Auld Mahoun's Revenge

An 8x40 bar Jig for 3 couples in a 4-couple longwise set

Music: The Deil's Awa wi' th'Exciseman. Recommended phrasing is 8+16+16 (I suggest 8 bar intro, possibly verse melody only, followed by verse+chorus twice with full harmony).

Bars 1-4: 1st couple turn right hand and cast off one place (2nd couple stepping up).
5-8: 1st couple turn left hand. 1st lady casts up around 2nd lady while 1st man casts off around 3rd man, into...
9-16: 1st couple give right shoulder to their 1st corner to start reels of three across the dance. Finish facing 1st corners
17-20: 1st couple set to 1st corner and turn with both hands back into the line of three across the dance.
21-22: In the lines across, advance. 1st couple drop hands, turn quickly half way round with both hands to change lines.
23-24: 1st man now with 2nd couple and 1st lady now with 3rd couple, retire.
25-32: 1st couple give left shoulder to the person on their left (who is their 2nd corner) to start reels of three across the dance. Finish facing 2nd corners (the person to whom they gave that left shoulder).
33-36: 1st couple set to 2nd corner and turn corner with both hands to finish 2,1,3, 1st couple on the opposite side of the dance.
37-38: In the lines of three, advance. 1st couple drop hands, turn quickly half way round with both hands to change lines.
39-40: 2nd, 1st and 3rd men, and 2nd 1st and 3rd ladies, retire.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

Note: Bars 1-8 are quite nippy. This is by design to fit in with the devilish theme. Dancers who really can't manage it can replace the turns with crosses instead (but agree with your partner first, obviously). Any cribs should always describe it as turns, however.

Devised by Ian Brockbank. Copyright Autumn 1996.

This is a dance which was inspired by hearing Iain MacPhail play his "Deil's Conundrum" medley on Take the Floor, recorded in Princes Street Gardens in August 1996 and broadcast in October that year. The tune is The Deil's Awa wi' th'Exciseman, played as 8 bars of intro (I suggest the verse as melody only, no chords) followed by 2 16-bar phrases - verse followed by chorus.

I was originally going to call this "The Deil's Awa'", but Alan Paterson's DanceData database told me there was already a dance by that name, so I called it Auld Mahoun's Revenge instead. Auld Mahoun is another name for the devil in Scots.

If you try this dance, please let me know how you get on.

The Deil cam' fiddlin' through the toun
And danced awa wi' th'exciseman,
And ilka wife cried "Auld Mahoun,
I wish ye luck o' the prize, man!"

The Deil's awa, the Deil's awa,
The Deil's awa wi th'exciseman.
He's danced awa, he's danced awa,
He's danced awa wi th'exciseman.

There's threesome reels and foursome reels,
there's hornpipes and strathspeys, man,
But the aye best dance that ere cam' to the land
Was "the Deil's awa wi' th'exciseman"!

The Deil's awa...

We'll mak' our malt an' we'll brew our drink,
And we'll laugh, sing and rejoice, man,
And mony braw thanks to the meikle black Deil
That's danced awa wi' th'exciseman!

The Deil's awa...


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This page is maintained by Ian Brockbank
ian@scottishdance.net
Edinburgh, Scotland