Tom he was a Piper's son
Nursery Rhyme
Lyrics, Origins and History

The Nursery Rhyme "Tom he was a piper's son" is a poem about the son of a Scottish Bagpiper. The origins date back to a Celtic legend featuring Dryads (or tree spirits). Legend goes that the Bagpiper's son, Tom, played his own pipes whilst he was minding the sheep. He played the same melody over and over again and the Dryads came out to dance to his tune. Villagers tried to watch the Dryads but they could never be seen.

The Magic Wand
Celtic mythology holds the belief that Dryads are born bonded to a specific tree, originally, an oak tree. Both the Celts and the Druids believed that the wood from certain trees possessed sacred properties, and a branch from such a Dryads tree would transmit powers to the owner. It was from this legend that the idea of the 'magic Wand' was born.

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Tom he was a Piper's son

Nursery Rhyme lyrics, origins and history

Tom he was a piper's son,
He learned to play when he was young,
But all the tunes that he could play
Was "Over the hills and far away".

Tom with his pipe did play with such skill,
That those who heard him could never keep still;
Whenever they heard him they began to dance,
Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.

Tom he was a Piper's son

Nursery Rhyme lyrics, origins and history

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