A few lof the first lines:
“Allen-a-Dale has no fagot for burning,
Allen-a-Dale has no furrow for turning,
Allen-a-Dale has no fleece for the spinning,
Yet Allen-a-Dale has red gold for the winning.
Come, read me my riddle! come, hearken my tale!
And tell me the craft of bold Allen-a-Dale.”
Any guesses as to what “red gold” is? Blood? Honor? Or…
This has bothered me since high school. ( and, no, we didn’t come up with an answer there, either.)
Red gold is an alloy of gold and copper. The term is fairly common in Irish literature as well; either it’s a naturally occurring alloy in the British Isles, or else medieval goldsmiths added it in for some reason. Modern jewelers apparently prefer “rose gold” for some reason.
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To Cafe Society.
Allen-a-dale, huh? Haven’t heard that in years.
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Thanks for the reply, Dr. Drake. I was unaware of that.
And apologies, Rico. I know a lot of poems have not set answer to certain phrases or terms, and I thought about CS, but was hoping there was a definitive answer. Funny the stuff that pops into your mind when reading this board in the wee hours…