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The dance is named for the very old tune also known by various derivative names such as Petronelle. The tune has been memorably described by one well-known Scottish musician as more of a drumbeat than a tune.  

The exact origin of the name of the tune is unknown but it has been suggested that it refers to the sister of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor married Louis VII of France in 1137. According to some sources, Eleanor and Petronella accompanied the King on a Crusade and Petronella regularly led troops into battle while naked from the waist up.
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