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Catholic leaders say Hokey Cokey is a 'faith hate' song
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by mudricky | December 22, 2008 at 12:30 pm
1587 views | 8 Recommendations | 6 comments
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The leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland has said that a song sung at kids party has "disturbing origins".
Cardinal Keith O'Brien claims the Hokey Cokey, sung in many English-speaking countries is a song designed to mock priests.
Senior Catholics claim the tune was composed by Puritans during the 18th century. It copies the actions and language of priests leading Latin mass, and they claim it has derisive overtones. It has now been revived by football fans in Scotland.
The fans of Glasgow teams Celtic and Rangers make fun of each other in the football stands by singing sectarian songs.
The history of these two teams goes back over 100 years, and the competition between the two clubs has roots in more than just a simple sporting rivalry.
It is infused with a series of complex disputes, some centred on religion. Celtic has a large Catholic following whereas Rangers has a large Protestant following.
The result has been an enduring enmity between fans that has extended beyond the kind of intra-city footballing rivalry that might be expected in situations where two clubs dominate a country's footballing scene.
This has manifested in a history laden with sectarian violence, sometimes leading to deaths.
Politicians have urged police to arrest anyone using the song to "taunt" Catholics under legislation designed to prevent incitement to religious hatred.
Peter Kearney, a spokesman for Cardinal O'Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "This song does have quite disturbing origins. It was devised as an attack on, and a parody of, the Catholic mass.
"If there are moves to restore its more malevolent meaning then consideration should perhaps be given to its wider use."
According to the Church, the song's title derives from "hocus pocus".
The phrase is said to be a Puritan satire on the Latin hoc est enim corpus meum, or "this is my body", used by Catholic priests to accompany the transubstantiation during mass.
But football fans and opposition politicians have blasted the claims, describing them as "utter nonsense".
Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, said: "I can't believe Scottish children performing the 'Hokey Cokey' are doing so in pursuit of any sort of anti-Catholic agenda."
Sources: Wikipedia & The Scotsman Newspaper.
SCOTS football fans who sing the Hokey Cokey could be committing a "faith hate" crime, senior Catholics warned yesterday. A spokesman for Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland said the song – most often heard at kids parties and family gatherings – has "disturbing origins".
They claim the tune was composed by Puritans during the 18th century in an attempt to mock the actions and language of priests leading Latin mass, and that its derisive overtones have been revived by football fans.
YOU put your right leg in . . . It’s a dance-floor favourite at family gatherings and a good indicator of when elderly aunts have had enough sherry.
But, as the party season gets into full swing, the Catholic church and politicians in Scotland have warned that singing the Hokey Cokey could get you arrested because it contains a sinister, sectarian message. They claim the ditty was composed by Puritans during the 18th century to mock the language and actions used by priests at Latin Mass and could be hijacked by bigots.
The Hokey Cokey is an old novelty song that has been sung in music halls, at children's parties and at sherry-fuelled family gatherings for many years.
But according to the Catholic Church and some Scottish politicians, singing the popular tune that begins with the words "You put your right hand in, your right hand out," may constitute an act of religious hatred.
A spokesman for the leader of the church in Scotland said the song had disturbing origins.
Critics claim that Puritans composed the song in the 18th century in an attempt to mock the actions and language of priests leading the Latin mass.
Now politicians have urged police to arrest anyone using the song to "taunt" Catholics under legislation designed to prevent incitement to religious hatred.
Supporters of Rangers FC have been banned from singing anti-Catholic songs at Ibrox stadium to taunt their rivals Celtic, a club with Catholic roots.
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mudricky
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
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anamika.mis15
Delhi, India
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United StatesAnonymous user
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at 16:01 on December 22nd, 2008
Very interesting, mudricky. Thanks for posting.
at 04:06 on December 23rd, 2008
It is the same with the song Ring-a-ring-a-roses, A pocket full of posies, ashes! ashes!, (or sometimes a-tishoo!, a-tishoo! in the UK) we all fall down.
It is said to be about the Great Plague of London in 1665, or some say with earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague in England.
at 02:51 on December 29th, 2008
I wonder how many of the 59,000 who attend Parkhead every other week actually go to mass? Or, for that matter, how many of the so called great Rangers Protestants would know the inside of a gospel preaching church?
Bit childish on the part of Rome though. Watch her. Any chance and she's in like a hawk.
Have Strathclyde police nothing better to do?
P/s Did you know that the man who wrote the "Hokey Cokey" died a few years ago? they had a terrible job getting him into the coffin. They put the left leg in and then they took the left leg out ...
Forgive me, Father, I have sinned...
at 03:12 on December 29th, 2008
hai
at 03:15 on December 29th, 2008
hai how r u
at 03:18 on December 29th, 2008
Does this mean we have to ban Goosey Goosey Gander?