No. 115: Robyn and Gandeleyn
[There are no known traditional US or Canadian versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnote (There are no footnotes)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A
5. Endnotes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 115. Robyn and Gandeleyn
A. Roud No. 3976: Robyn and Gandeleyn (3 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: (There are no traditional music versions)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child version A with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: Robyn and Gandeleyn
A. Sloane Manuscript, 2593, fol. 14 b, British Museum.
Printed by Ritson, Ancient Songs, 1790, p. 48, and by Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols (selected from the Sloane Manuscript), No X, London, 1836, and again in his edition of the whole Manuscript for the Warton Club, 1856, p. 42. The manuscript is put at about 1450.
Wright remarks on the similarity of the name Gandelyn to Gamelyn in the tale assigned to the Cook in some manuscripts of the Canterbury Tales, and on the resemblance of the tale of Gamelyn to Robin Hood story. But he could hardly have wished to give the impression that Robin in this ballad is Robin Hood. This he no more is than John in the ballad which precedes is Little John; though Gandelyn is as true to his master as Little John is, and is pronounced to be by the king, in 'Robin Hood and the Monk.' Ritson gave the ballad the title of 'Robin Lyth,' looking on the 'lyth' of the burden as the hero's surname; derived perhaps from the village of Lythe, two or three miles to the north of Whitby. A cave on the north side of the promontory of Flamborough, called Robin Lyth's Hole (popularly regarded as the stronghold of a pirate), may have been, Ritson thinks, one of the skulking-places of the Robin who fell by the shaft of Wrennok. "Robin Hood," he adds, "had several such in those and other parts; and, indeed, it is not very improbable that our hero had been formerly in the suite of that gallant robber, and, on his master's death, had set up for himself." Thought is free.
Translated by Grundtvig, Engelske og skotske Folkeviser, page 44, No. 6.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
Printed by Ritson, Ancient Songs, 1790, p. 48, and by Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols (selected from the Sloane Manuscript), No. x, London, 1836, and again in his edition of the whole Manuscript for the Warton Club, 1856, p. 42. The manuscript is put at about 1450.
Wright remarks on the similarity of the name Gandelyn to Gamelyn in the tale ascribed to the Cook in some manuscripts of the Canterbury Tales, and on the resemblance of the tale of Gamelyn to Robin Hood story. But he coidd hardly have wished to give the impression that Robin in this ballad is Robin Hood. This he no more is than John in the ballad of Johnie Cock is Little John; though Gandelyn is as true to his master as Little John is.
Child's Text
'Robyn and Gandeleyn'- Version A; Child 115 Robyn and Gandeleyn
Sloane Manuscript, 2593, fol. 14 b, British Museum.
1 I herde a carpyng of a clerk,
Al at ȝone wodes ende,
Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn;
Was þer non oþer þynge.
Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn
2 Stronge theuys wern þo chylderin non,
But bowmen gode and hende;
He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych,
If God wold it hem sende.
3 Al day wentyn þo chylderin too,
And fleych fowndyn he non,
Til it were a-geyn euyn;
Þe chylderin wold gon hom.
4 Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn a-ȝon,
And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
But markyd was þer non:
'Be dere God,' seyde gode Robyn,
'Here of we xul haue on.'
5 Robyn bent his joly bowe,
Þer in he set a flo;
Þe fattest der of alle
Þe herte he clef a to.
6 He hadde not þe der i-flawe,
Ne half out of þe hyde,
There cam a schrewde arwe out of þe west,
Þat felde Robertes pryde.
7 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
Be euery syde:
'Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
Ho hat don þis dede?
Xal I neuer out of grene wode go
Til I se [his] sydis blede.'
8 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and lokyd west,
And sowt vnder þe sunne;
He saw a lytil boy
He clepyn Wrennok of Donne.
9 A good bowe in his hond,
A brod arwe þer ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
Trusyd in a þrumme:
'Be war þe, war þe, Gandeleyn,
Her-of þu xalt han summe.
10 'Be war þe, war þe, Gandeleyn,
Her of þu gyst plente:'
'Euer on for an oþer,' seyde Gandeleyn;
'Mysaunter haue he xal fle.
11 'Qwer-at xal our marke be?'
Seyde Gandeleyn:
'Eueryche at oþeris herte,'
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
12 Ho xal ȝeue þe ferste schote?'
Seyde Gandeleyn:
'And I xul ȝeue þe on be-forn,'
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
13 Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
And he schet not to hye;
Þrow þe sanchoþis of his bryk;
It towchyd neyþer thye.
14 'Now hast þu ȝouyn me on be-forn,'
Al þus to Wrennok seyde he,
'And þrow þe myȝt of our lady
A bettere I xal ȝeue þe.'
15 Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe,
And set þer in a flo;
He schet þrow his grene certyl,
His herte he clef on too.
16 'Now xalt þu neuer ȝelpe, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
Þat þu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And his knaue Gandeleyn.
17 'Now xalt þu neuer ȝelpe, Wrennok,
At wyn ne at ale,
Þat þu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And Gandeleyn his knaue.'
Robyn lyȝth in grene wode bowndyn
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End-Notes
Written continuously, without division of stanzas or verses. The burden, put after 1, stands at the head of the ballad.
And for & always.
14. gynge.
43. I now.
45. Robyn wanting.
51. went.
76. Til.
93. & xx.
102. hir.
123. ȝewe.
124. seyd.
143. Þu myȝt.
17. Gandelyyn: knawe.
Last line: bowdyn.