In listening to Irish music, many of the songs have ‘roving’ as a theme. As an American I have an idea of what I think roving means, but I’m really curious about the concept of roving, what the word means versus the dictonary definition, and also the place of roving in the culture. I suspect that roving is more than an action but may be a state of mind, or a philosophy, or may imply characer traits for it’s practitioners. I don’t know–I’m only guessing.
Anyway, what say you Irishmen and students of the culture?
When I saw the title of this thread, I thought that you were talking about wool roving…the fluffy stuff that still needs to be spun into wool yarn. The way my mind works sometimes…
There may be a connection. Wool roving is a thick rope of loose fibers that gets piled . . . around and around . . . before use. And it goes around and around as it gets spun into yarn.
Rovers roam hither and yon, roving is piled and twists around . . .
I’m wondering if the terms have a relationship based on that? Waaaay back when spinning wool was familiar to everyone?
It’s nice to see I’m not the only one who thought that way!
There may be a connection. Wool roving is a thick rope of loose fibers that gets piled . . . around and around . . . before use. And it goes around and around as it gets spun into yarn.
Rovers roam hither and yon, roving is piled and twists around . . .
I’m wondering if the terms have a relationship based on that? Waaaay back when spinning wool was familiar to everyone?
I’d like to think so! >
This is actually very interesting, and I wonder if there really is a connection! It would make sense. Hmmm…it might be something worth looking into.
Roving, to me, has to do with how far from home you are and how soon you’ll be going back home. Roving is also relative. A child could rove for an afternoon outside of a view of home. An adult would need to be out of reach of a meal or bed with no vialble alternative in sight.
Even though Magic Sailor is traveling all over the place, he’s on a boat and I don’t think that counts. He has his bed and kitchen with him. Maybe there is another word for that.
“Waltzing Matilda” is actually quite precise. It’s Australian Slang for shifting something particularly heavy. Like an anvil or a grand piano.
“Jest Waltz Matilda over there, would yer, guys?” “Awww ****!”
“Waltzing Matilda” is actually quite precise. It’s Australian Slang for shifting something particularly heavy. Like an anvil or a grand piano.
“Jest Waltz Matilda over there, would yer, guys?” “Awww ****!”
Er…not quite I’m afraid.
Unless swagmen carried anvils and grand pianos around on their back
‘Waltzing’ in Australian slang is just like roving or walking.
A Matilda is a swag, a sort of back pack being mainly a swagman’s bed (or what little clothes, untensils etc he may have) rolled up and carried on his back.
So when the song says “Who’ll come a’waltzing Matilda with me?” it means 'Who is game enough to pack up their swag and come roving or walking/wandering across the land with me?
