Waulking song

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Definition

A Scottish song sung in Gaelic by women while they waulked (worked) woollen cloth to soften and shrink it. Sometimes the singing is led by a soloist with a response from the rest of the women (question and answer). The cloth was banged on a table as they worked and this created a beat for them to sing along with.

Examples


See a waulking song being performed here.

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