Halfe Hannikin
Notation:
Standard Notation
ABC Notation
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
traditional
PDF Files:
--- choose file type ---
Standard Notation
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
Tune Sheet
English country dance
Play
MIDI
No audio
available
Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Halfe Hannekin", also known as "Huff Hannekin" is an English country dance tune in 6/4 or 6/8 time<br> in G Major.<br> The tune was first published by John Playford in his English Dancing Master of 1651, though<br> Chappell (1859) finds the air mentioned in Sir H. Herbert's office-book of revels and plays<br> performed at Whitehall during the Christmas season, 1622–23. Confirming that the tune is older<br> than Playford is a recorded mention that on Sunday, Jan. 19th, 1623, Ben Jonson's masque<br> Time Vindicated was performed, and: <br> The Prince did lead the measures with the French Ambassador's wife... the measures, braules,<br> corrantos, and galliards, being ended, the masquers, with the ladies, did daunce two countrey<br> dances, namely, "The Soldier's Marche" and "Huff Hammukin". <br> The title “Halfe Hannikin” is possibly a corruption of honig-huchen, or 'sweet cake', adopted<br> into English along with other German and Dutch words in the 16th century. Alternatively, 'Hannikin'<br> may possibly derive from honniken, used in Thomas Dekker’s The Shoemaker’s Holiday (1599, Act IV,<br> sc. 5), used to mean a 'stupid fellow' or 'needy fellow'.<br> Graham Christian (2015) says "Hankin, Hannikin, Mamukin, Hanskin, and Hansken were all variants<br> of a name of Dutch origin meaning 'Little John' or 'son of John' (Jo-hannes-kin), and in England<br> it became a teasing name for a fool or clown, sometimes as 'Hankin Booby'." He concludes that<br> "Hankin [Hannikin] Booby" may have been the name of the dance or tune or both, and believes the<br> first word of the title ('halfe') is a form of "huff", which at that time meant to swagger.<br> Thus the instead of a half of something, the complete title meant to 'swagger like a buffoon',<br> fitting with the dance which is "an unusal single mixer throwing all the dancers into one merry<br> brew together". <br> It was printed in Barnes's English Country Dance Tunes (1986), Chappell's Popular Music of the<br> Olden Time, vol. 1 (1859), Merryweather's Tunes for English Bagpipes (1989), Raven's English<br> Country Dance Tunes (1984), Sharp's Country Dance Tunes, Set 7 (1916) and Barlow's Complete<br> Country Dance Tunes from Playford's Dancing Master (1985).<br> <br>
Click
here
for a full page view.