Delicate lace, grim work songsSourced
They made intricate lace.
Some of their songs were gruesome.
Lacemakers' short chants, known as lace tells, accompanied work in parts of Europe. Some English examples were grim, and collectors recorded the words from the nineteenth century onward. Few melodies survive alongside the verses.
Fine thread
did not require gentle stories.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
Source and reuse details
Lace tells · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-01