The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

AQUONELE (POPPY SEEDS)

THE CHILDREN STAND IN A CIRCLE AND HOLDING HANDS.
THEY SING THE FIRST VERSE. SINGING ZODZIUS: "SEJA
SITAIP, VA IR VA KAIP"--THE CHILDREN DO SOWING MOTIONS
FIRST WITH THEIR RIGHT HAND, THEN THEIR LEFT. SINGING
ON, "TAIP, TAIP AQUONELES SEJA"--EVERYONE CLAPS TWICE
AND TURNS AROUND SLOWLY, IN A FULL CIRCLE, TO THE RIGHT.
THEY REPEAT AGAIN TO THE LEFT.
SINGING THAT THE POPPY SEEDS ARE COMING UP--THE CHILDREN
STOOP DOWN, SHOWING WITH THEIR FINGERS HOW THE POPPY
SEEDS ARE BREAKING THROUGH. THEY AGAIN CLAP 2 AND TURN
TO THE RIGHT, CLAP 2 AGAIN AND TURN TO THE LEFT.

Submitter comment: SEJA SITAIP VA IR VA KAIP--SHOWING HOW THEY PLANT THE
POPPY SEEDS. SECOND QUOTE: THIS IS HOW, THIS IS HOW
THE POPPIES ARE PLANTED. SINGING OF HOW THEY ARE GROWING (THE POPPY SEEDS), THE CHILDREN STOOP DOWN AND SLOWLY RISE UP, SHOWING HOW HIGH THEY GROW. SINGING OF HOW THE POPPIES BLOOM, THE CHILDREN SLOWLY RAISE THEIR HANDS, HOLDING THEM TOGETHER, AND LEANING BACK JUST A LITTLE. SINGING OF HOW THE POPPIES RIPEN--THE CHILDREN, WITH HANDS RAISED, IMITATE WITH THEIR PALMS THE ROUND HEAD OF A POPPY. SINGING OF HOW THE POPPIES ARE SHAKEN DOWN, THE CHILDREN TURN ROWARDS EACH OTHER, PLACE THEIR HANDS ON EACH OTHERS ARMS ABOVE THE ELBOWS AND SHAKE. SINGING OF HOW THE POPPIES ARE BEING GRINDED--THE CHILDREN STOOP DOWN AND EVERYONE WITH THEIR RIGHT HAND MAKE A CIRCLE, IMITATING GRINDING. SINGING OF HOW TO EAT POPPIES--THE CHILDREN STAND AND THROW HANDFULS INTO THEIR MOUTHS. "POPPY SEEDS" IS A VERY POPULAR SONG AMONG THE LITTLE KIDS. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE IT ORIGINATED FROM OR WHO WROTE (IT), SO IT IS TRUE FOLKLORE. MY MOTHER'S STEP-MOTHER TOLD ME THAT SHE LEARNED THAT WHEN SHE WAS ONLY SEVEN YEARS OLD. SO IT'S PRETTY OLD. ALL OF THESE GAME-VERSES ARE OLD, BUT THE KIDS LOVE THEM.
A COMBINATION OF BOTH DANCE AND GAME.

Where learned: SOUTHFIELD ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Date learned: 03-27-1972