Aunt Maria

DESCRIPTION: "Old Aunt Maria (Jack-a-ma-rier) Jumped in the fire. Fire too hot, Jump in the pot. Pot so black, (S)he jumped in a crack. Crack so high, (S)he jumped in the sky. Sky so blue, (S)he jumped in a canoe. Canoe so shallow, (S)he jumped in the tallow." Etc.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1934 (Henry, from Minnie Stokes)
KEYWORDS: lullaby nonballad
FOUND IN: US(SE,So,SW) West Indies(Nevis)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 134, "Jack-a-Maria" (1 text)
Botkin-TreasuryOfSouthernFolklore, p. 705, "Aunt Maria" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry-SongsSungInTheSouthernAppalachians, p. 242, (no title) (1 text)
Browne-AlabamaFolkLyric 157, "Old Zachariah Fell in the Fire" (2 texts plus mention of 1 more, 1 tune)
Solomon-ZickaryZan, p. 57, "Old Moly Rier" (1 text)
Abrahams-JumpRopeRhymes, #18, "Anthy Maria jumped in the fire" (1 text)
Roud #11418
NOTES [103 words]: Sutton-Smith-NZ-GamesOfNewZealandChilden/FolkgamesOfChildren, p. 79, has a game, "Jack-a-balan," in which a lighted stick is passed around, with the carrier of the stick asking "Will yae hae Jack-a-balan" (a name similar to that in some versions of this song), to which the answer is, "You chall bear the saddle-ban, Thro moss, thro moor, Throu a' the lan, Take him safe oot o' my han." I have no idea if it is related. Looking at ll the various names, I now suspect (too late) that the original had "Old Jeremiah." Although there seems to be a large branch of tradition that grew from an original "Auntie Maria(h)." - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: BSoF705A

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography