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| ::''With King Cole and his fiddlers three'' | ::''With King Cole and his fiddlers three'' | ||
| So runs a traditional ]. In fact, there may have been a historical King Cole, or '''Coel''', who may have lived in the ], and who was the ]ous founder of the city of ] in ], ]. "Colchester" means "Cole's castle." These legendary tales are sometimes included with the more familiar tales of ] and his ]s in the '']''. There may have been two rulers of that name in Colchester, a '''Coel Godhebog''', or Cole the Magnificent; and '''Coel Hen''', Cole the Old. Little definite is known of either monarch, or whether there were indeed two Coles, only one, or whether he is purely legendary. Another vein of legend links him to '''Cunobelinus''', ]'s '']'' | So runs a traditional ]. In fact, there may have been a historical King Cole, or '''Coel''', who may have lived in the ], and who was the ]ous founder of the city of ] in ], ]. "Colchester" means "Cole's castle." These legendary tales are sometimes included with the more familiar tales of ] and his ]s in the '']''. There may have been two rulers of that name in Colchester, a '''Coel Godhebog''', or Cole the Magnificent; and '''Coel Hen''', Cole the Old. Little definite is known of either monarch, or whether there were indeed two Coles, only one, or whether he is purely legendary. Another vein of legend links him to '''Cunobelinus''', ]'s '']''. | ||
| Yet another possibility is that Cole is the Celtic ] ], god of war. The old name of Colchester was ], and the derivation sequence ''/kamul/'' (+ ''eclipsis'') > ''/kawul/'' > ''/kaul/'' > ''/ko:l/'' is not impossible, especially among the ]. | |||
| Colchester contains an old ] ] that is called "King Cole's Kitchen". ] claims that Cole was the father of Saint ], mother of the ]. The word ''ceol'' means ] in ], and this may be the origin of the rhyme about Cole and his fiddlers. | Colchester contains an old ] ] that is called "King Cole's Kitchen". ] claims that Cole was the father of Saint ], mother of the ]. The word ''ceol'' means ] in ], and this may be the origin of the rhyme about Cole and his fiddlers. | ||
Revision as of 19:04, 2 September 2003
A legendary king of Celtic Britain, about all that can be said about Old King Cole with any certainty is that:
- Old King Cole was a merry old soul
- And a merry old soul was he;
- He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
- And he called for his fiddlers three.
- Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
- And a very fine fiddle had he;
- Oh there's none so rare, as can compare
- With King Cole and his fiddlers three
So runs a traditional nursery rhyme. In fact, there may have been a historical King Cole, or Coel, who may have lived in the third century, and who was the eponymous founder of the city of Colchester in Essex, England. "Colchester" means "Cole's castle." These legendary tales are sometimes included with the more familiar tales of King Arthur and his knights in the Matter of Britain. There may have been two rulers of that name in Colchester, a Coel Godhebog, or Cole the Magnificent; and Coel Hen, Cole the Old. Little definite is known of either monarch, or whether there were indeed two Coles, only one, or whether he is purely legendary. Another vein of legend links him to Cunobelinus, Shakespeare's Cymbeline.
Yet another possibility is that Cole is the Celtic deity Camulus, god of war. The old name of Colchester was Camulodunum, and the derivation sequence /kamul/ (+ eclipsis) > /kawul/ > /kaul/ > /ko:l/ is not impossible, especially among the Celtic languages.
Colchester contains an old Roman quarry that is called "King Cole's Kitchen". Geoffrey of Monmouth claims that Cole was the father of Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. The word ceol means music in Gaelic, and this may be the origin of the rhyme about Cole and his fiddlers.
It is unlikely that the nursery rhyme was written before 1585, when Sir Walter Raleigh introduced tobacco into England. Since Cole reigned well before the introduction of tobacco, what he may have been smoking is also shrouded by the mists of history.