mummery at all. [11]

Symbolism

The song is a motif that reflects the relationships between several characters, including Sandor Clegane and Sansa Stark, Jorah Mormont and Daenerys Targaryen, and Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister (where Sandor, Jorah, and Brienne symbolize "the Bear" who either literally or figuratively saves the "Maiden Fair").

The song's relevance to Jorah and Daenerys is emphasized by the fact that a bear is the sigil of House Mormont and that fair skin and hair are ubiquitous features among the bloodline of House Targaryen.

In A Game of Thrones, Sansa is infatuated by the idea of the chivalrous prince and the knight in shining armor, archetypes which she believes are embodied by Ser Loras Tyrell and, mistakenly, Prince Joffrey Baratheon. Accordingly, when Joffrey and his court abuse and beat her, it is not the stereotypical knight but the deformed Sandor Clegane who comes to her rescue. When asked if there any connection between Sansa's story and the song "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" George R. R. Martin replied: “Well, we´ll have to see.” [12]

After Jaime is tortured and later released from Harrenhal, the unattractive Brienne steers Jaime away from suicide and sets him on the path to redemption. Ironically, Jaime later saves Brienne from a grizzly bear in the bear pit at Harrenhal.

References and Notes

  1. The Hedge Knight
  2. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 6, Sansa
  3. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 21, Bran III.
  4. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 13, Arya II, p 148.
  5. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 18, Samwell I, p 204.
  6. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 6, Sansa I.
  7. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
  8. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 42, Daenerys IV, p 486.
  9. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 15, Samwell II.
  10. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 46, A Ghost in Winterfell.
  11. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 57, Tyrion XI.
  12. The Citadel. "Asshai.com Forum Chat" (July 27, 2008) So Spake Martin