No. 71: The Bent Sae Brown
[There are no known traditional US or Canadian versions of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (Moved to the end of Child's Narrative)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A.
5. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: The Bent Sae Brown
A. Roud Number 3322 The Bent Sae Brown (10 Listings)
2. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A with additional notes)]
[3. Sheet Music: The Bent Sae Brown--Bronson's states the only tune, in the Bunyan MS. 1877, is missing]
Child's Narrative
A. Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 30.
'The Bent sae Brown' combines the story of 'Clerk Saunders' with that of another ballad, not found in an independent form in English, but sufficiently common in Danish and Swedish; whence the non-tragical conclusion, for the killing of a certain number of brothers is not regarded as a very serious matter by the heroine, whether in English or Norse. The introduction and conclusion, and some incidental decorations, of the Scottish ballad will not be found in the Norse, but are an outcome of the invention and the piecing and shaping of that humble but enterprising rhapsodist who has left his trail over so large a part of Buchan's volumes.[1]
Stanzas 21-34 contain the substance of the Norse ballad referred to, which has been printed in the following versions, and exists in others not yet given to the world, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic.
Swedish. A. 'Unger Sven,' Arwidsson, I, 295, No 43. B. 'Ung Hillerström,' Afzelius, II, 180, No 55.
Danish. A. An unpublished version, found in two manuscripts of the 17th century, communicated to me by Grundtvig. B. 'Jomfruen i Skoven,' "Tragica, No 15," Danske Viser, III, 99, No 123.[2] C. 'Kjærligheds Styrke,' Kristensen, I, 109, No 43. D, E, F. 'Jomfruens Brødre,' Kristensen, II, 276, No 80 A, B, C. G. Madsen, Folkeminder fra Hanved Sogn, p. 88, No 5.
A youth has passed the night with his love, either in her bower or in a wood. When they are about to part in the morning, she begs him to be on his guard against her seven brothers, on his way through the wood and over the heath. He makes light of the danger, and in the wood meets the seven brothers. They demand how he comes to be there, and he feigns to have been out with his hawk and hound, to have been coursing hares. No, they say, you were with our sister last night, and asked no read of us. He makes no denial; but her will was as good as his. They ask whether he will fly or fight. He has no thought of flight, kills all seven, and goes back to his love. She will not forsake him for killing her brothers; nor would she, Danish A, C, F, had he killed her father too.[3]
Footnotes:
1. Several of Buchan's ballads, says Sir Walter Scott, Minstrelsy, I, 87, ed. 1833, "are translated from the Norse, and Mr. Buchan is probably unacquainted with the originals." Scott seems to have meant only that the ballads in question had a Norse origin, not that they were deliberately translated within what we may call historical times. In this particular instance the resemblances with the Norse are remarkably close, but the very homeliness of the Scottish ballad precludes any suspicion beyond tampering with tradition. The silliness and fulsome vulgarity of Buchan's versions often enough make one wince or sicken, and many of them came through bad mouths or hands: we have even positive proof in one instance of imposture, though not of Buchan's being a conscious party to the imposture. But such correspondences with foreign ballads as we witness in the present case are evidence of a genuine traditional foundation.
Stanzas 25, 26 are remarkably like F 3, 5 of 'Earl Brand,' the Percy copy, and may have served in some Scottish version of the 'Douglas Tragedy.'
Stanzas 36-41 are borrowed from the 'Knight and Shepherd's Daughter.' Folly could not go further than in making the mother clip her locks and kilt her clothes, as in 36: unless it be in making a boat of a coat and a topmast of a cane, as in 3, 4.
2. Translated by Prior, III, 234.
3. In Danish B the maid has grace enough to weep for her brothers seven: "and almost more for the knight." But this last line is probably taken up from another ballad. In 'Herr Helmer,' a ballad which has some of the traits of 'Ribold,' Afzelius, No 54, II, 178, 226, Arwidsson, No 21, I, 155, Eva Wigström, Folkdiktning, I, 25, and the same, Skånska Visor, p. 1, Helmer kills six of his love's seven brothers, and is treacherously slain by the seventh, whom he has spared. The seventh brother cuts off Helmer's head and takes it to his sister. A Danish version of 'Herr Helmer,' Danske Viser, No 209, IV, 251, ends differently: the seventh brother offers his sister to Helmer as ransom for his life.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
'The Bent sae Brown' combines the story of 'Clerk Saunders' (No. 69) with that of another ballad, not found in an independent form in English, but sufficiently common in Danish and Swedish (Kristensen, No. 80, etc.); whence the non-tragical conclusion, for the killing of a certain number of brothers is not regarded as a very serious matter by the heroine, whether in English or Norse. The introduction and conclusion, and some incidental decorations, of the Scottish ballad will not be found in the Norse, but are an outcome of the invention and the piecing and shaping of that humble but enterprising rhapsodist who has left his trail over so large a part of Buchan's volumes.
Stanzas 21-34 contain the substance of the Norse ballad referred to. A youth has passed the night with his love, either in her bower or in a wood. When they are about to part in the morning, she begs him to be on his guard against her seven brothers, on his way through the wood and over the heath. He makes light of the danger, and in the wood meets the seven brothers. They demand how he comes to be there, and he feigns to have been out with his hawk and hounds. No, they say, you were with our sister last night. He makes no denial. They ask whether he will fly or fight. He has no thought of flight, kills all seven, and goes back to his love. She will not forsake him for killing her brothers; nor would she, in some versions, had he killed her father too.
Child's Ballad Text
'The Bent Sae Brown'- Version A; Child 71
Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 30.
1 'There are sixteen lang miles, I'm sure,
Between my love and me;
There are eight o them in gude dry land,
And other eight by sea.
2 'Betide me life, betide me death,
My love I'll gang and see;
Altho her friends they do me hate,
Her love is great for me.
3 'If my coat I'll make a boat,
And o my sark a sail,
And o my cane a gude tapmast,
Dry land till I come till.'
4 Then o his coat he's made a boat,
And o his sark a sail;
And o his cane a gude tapmast,
Dry land till he came till.
5 He is on to Annie's bower-door,
And tirled at the pin:
'O sleep ye, wake ye, my love, Annie,
Ye'll rise, lat me come in.'
6 'O who is this at my bower-door,
Sae well that kens my name?'
'It is your true-love, Sweet Willie,
For you I've crossd the faem.'
7 'I am deeply sworn, Willie,
By father and by mother;
At kirk or market where we meet,
We darna own each other.
8 'And I am deeply sworn, Willie,
By my bauld brothers three;
At kirk or market where we meet,
I darna speak to thee.'
9 'Ye take your red fan in your hand,
Your white fan ower your een,
And ye may swear, and save your oath,
Ye sawna me come in.
10 'Ye take me in your arms twa,
And carry me to your bed;
And ye may swear, and save your oath,
Your bower I never tread.'
11 She's taen her red fan in her hand,
The white fan ower her een;
It was to swear, and save her oath,
She sawna him come in.
12 She's taen him in her arms twa,
And carried him to her bed;
It was to swear, and save her oath,
Her bower he never tread.
13 They hadna kissd, nor love clapped,
As lovers do when they meet,
Till up it waukens her mother,
Out o her drowsy sleep.
14 'Win up, win up, my three bauld sons,
Win up and make ye boun;
Your sister's lover's in her bower,
And he's but new come in.'
15 Then up it raise her three bauld sons,
And girt to them their brand,
And they are to their sister's bower,
As fast as they coud gang.
16 When they came to their sister's bower,
They sought it up and down;
But there was neither man nor boy
In her bower to be foun.
17 n out it speaks the first o them:
'We'll gang and lat her be;
For there is neither man nor boy
Intill her companie.'
18 Then out it speaks the second son:
'Our travel's a' in vain;
But mother dear, nor father dear,
Shall break our rest again.'
19 Then out it speaks the third o them,
An ill death mat he die!
'We'll lurk amang the bent sae brown,
That Willie we may see.'
20 He stood behind his love's curtains,
His goud rings showd him light;
And by this ye may a' weell guess
He was a renowned knight.
21 He's done him to his love's stable,
Took out his berry-brown steed;
His love stood in her bower-door,
Her heart was like to bleed.
22 'O mourn ye for my coming, love?
Or for my short staying?
Or mourn ye for our safe sindring,
Case we never meet again?'
23 'I mourn nae for your here coming,
Nor for your staying lang;
Nor mourn I for our safe sindring,
I hope we'll meet again.
24 'I wish ye may won safe away,
And safely frae the town;
For ken you not my brothers three
Are mang the bent sae brown?'
25 'If I were on my berry-brown steed,
And three miles frae the town,
I woudna fear your three bauld brothers,
Amang the bent sae brown.'
26 He leint him ower his saddle-bow,
And kissd her lips sae sweet;
The tears that fell between these twa,
They wat his great steed's feet.
27 But he wasna on his berry-brown steed,
Nor twa miles frae the town,
Till up it starts these three fierce men,
Amang the bent sae brown.
28 Then up they came like three fierce men,
Wi mony shout and cry:
'Bide still, bide still, ye cowardly youth,
What makes your haste away?
29 'For I must know before you go,
Tell me, and make nae lie;
If ye've been in my sister's bower,
My hands hall gar ye die.'
30 'Tho I've been in your sister's bower,
I have nae fear o thee;
I'll stand my ground, and fiercly fight,
Aud shall gain victorie.'
31 'Now I entreat you for to stay,
Unto us gie a wad;
If ye our words do not obey,
I'se gar your body bleed.'
32 'I have nae wad, says Sweet Willie,
Unless it be my brand,
And that shall guard my fair body,
Till I win frae your hand.'
33 Then two o them stept in behind,
All in a furious meed;
The third o them came him before,
And seizd his berry-brown steed.
34 O then he drew his trusty brand,
That hang down by his gare,
And he has slain these three fierce men,
And left them sprawling there.
35 Then word has gane to her mother,
In bed where she slept soun,
That Willie had killd her three bauld sons,
Amang the bent sae brown.
36 Then she has cut the locks that hung
Sae low down by her ee,
Sae has she kiltit her green claithing
A little aboon her knee.
37 And she has on to the king's court,
As fast as gang coud she;
When Fair Annie got word o that,
Was there as soon as she.
38 Her mother, when before the king,
Fell low down on her knee;
'Win up, win up, my dame,' he said,
'What is your will wi me?'
39 'My wills they are not sma, my liege,
The truth I'll tell to thee;
There is ane o your courtly knights
Last night hae robbed me.'
40 'And has he broke your bigly bowers?
Or has he stole your fee?
There is nae knight into my court
Last night has been frae me;
41 'Unless 'twas Willie o Lauderdale,
Forbid that it be he!'
'And by my sooth,' says the auld woman,
'That very man is he.
42 'For he has broke my bigly bowers,
And he has stole my fee,
And made my daughter Ann a whore,
And an ill woman is she.
43 'That was not all he did to me,
Ere he went frae the town;
My sons sae true he fiercly slew,
Amang the bent sae brown.'
44 Then out it spake her daughter Ann,
She stood by the king's knee:
'Ye lie, ye lie, my mother dear,
Sae loud's I hear you lie.
45 'He has not broke your bigly bowers,
Nor has he stole your fee,
Nor made your daughter Ann a whore;
A good woman I'll be.
46 'Altho he slew your three bauld sons,
He weel might be forgien;
They were well clad in armour bright,
Whan my love was him lane.'
47 'Well spoke, well spoke,' the king replied,
'This tauking pleases me;
For ae kiss o your lovely mouth,
I'll set your true-love free.'
48 She's taen the king in her arms,
And kissd him cheek and chin;
He then set her behind her love,
And they went singing hame.
Additions and Corrections
P. 170. Nine versions of 'Jomfruens Brødre' in Kristensen's Skattegraveren, II, 145 ff., Nos 717-23, V, 81 ff., Nos 633, 634.
P. 170 a, III, 509 a, IV, 164 b. Danish. 'Jomfruens Brødre,' 'Hr. Hjælm,' Kristensen, Jyske Folkeminder, X, 266, 269, No 65, A, B, No 66.
P. 170. Danish. 'Jomfruens Bredre,' Kristensen, Skattegraveren, II, 145 ff., Nos 717-23 V, 81 ff., Nos 632-34; Efterslæt til Sk., p. 15, No 13, p. 84, No 79, 'Den ulige Kamp;' Folkeminder, XI, 139, No 53, A-C, p. 307, No 53.