A Frog He Would A Wooing Go

Annie
Apr 8, 2016
3 min read

"A Frog he would a wooing go, Heigh-ho, says Rowley, A Frog he would a-wooing go, Whether this mother would let him or no, With a Roley, Poley, Gammon and Spinach, Heigh-ho says Anthony Rowley."

The frog in question (dating from the 16th century), in the above famous English folk song/nursery rhyme, is attributed to Prince Louis and later, the Duke of Anjou; English royalty having to consort with the French - most worrying. Another theory traces the song to Suffolk: "Roley, Poley, Gammon and Spinach" refer to four families of Suffolk notables, Rowley, Poley, Bacon and Green. If you visit the lovely Boxted Church in Suffolk, you can see the statues of Sir John Poley, and Dame Abigail his wife. Not sure if they look suitably amphibian and why write a folk song about them?

Frog and toad are old words, dating back until at least the Anglo-Saxons. In old English they were called 'frogga' and 'forsc' . The old English for toad was 'tadige' or 'tadd'. Tadderpolle appears in the 15th-16th century meaning toad and head ('polle.')

Ireland is renowned among naturalists for it's lack of reptiles and amphibians. St Patrick did a good job there then, with the exception of a few small natterjack toad colonies. Although I think the odd frog and common newt make an appearance . There's still a fair amount of folklore on them; frog spawn was considered a cure for rheumatism and inflammatory diseases. Sore eyes could be cured by getting someone to lick the eye of a frog followed by then licking the eye of the affected sufferer. No doubt due to their habit of hibernating at the bottom of ponds, they were considered creatures of the underworld and so were associated with witches and the supernatural.

Frogs and toads don't drink in the usual way but absorb liquid through their skin by sitting in ponds and puddles. Their eyesight is excellent at close range. I had to sit quite still to get these pictures as the slightest movement sends them diving back in the pond.

Thomas Bell, a well known nineteenth century zoologist, tells of a frog who lived in a hole in the skirting board of a house in Kingston. He became tamer over the years and opted out of hibernation altogether and would emerge in winter, basking on the hearth, nestled against the family cat! Some cultures believe that it's good luck to have a frog in the house, whilst others consider it a bad omen.

In Chinese folklore, it is thought that frog spawn falls from heaven and so frog meat may be referred to as "heavenly chicken." It is a readily available source of protein in the paddies of rice-growing areas, think I'll pass on that one.

In Scotland, frogs have been considered lucky since Celtic times and there are often stone frogs kept in the garden. Frog figurines have traditionally been given as housewarming gifts. Whatever your opinion on them, I always looks forward to our pond filling up with spawn, seeing their little nonchalant expressions and enjoying the mini universe in aquatic form that teems with life again when the earth warms up once more.

One of the best things you can do for nature in your garden is to dig a pond. The new residents will love you for it.