After all the festivities of Christmas Day are over, what could be better than to run around the village and hunt a tiny little bird with all your neighbours. This special St Stephen's Day episode explores the strange custom of wren hunting in the British Isles. Hang on to your hats, it's going to be a weird one.MusicHunt the Wren, a Manx songMedieval French tune (known to me as 'Dancing Bears' but YMMV)The Cutty Wren, to the tune of Green Bushes (thanks A. L. Lloyd!)ReferencesMany thanks go to two websites: Mainly Norfolk and the Ballad Index, for such detailed information about this song.Other references include:Mona Melodies: https://www.manxmusic.com/media/History%20photos/MONA%20MELODIES%202020%20full%20transcription.pdfCharles Barrow (1820) Mona Melodies https://www.manxmusic.com/media/History%20photos/MONA%20MELODIES%202020%20full%20transcription.pdf A W Moore (1891) The Folklore of the Isle of ManGeorge Waldron (1744) The History and Description of the Isle of ManVallancy, Charles (1770) Collectanea de rebus hibernicis. T. Ewing, Dublin https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere09vallgoog/page/n1/mode/2up https://mainlynorfolk.info/ian.campbell/songs/thecuttywren.html John Aubrey’s Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme https://archive.org/details/remainesgentili01aubrgoogMuller, S. (1996). The Irish Wren Tales and Ritual. To Pay or Not to Pay the Debt of Nature. Béaloideas, 64/65, 131–169. https://doi.org/10.2307/20522463 

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