US & Canadian Versions: Child 11 The Cruel Brother
[This ballad is rare- there are only around a dozen traditional US (no extant Canadian versions) versions of Child 11, The Cruel Brother. Child categorized a ballad fragment from Philadelphia via an Irish grandmother (1852 Notes and Queries) as his D version. Actually it seems to clearly be a version of Child 10. Even though it's a fragment and somewhat similar to Child 11 (see my notes) I've included here.
The first US version of merit was first published by Phillips Barry in his 1908 book, Folk Songs of the North Atlantic States. In 1915 Barry's version was reprinted in the JAFL. There's a bit of mystery about his version and it appears to be from a British source but collected in Boston. Barry has not been forthcoming about his version but Bronson gives some information. More investigation will be needed to determine the real source of this version.
I consider (read also Wilgus's comments in Folk-Songs of the Southern United States- Combs 1967 edition) the two West Virginia versions, which are identical-- from Woofter (1925 Folk-Songs of the Southern United States) and Gainer (1975 Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills) to be ballad recreations. Niles version should be considered a recreation as well. The Kentucky version (Roberts) is from a song ballet (handwritten sheet) and needs to be reworked to have proper stanzas.
I am missing the version from Cocke County Ballads and Songs by Mildred Haun in 1937; and The Three Maids, from the WPA Collection, Univ. of Virginia, Charlotteville, No. 254 (version a) by Mrs. Martha Shupe of Wise, Virginia, who is a neighbor of Polly Johnson. I assume the two versions are the same or similar.
Included below is the analogue, "The Cruel Friend," from "Folk-tales of Andros Island, Bahamas" (1918) as told by Irving McFee (source is probably Raphael Role of Mangrove Cay, Andros.
R. Matteson 2011, 2015]
CONTENTS: (To access individual texts click on highlighted blue title below or on title attached to this page on left-hand column)
1) There Were Three Ladies Playing at Ball (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1852 Notes and Queries; Child D
2) The Cruel Brother- Hall (KY) c.1900 Roberts
3) The Cruel Brother- Barry (Boston, Ma.) (1908 & 1915)
4) Three Ladies Played at Ball- Price (RI-MA) 1914
5) The Cruel Brother- House (NC) 1916 Sharp A
6) The Cruel Brother- Williams (NC) 1917 Sharp B
7-a) The Cruel Brother- Chenoweth (WV) 1924 Collected Woofter
7-b) The Bride's Murder- Gainer (WV) text 1924; published 1975. Recorded by Gainer from Woofter's text.
8 & 9) Brown Collection- Two Versions; (NC) From 1928
Brown A. 'Oh Lily O.' From the singing of "Granny" Houston of Bushy Creek in Avery county
Brown B. 'Lily O.' Sung by Mrs. Rebecca (Aunt Becky) Gordon. Procured by Mrs. Sutton at Saluda Mountain, Henderson county, July, 1928.
10) Brother's Revenge- Holcolm (KY) 1932 Collected by Niles
11) The Three Maids- Polly Johnson (Va.) 1939 Halpert
Articles/Analogues: "Cruel Friend" from: "Folk-tales of Andros Island, Bahamas" Parsons 1918
Old Ballad Burthens (article) by Josephine McGill (see below)
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From: "Folk-tales of Andros Island, Bahamas" (1918) as told by Irving McFee (source is probably Raphael Role of Mangrove Cay, Andros.
111. THE CRUEL FRIEND.
Once upon a time dere was two young men. One called Tom, an' de oder Sammy Lees. Sammy Lees had opinion dat he could beat Tom, an' Tom had opinion he could beat Sammy Lees. Now, de two gone in bush dis mornin' to shoot. Now, Sammy Lees start to shootin'. He shoot fifteen, he dropped ten. Tom started shootin'. He shoot twenty-five, drop ten. Sammy Lees startin' shootin' again. He shoot fifty. He drop forty-five. Tom started a-shootin'. He shoot fifteen. He drop one. After Tom see Sammy Lees beatin' him shootin' so much, Tom shoot Sammy Lees, but not dead. An' Sammy Lees' moder was something like a witchcraf'. Know Sammy Lees was shot. Ven' for him. Ven she reach de bush, she meet Sammy Lees in a deep hole. She wen' down an' took him up. Ven she took him out, she kyarry him home. When he reach home, fader, moder, sister, an' Tom who shot him, gether roun' him. Fader commence to sing, —
"O my dear son, Sammy Lees!
What shall you leave for thy dear father?"
Sammy Lees commence to sing, — [music]
1. Dat golden ring I leave behin',
An' Sammy Lees goin' leave de worl'.
2. "Dat gol'en beaver I leave behin',
An' Sammy Lees goin' leave de worl'."
De moder come an' started talkin' to Sammy Lees: —
"O my dear son, Sammy Lees!
What shall you leave for thy dear mother?"
Sammy Lees commence to sing, —
"Dat golden slippers I leave behin',
An' Sammy Lees goin' leave de worl'."
De sister come, "O my dear brother, Sammy Lees!
What shall you leave for thy dear sister?"
Sammy Lees commence to sing, —
"Dat golden ring I leave behin',
An' Sammy Lees goin' leave de worl'."
Tom come, started singin', —
"O my dear frien', Sammy Lees!
What shall you leave for thy dear frien'?"
Sammy Lees commence to sing, —
"Dat hangin' gallus I leave behin',
An' Sammy Lees goin' leave de worl'."
An' Sammy Lees died right on dat. An' dey hang Tom. An' fader an' moder an' sister lived right dere, an' lived in peace, died in peace, an' buried in a spot o' candle-grease.
E bo ben,
Dis story en'.
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Old Ballad Burthens
by Josephine McGill
The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Apr., 1918), pp. 293-306
Apropos of the words, "Hey and the rue grows bonny wi' thyme," it may be remarked that many of the most charming refrains are those with flowery allusions, stock material of the ballads-the poignancy of the ballad often being enhanced by the contrast between the lovely suggestion of the refrain and the horror of the story. A striking example is that offered by a version of The Cruel Mother called Fine Flowers in the Valley:
She sat down below a thorn,
Fine flowers in the valley;
And there she has her sweet babe born,
And the green leaves they grow rarely.
Nearly identical is the refrain with that of another ballad of domestic tragedy, The Cruel Brother:
There was three sisters in a ha',
Fine flowers i' the valley;
There came three knights among them a',
The red, green and the yellow.
Another version of the latter ballad, called The Bride's Testament, has the charming flower refrain:
There were three ladies playing at the ba'
With a heigh ho! and a lily gay;
There came a knight played o'er them a',
And the primrose spreads so sweetly.
Again in The Three Knights-so persistently did the form haunt popular imagination:
There did three knights come from the west,
With a heigh and the lily oh!
And these three knights courted one lady,
As the rose was so sweetly blown.