Lord Thomas & Fair Ellendar- Hayes (KY) 1931 Fuson
[From Ballads of the Kentucky Highlands by Henry Harvey Fuson. Publisher, Norwood Editions, 1931.
This had the Scottish "rede" for riddle.
R .Matteson 2014]
LORD THOMAS AND FAIR ELLENDAR- (From singing of Myrtle Haves)
"O mother, O mother, come rede me,
Come rede me as your own,
Whether I must marry fair Ellendar dear
Or bring the Brown girl home."
"O son, O son, I rede to you,
I rede to you as my own;
If I would give you advice, my boy,
I'd say, bring the Brown girl home.
"The Brown girl has both houses and land,
Fair Ellendar she has none,
And if I give you advice, my boy,
I'd say, bring the Brown girl home."
"Oh, reach me down my milk-white suit,
Go bridle and saddle my bay;
I'll go to ask her to my wedding,
It's on the fourth of May."
He rode till he came to fair Ellendar's home,
He knocked low upon the ring;
No one so ready as fair Ellendar herself
To rise and let him in.
"Sad news I bring to you, fair Ellendar,
Sad news I bring to you;
I've come to invite you to my wedding,
It's on the fourth of May."
"O mother, O mother, come rede to me,
Come rede to me as your own,
Whether I must go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or stay at home and mourn."
"O daughter, O daughter, I rede to you,
I rede to you as my own;
I would rather go to Lord Thomas's wedding
As to stay at home and mourn."
She dressed herself in linen white,
Her bodice was of green;
And every city that she went through
They took her to be some queen.
She rode till she came to Lord Thomas's home ;
She knocked low upon the ring;
No one so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
He took her by the lily-white hand
And led her through the hall,
And there she stood among the girls,
The fairest of them all.
"Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, is this your bride
I'm sure she is very brown;
You once could have married as fair a girl
As ever the sun shone on."
The Brown girl had a little knife;
It was both keen and sharp
She laid her hand on fair Ellendar's breast.
And pierced her to the heart.
Lord Thomas had a golden sword;
It was both keen and small.
He cut off the Brown girl's head,
And kicked it against the wall.
Then he put the handle against the wall,
The point against his breast,
And that was the end of those three lovers-
Lord, take their souls to rest.
"O father, O mother, go dig my grave;
Dig it both wide and deep;
And bury fair Ellendar in my arms,
And the Brown girl at my feet."