The Hag at the Churn

Jig, D Mixolydian, Traditional Irish
TrailJams Tune of the Week September 11, 2002; December 17, 2023

Wild, fierce and exuberant, this tune invites repetition, variation, and growing intensity. It is a traditional Irish jig that brings a legacy in folklore with it, concerning the dangers of churning butter.

About the Illustration – The photograph in the illustration above was taken around 1897 by J.W. Dunn. It shows a woman churning butter, with a kitten to help manage any leaks, and with a book in hand to help pass the time.

What is a hag? The Irish word behind many “hag” titles is cailleach. In its simplest sense, it means an old woman, or old wife. But it is a richer word than that. It can suggest age, widowhood, household authority, folk wisdom, comic sharpness, or even supernatural power. In some stories, An Chailleach is a great mythic crone of winter and wild places. But in tune titles like “The Hag with the Money” or “The Hag at the Churn,” “hag” does not have to mean an ugly, wicked, cackling witch. It may simply mean an older woman — memorable enough to get a tune named after her.

Recordings

• Video – The Bothy Band: The Pipe on the Hob/The Hag at the Churn – from the album After Hours. (The Hag at the Churn begins at time 2:19 in this recording. It is played in D Mixolydian.)
• Video – Chris Smith: Gallagher’s Frolics/The Pipe on the Hob/The Hag at the Churn – from the album Coyotebanjo, Irish Traditional Music from America, Chris Smith with Roger Landes and Randal Bays. (The Hag at the Churn begins at time 2:18 in this recording. It is played in D Mixolydian.)
• Audio – Mochara: The Hag at the Churn​/​The Maid at the Spinning Wheel – played on uilleann pipes with guitar backing, in D Mixolydian. From the album In Your Blood.

Sheet Music

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

About the chords: In this arrangement, most of the chords are open chords, omitting the “third” that would be in a standard major or minor chord. The D5 chord consists of D and A notes, with no F. The Csus2 chord consists of the notes C, D, and G — in other words, a C5 chord with an added D (C5addD) to give tension that pulls toward D. These stark cords support the tune’s edgy sound and leave plenty of room for melodic variations.

Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

• Pipe on the Hob Jig Set: The Pipe on the Hob (A Dorian) / The Hag at the Churn (D Mixolydian) / Banish Misfortune (D Mixolydian)
• Gallagher Jig Set: Gallagher’s Frolics / The Pipe on the Hob (3-part) / The Hag at the Churn
• Garret Barry’s / The Hag at the Churn
• The Monaghan Jig / Scatter the Mud / The Hag at the Churn (Jigs)
• The Gander in the Pratie Hole / The Hag at the Churn
• The Hag at the Churn / Banish Misfortune

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.

• More Recordings
  • Video – Dulahan Ireland: The Hag at the Churn – played on tenor banjo in D Mixolydian.
  • Audio – Stephen Ducke: The Hag at the Churn (Jig) – played on tin whistle in D Mixolydian. From the book Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes
  • Video – Niamh Ni Charra: The Hag at the Churn / Banish Misfortune – Hammersmith Irish Cultural Centre, London 03.04.2008. Played on concertina.
  • Video – Steve Levy, Traditional Music Project: Hag at the Churn – played on mandolin in D Mixolydian.

• Books
  • Book: Irish Music – 400 Traditional Tunes by Stephen Ducke. (The Hag at the Churn is in D Mixolydian in this book.)
  • Book – Shannon Heaton: The First 50 – PDF book; sheet music for 50 tunes with audio tracks for each tune. (The Hag at the Churn is in A Mixolydian in this book.)
• Lessons
  • Lesson – Whistle Workshops: Hag at the Churn (Jig) – lesson on tin whistle by Conor Lamb. With video, sheet music, and animated (SoundSlice) sheet music. Played in D Mixolydian.
  • Lessons – Online Academy of Irish Music: The Hag at the Churn – lessons for playing the tune on guitar (flat-picking) and on uilleann pipes, taught in the key of D Mixolydian.
• Other Resources
  • Webpage – The Session: The Hag at the Churn (Jig) – crowdsourced sheet music, comments, and other information.
  • Article: Dorian, Mixolydian, Oh My: Modes in a Nutshell, by Jonathan Lay, TrailJams