British and Other Versions, Child No. 7 Roud 23, Earl Brand (Lord Douglas)
All complete versions of Child 7: Child of Ell; Earl Brand; Lord Douglas
A. "The Child(Knight) of Ell" ("Sayes 'Christ thee saue, good Child of Ell!") fragment from Percy folio MS acquired c. 1753 (Northumberland) but older.
a. "The Child of Ell" from "Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript: Ballads and Romances," Volume 1 by Hales and Furnivall, I, p. 133, 1867. Original MS with notes.
b. "The Child of Elle" recreation by Percy, "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry," 1765.
c. "The Child of Elle" recitation from memory of Percy's 50 stanza version by Bell Robertson of New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire about 1909, who learned it from a chapbook from Folk-Song of the North East (c.1910) by Gavin Greig of New Deer.
B. Earl Brand ("Did ye ever hear o guid Earl o Bran") dated late 1700s (Heber/Leyden c. 1802, Edinburgh)
a. "Earl o Bran" William Leyden about 1802 probably Edinburgh (MS 22b. in the Abbotsford Collection) Written down by Richard Heber, chorus is missing, Kittredge's A* version, 1.
b. "Earl Bran," collected by William Laidlaw (b. 1780) of Selkirkshire (farm of Blackhouse) about 1802 for W. Scott from "Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy," No 22d.
c1. 'Earl Bran,' Mr. Robert White's papers, c.1818. From Robert White (1802-1874) of Newcastle-upon-Tyne whose copy was dated 1818, and had been obtained by Telfer in the vicinity of Liddesdale, from a recitation by a fiddler from Northumbria.
c2. 'Earl Bran,' Mr. Robert White's papers- a corrected copy of C1.
c3. 'The Brave Earl Brand and the King of England's Daughter,' Bell, Ancient Poems, etc., p. 122, 1846. A copy of White's versions with minor editorial changes by Robert Bell.
c4. Fragmentary verses remembered by Mr. R. White's sister, Mrs. Andrews, of Claremont Place, Newcastle. Published with melody in The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend, Volume 5, see also Stokoe, Northumbrian Minstrelsy, 1882.
d. "Gude Earl Brand and Auld Carle Hude," the Paisley Magazine, 1828, p. 321, communicated by W. Motherwell.
e. "Auld Carle Hood, or, Earl Brand." From Hume-Campbell MSS titled “Old Scottish Songs, Collected in the Counties of Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk & Peebles." Collectwed by Sir Hugh Hume-Campbell's father and placed in his library about 1830.
C. The Douglas Tragedy (Lord William and Lady Margaret) ("'Rise up, rise up, now, Lord Douglas,' she says,")late 1700s (chapbook print 1792) titled from Sharpe's 1802 version by Sir Walter Scott. said to have originated in Selkirkshire at the farm of Blackhouse.
a1. "Lord Douglas' Tragedy, To which are added, the shepherd's courtship the blythsome bridal; or the lass wi' the gouden hair. The farewell." Publisher: [Newcastle upon Tyne?]: Licensed and entered, 1792. Child I
a2. "Three songs." Innocent mirth. Lord Douglas' [sic] tragedy The banks of Doon; [Edinburgh]: J. Morren, printer, Edinburgh, [1800]
b. "The Douglas Tragedy," collected from nursery maid by C.K. Sharpe in 1802. Published in Scott's Minstrelsy, III, 246, ed. 1803. Child B
c. "Earl Douglas," from the recitation of Mrs Notman of Renfrewshire(?) about 1826. From Motherwell's MS., p. 502; Child C.
d. "Lady Margaret." unknown informant probably from Edinburgh area, from Kinloch MSS, I, 327, c. 1827.
e. "The Douglas Tragedy," six stanzas from tradition in Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 180, 1827.
f. "Lord Thomas and Ladie Margaret." Sung by Rachel Rodgers of Wallace Street, Ayr, c.1827. Collected by Thomas MacQueen. From "Andrew Crawfurd's collection of ballads and songs" by Andrew Crawfurd, E. B. Lyle - 1975.
g. "Rise Ye Up," sung by Mrs. Lee Stephens (White Rock, Missouri) Oct. 5, 1928 dating back through her family to circa 1828. From Ozark Folksongs, Randolph- Volume I Ballads, from the section British Ballads and Songs.
h. "Lady Margaret," Written By William A Larkins on April the 25th, 1868. From: The Old Album of William A. Larkin by Ruth Ann Musick; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 60, No. 237 (Jul. - Sep., 1947), pp. 201-251.
i. "Seven Brothers." Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, "just as sung by Miss Julia Grogan, March 17, 1915. She heard it over 40 years ago (1875)." From the Brown Collection; 1952, version C.
j. "Lord William and Lady Margaret" (Douglas Tragedy)- sung by David Edwards of 84 High St., Cuminestown, Scotland in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, approximately six miles east of Turriff. Learned in Cornhill 50 to 60 years ago (1875). From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/F, p. 08085.
k. "Sweet William and Fair Ellender." Recorded from the singing of Mrs.G. A. Griffin, Newberry, who learned the song from her father in Georgia before 1877. From: Folksongs of Florida; Morris, 1950.
l. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by William Ross of Balquhindochy, by Turriff, learned about 1880. [From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/F, p. 08091.
m. "Lord William and Lady Margaret," sung by Mrs. Lily Delorme of Cadyville, NY; c. 1880; She was born in 1869 and learned this ballad at her home as a child. Collected in 1942. From Ballads Migrant in New England; Flander; also Ancient Ballads; 1966.
n. "Prince William," sung by Mrs Mary Stewart Robertson, of 6 Auchreddie Road, New Deer, learned from grandmother Mrs. Mary MacPhe Stewart, 50 years ago (c. 1880). From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/11/155, Disc Side 149, 01:56.
o. "The Seven Sleepers." Communicated by Mr. J. Harrison Miller, Wardensville, Hardy County, January 29, 1916; obtained from his mother, who learned it when a girl from Scotch Roach (c. 1880). From Folk-Songs of the South- 1925; Cox.
p. "Lady Margaret." Contributed by Mrs. A. J. Hopkins, Boonville dated c. 1885. From Traditional Ballads from Indiana by Paul G. Brewster; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 48, No. 190 (Oct. - Dec., 1935), pp. 295-317.
q. "Sir William and Fair Ellender." As sung by Nancy Prather of NC about 1890. Reported by W. Amos Abrams. from the Brown Collection, version E; the MS is in Abrams Collection.
r. "Lord William and Lady Margaret" (The Douglas Tragedy)- sung by Peter Barnett of Oyne, Aberdeenshire, learned c. 1890. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/8/1/C, p. 11595.
s. "Lord William and Lady Margaret" (The Douglas Tragedy)- sung by William Walker of South Nittans Head, Bonnykelly, New Pitsligo, learned about 1895 from George Taylor of Murryfold, Turriff. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/8/1/A, p. 11482, title in pencil, inconsistent dialect.
t. "[Lord Douglas] Lord William and Lord Douglas," sung by Mrs. Mary Raspbury of Kinta. Mrs. Raspbury was born in Alabama in 1868 and came to Indian Territory in 1898. From the Moores 1964 book, Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest; version B, single stanza with music.
u. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by J.W. Spence of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire in 1907. Collected by Greig, version A. From the Greig/Duncan Collection edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell.
v. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by Annie Shirer (b. 1873, d. 1915) of Kininmouth, Aberdeenshire in 1907. Collected by Greig, from: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version I.
w. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by John Bain of Dunecht, north-east Aberdeenshire about 1908. Collected by Duncan. From: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, version B.
x. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by Jemima Milne of Glasgow about in 1908. Collected by Duncan; from The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version C.
y. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by John Ord of Glasgow, author of Bothy Songs and Ballads about 1908. Collected by Greig. Single stanza with music from The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version D. See Ord's "Bothy Ballads" for text.
z. "Douglas Tragedy," fragment sung by Mrs. Lyall, Lyne of Skene, Aberdeenshire, Greig/Duncan Collection version E; also James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/F, p. 08086.
aa. "Lord Douglas," sung by Mrs Oliphant of Aberdeenshire? about 1908. Collected by Greig, from: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version J.
bb. "Lord Douglas," sung by Alexander Glennie of Aberdeenshire about 1908. Collected by Greig. From: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version L.
cc. "Lady Margaret." Unknown informant probably of Aberdeenshire about 1908. Collected by Greig. Fragment from: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection. edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version M.
dd. "Lady Margaret." Unknown informant probably of Aberdeenshire about 1908. Collected by Greig. My title, location and date. Fragment from: The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, edited by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B Lyle and Katherine Campbell, version N.
ee. "Seven Sons All." Recited by D. L., Thornton, N. H., September 8, 1909. My title, replacing the generic Child title. From: The Ballad of Earl Brand by Phillips Barry; Modern Language Notes, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Apr., 1910), pp. 104-105.
ff. [Seven Brothers All]- sung by Mrs. Moore of Georgia, 1909, My title, replacing the generic Child title. From Sharp/Campbell, English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachian, 1917.
gg. "Sweet William and Fair Ellen." Contributed by I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga county, in 1913. From the Brown Collection; 1952, version B.
hh. ["Seven Bretherens".] Collected by E.C. Perrow lent from E. N. Caldwell, from the singing of mountain whites; 1913; Brown Collection version A, also Songs and Rhymes from the South by E. C. Perrow; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 28, No. 108 (Apr. - Jun., 1915), pp. 129-190.
ii. "Sweet William." Sung by I. G. Greer of Thomasville, N.C with dulcimer by Mrs. I. G. Greer. Recorded 10-26-29 NYC for Paramount; Version B in the Brown Collection of NC Folklore.
jj. "The Seven Brothers." Sung by Mrs. Herbert Cover, Elkin, Va., Novenber 22, 1913. From Traditional Ballads of Virginia Davis, 1929, version C.
kk. "The Seven Sleepers," sung by Mr. G. L. Harwell, Greene Co,. Va. on June 16, 1915 from Traditional Ballads of Virginia, Davis, 1929, Version A.}
ll. "Lord William," collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy, sung by Mr. and Mrs. James B. Crawford, near Altavista, va. Campbeil County. May 2, 1915. From Traditional Ballads of Virginia Davis, 1929, version D.
mm. "The Seven Sons," sung by F. C. Gainer of Tanner, West Virginia c. 1915, collected by his grandson Patrick Gainer before 1924.
nn. ["Seven Bretherens,"] sung by Mrs. Polly Shelton of White Rock, NC on July 28, 1916. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp/Campbell 1917, version A.
oo. ["Sweet William,"] sung by Mrs. Mary Sands of Allanstand, North Carolina on August, 1, 1916. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp/Campbell 1917, version B.
pp. ["Seven Brothersen,"] sung by Mrs. Hester House of Hot Springs, N.C., Sept. 14, 1916. Sharp C from EFSSA published in 1917 Sharp/Campbell and again in 1932; has rose-briar ending.
qq. ["Seven Sons Bold,"] sung by Mrs. Lizzie Gibson, Crozet Va., April 26, 1918, my title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians; Sharp and Karpeles, 1932; Version E.
rr. ["Lord William."] Sung by Mr. Philander H. Fitzgerald at Nash, Va., May 7, 1918, my title, replacing the generic Child title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp/Karpeles 1932.
ss. ["Lady Marg'ret."] Sung by Mr. Clinton Fitzgerald at Royal Orchard, Afton, Va., April 28, 1918 my title, replacing the generic Child title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp/Karpeles 1932, version G.
tt. "The Seven Brethren," sung by Robert Langille, Tatamagouche, NS pre-1919. From The Quest of the Ballad by William Roy Mackenzie, 1919; also found in Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia by Mackenzie, 1928.
uu. "Sweet William and Fair Ellen." Sung by "Singing Willie", Nolan, Harlan, County, Ky., 1920. From Wells, NPMSS, (January 1935), pp. 2-3; also Wells, "A Ballad Tree" 1950, pp. 147-48. Bronson 37.
vv. "Sweet Willie." Reported by Mrs. Sutton (c. 1920) from the singing of Myra Barnett (afterwards Mrs. J. J. Miller) in the Brushies of Caldwell county; from the Brown Collection, version F; the MS is in Abrams Collection; 1952.
ww."Sweet William and Fair Ellen." Contributed by Mrs. Sutton. Score only, taken down at Lenoir, Caldwell county, about 1921. Mrs. Sutton rarely, if ever, gives the name of the singer, but it may be assumed to be Myra, i.e., Mrs. Miller, from the Brown Collection; 1952, version 4B(1) in Brown Vol, 4 (music).
xx. "Sweet Willie," by an unknown North Carolina singer as sung by Sutton, 1921. Text from Brown F with changes from G; from the Brown Collection; 1952.
yy. "As He Rode Up to the Old Man's Gate." Contributed by Mrs. N. T. Byers of Zionville, Watauga county, in 1922. From the Brown Collection; 1952.
zz. "The Seven Sleepers." Sung by Mrs. Rosie Morris of Elkton, Va., Rockingham Co. Virginia, on Aug. 30, 1922. Collected by Miss Martha M. Davis; from Traditional Ballads of Virginia Davis, 1929, version B.
aaa. "Sweet William," from Hudson, 1937, No. 22 as sung by Mrs. Theodosia B. Long and Mary Ila Long, Mississippi, between 1923 and 1930. From B. H. Bronson, "The Singing Tradition of Child's Popular Ballads" pp. 115-116, No. 17.
bbb. "The Seven Brothers." Sung by Ernest Sprague, Milltown, New Brunswick, 1927; learned from his father. Bronson 28 , from Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, British Ballads from Maine; 1929, pp. 37-39.
ccc. "The Seven Brothers." Transmitted by Mrs. Guy R. Hathaway, Mattawamkeag, Maine, September 8, 1928; as remembered by her brother, Harold J. Shedd. From British Ballads from Maine, Barry Eckstrom and Smythe; 1929, version A, p. 35-37. Bronson No. 6.
ddd. "Sweet William," recovered by Miss Lois Womble of Walter Valley, from the singing of Miss Molly Kelley, Banner. From Arthur Palmer Hudson, Mississippi Folklore Society, Arthur Palmer Hudson - 1928; also Folksongs of Mississippi 1936.
eee. "Lord Loving." From the singing of Mrs. Samuel Harmon, Cade's Cove, Blount County, Tennessee, who learned it from Grandfather Harmon in Watauga County, North Carolina. Recorded by Mrs. Mellinger E. Henry. From the article: Ballads and Songs of the Southern Highlands by Mellinger E. Henry; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 42, No. 165 (Jul. - Sep., 1929), pp. 254-300. This is also in Henry's book, Songs Sung in the Southern Appalachians 1934.
fff. ["Lord Robert."] My title, replacing Earl Brand from Karpeles, 1934, II, pp.- 83-87., with original text, transmitted by the collector. Sung by Thomas Ghaney, Colliers, Conception Bay, Newfoundland, October 22, 1929.
ggg. "Lord Robert." Communicated by Mrs. Maud Roberts Simmonds; Glenburnie, Bonne Bay, 1930, from the singing of Miss Minnie Payne; from Ballads and Sea-Songs of Newfoundland by Elizabeth Bristol Greenleaf, Grace Yarrow Mansfield.
hhh. "Lord William and Lady Margaret (The Douglas Tragedy)," sung by Mary Thain of 27 Castle Street, Banff, Aberdeenshire, c. 1930; from James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/2/2/D, pp. 04654-04655.
iii. "Lord William and Lady Margaret," as sung by Mrs William Duncan of Tories, Oyne, by Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/E, p. 08083, missing the opening.
jjj. "Lord William and Lady Margaret," as sung by Miss Bell Duncan of Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland about 1930. From: From James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/E, p. 08083 and James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/E, p. 08078.
kkk. "The Douglas Tragedy," as sung by William Angus of Cuminston, Aberdeenshire. Learned from Mr. Stephens (Sandy Stephen's brother); from: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, pp. 06744-06745.
lll. "The Douglas Tragedy,"- as sung by Alexander Campbell of Ythan Wells, Aberdeenshire about 1930. [From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, pp. 06748-06749. Very few Scot words but there are some, inconsistent dialect.
mmm. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by Mrs Annie Kidd of Ivy Cottage, Glen Ythen, Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire. Collected by James Madison Carpenter, c. 1930. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, pp. 06750-06751. Has the "blue guilded horn" of print version.
nnn. "Lord William and Lady Margaret" (The Douglas Tragedy)- sung by John Riddoch of Oyne, Aberdeenshire, c. 1931; Title is written in pencil. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/5/1/F, p. 08088. Inconsistent dialect, I've added missing 3rd line in stanza 13.
ooo. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by Miss Jean Esselmont of Central Square, Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire in 1931. From: James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/2/2/D, pp. 04647-04649 with the 'Black Douglas' ending. Arbitrary dialect.
ppp. "The Douglas Tragedy," sung by William Mackey of Logie Lodge, Lonmay, Aberdeenshire in 1932. Collected by James Madison Carpenter. From the James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/G, p. 06757. A short version in fairly consistent dialect.
qqq. "The Seven Sleepers.' Phonograph record (aluminum) made by A. K. Davis, Jr.- Sung by Mrs. vicioria Morris, of Mt. Fair, Va., Albemarle County. November 21, 1932. Text transcribed by P. C. Worthington. Tune noted by Winston Wilkinson. From Davis- More Traditional Ballad from Virginia, version AA.
rrr. "Sweet Willie," no informant named, summer 1933 in North Carolina; from: Traditional American Folk Songs- Frank and Anne Warner. Mysteriously this version is nearly identical to the version collected by my grandfather Maurice Matteson from Mrs. Lloyd Bare Bragg, Elk Park NC in 1933.
sss. "Sweet Willie," sung by Mrs. Lloyd Bare Bragg of Elk Park, NC on August 7, 1933. Collected by Maurice Matteson; from Beech Mountain Ballads; 1936.
ttt. "The Seventh Brother." Phonograph record (aluminum) made by A. K. Davis, Jr. Sung by Mrs. Martha Elizabeth Gibson, of Crozet, Va., Albemarle county. April 13, 1933. Transcribed by P. C. Worthington. Tune noted E. C. Mead. Also collected by Fred F. Knobloch. May 1, 1931. From Davis- More Traditional Ballad from Virginia, version BB.
uuu. "Lord William." My title. Sung by H. B. Shiflett of Dyke, Virginia 1936 From Bronson No. 23, no title, with music, taken from Wilkinson's MS 1935-36.
vvv. "Sweet William," sung by Fields Ward, Galax, Va., 1937 Lomax, B. No. 1357. From "Our Singing Country" Lomax, recording at American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. His version can be heard on youtube.
www. [Lord William.] Sung by Mrs. Nellie M. Lawhorne, Waynesboro, Va., April 23, 1937. From Wilkinson MSS., 1936-37, p. 5. My title, from Bronson No. 21.
xxx. "Douglas Tragedy," sung by Viola Cook of Whitesburg, Kentucky c. 1938. This is the lone US version from James Madison Carpenter Collection, JMC/1/3/H, pp. 06768-06769.
yyy. "Seven Horsemen." Collected by Miss Alfreda M. Peel. Sung by M. H. Thomas, of Salem, Va. Roanoke County. September 16, 1940. From Davis- More Traditional Ballad from Virginia, version CC (has opening stanzas).
zzz. "Sweet William and Fair Ellen." Sung by Samuel H. Pfoutz (1855- 1940) of the Cameron clan. From Keystone Folklore Quarterly- Volumes 1-3; 1957, pp.20-21, Collected by Shoemaker.
aaaa. "Seven Brothers," sung by Mrs. Avery Johnson, North Wilkesboro, c.1940. From the Brown Collection; 1952, version 4C in Brown Vol, 4 (music). Transcribed Matteson, 2014.
bbbb. "Douglas Tragedy" recorded by Ewan MacColl. From: A.L. Lloyd's 1956 Riverside anthology The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume III. This arrangement is of dubious authenticity.
cccc. "Sweet William Stepped Up To the Old Man's Gate," sung by Hattie Presnell of North Carolina about 1958. From "Some Ballad Folks," 1978 Burton.
dddd. "Lady Margret." As sung by Mrs. Norma Kisner, Springdale, Arkansas on November 25, 1960; Max Hunter Folk Song Collection.
eeee. [Seven Sons Bold]- My title. As sung by Robert Shifflett, 1961 collected by George Foss. From Anglo-American Folksong Style; Abrahams and Foss; 1968.
ffff. "Sweet William." Sung by Mrs. Joy Dowell Guitar Acc. by Mrs. Pederson Fayetteville, Ark. December 25, 1961. from Ozark Folksong Collection; Reel 418, Item 3. Collected by Carolyn Cearley and Louise Guisinger Transcribed by M. C. Parler.
gggg. "The Seven Sleepers." Sung by Mrs. Lou Wrinkle of Norman, OK. This text is similar to Child's B. From the Moores 1964 book, Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest; version A.
hhhh. "Wake You Up, You Seven Sleepers." My title, no date or informant given. Collected by unknown collector at Burea College in Kentucky; from Sweet Rivers of Song, 1967 edited by Jameson. Stanza 9 and 10 were added from a Child version.
* * * *
[The ballads of Child 7 are about the an "earl" or a "lord or knight" and a "maid" whose family tries to prevent their elopement with tragic consequences. As the two lovers ride away on horses, they are pursued by the maid's father and seven brothers (Lord Douglas) or by her father and fifteen men (Earl Brand). After they stop and she dismounts holding his horse, a heroic battle ensues as her vastly outnumbered lover slays the pursuers. However, her lover is mortally wounded (in Child A he's stabbed in the back by Carl Hood; in B, he's received an unidentified blow during battle). The lovers ride off to a stream to drink and there she discovers his fatal wound when she sees blood in the clear water. They ride to his mother's house where he dies and she dies shortly thereafter of sorrow. Child B has the "rose-briar" ending.
The earliest fragment is my A (Child's F), "The Child of Ell" which is part of the Percy Folio, a group of Northumbrian manuscripts acquired by Bishop Percy about 1753. The original MS, published by Hales and Furnivall in 1867, was missing the next page so all that remains are the first 11 stanzas (with some partial stanzas) of this early related version. Here's the text from Percy's MS., p. 57; ed. Hales and Furnivall, I, p. 133, 1867[1]:
The Child of Ell (c.1753 but older)
1 . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Sayes 'Christ thee saue, good Child of Ell!
Christ saue thee and thy steede!
2 'My father sayes he will [eat] noe meate,
Nor his drinke shall doe him noe good.
Till he haue slaine the Child of Ell,
And haue seene his harts blood.'
3 'I wold I were in my sadle sett,
And a mile out of the towne;
I did not care for your father
And all his merry men!
4 'I wold I were in my sadle sett,
And a little space him froe;
I did not care for your father
And all that long him to!
5 He leaned ore his saddle bow
To kisse this lady good;
The teares that went them two betweene
Were blend water and blood.
6 He sett himselfe on one good steed,
This lady on a palfray,
And sett his litle horne to his month,
And roundlie he rode away.
7 He had not ridden past a mile,
A mile out of the towne,
. . . . .
. . . . .
8 Her father was readye with her seuen brether,
He said, 'Sett thou my daughter downe!
For ill beseemes thee, thou false churles sonne,
To carry her forth of this towne!'
9 'But lowd thou lyest, Sir Iohn the knight,
Thou now doest lye of me;
A knight me gott, and a lady me bore;
Soe neuer did none by thee.
10 'But light now done, my lady gay,
Light downe and hold my horsse,
Whilest I and your father and your brether
Doe play vs at this crosse.
11 'But light now downe, my owne trew loue,
And meeklye hold my steede,
Whilest your father [and your seuen brether] bold
. . . . .
The importance of the fragment Child of Ell is that it shows the ballad was in circulation long before the secondary ballads of Child A (Earl Brand) and Child B (Douglas Tragedy). In 1765 Percy published his recreation of the ballad "The Child of Elle" in his Reliques where he commented[2]: "The Child of Elle is given from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS: which tho- extremely defective and mutilated, appeared to show so much merit, that it excited a strong desire to attempt a completion of the story. The Reader will easily discover the supplemental stanzas by their inferiority, and at the same time be inclined to pardon it, when he considers how difficult it must be to imitate the affecting simplicity and artless beauties of the original."
Percy's 50-stanza recreation is given in full on a page attached to this page, British Versions (see "Child of Ell" in the left-hand column attached to this page). My Ac version "The Child of Elle" is a recitation from memory of Percy's 50 stanza version by Bell Robertson of New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire about 1909, who learned it from a chapbook. Robertson's version removes most of the archaic language making it easier to read but has some Scots dialect.
Foreign analogues of a similar archaic age and theme were listed by Child who included information about the two important parallel Scandinavian ballads, "Ribold and Guldborg," (mid 1600s) and "Hildebrand and Hilde" in his excellent, detailed headnotes. Child's study of the foreign analogues was aided by previous studies by Child's mentor, Sven Grundvig[3].
Of the Scottish ballads Child gives us two main types A, "Earl Brand" and B, "Lord Douglas" (also "Douglas Tragedy," or, "Lord William and Lady Margaret") which are the two modern[4] ballads that are grouped under his No. 7 titled "Earl Brand." The problem is: they are different tragic ballads with similar themes and one stanza held in common. In Sir Walter Scott's excellent notes on the Douglas tragedy in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Volume 3(1803), He calls "Earl Brand" an "analogous recitation" and gives the stanza held in common[5]:
"Gude Earl Brand I see blood"
"It's but the shade o' my scarlet robe."
Scott was aware of both Earl Brand ballad versions[6] that his friends William Laidlaw and John Leyden had acquired independently in preparation for Scott's "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border" series (three volumes 1802-1803, one volume 1807). For some reason Child failed to properly acknowledge or investigate Scott's notes[7] so Child attributed the first extant version of Earl Brand to Robert Bell (1857) when clearly Scott knew the ballad by 1803. Child began his headnotes with, " 'Earl Brand,' first given to the world by Mr. Robert Bell in 1857, has preserved most of the incidents of a very ancient story with a faithfulness unequalled by any ballad that has been recovered from English oral tradition." In fairness to Child, Scott did not quote the whole text of Earl Brand, he only gave the stanza held in common. Later in volume 2 of ESPB's "Additions and Corrections," Child retracts the attribution to Bell and says: "This ballad was, therefore, not first given to the world by Mr. Robert Bell, in 1857, but nearly thirty years earlier by Motherwell, in the single volume of the Paisley Magazine, a now somewhat scarce book."
Neither Bell nor Motherwell were the earliest sources since both Laidlaw's and Leyden's versions predated Bell's and Motherwell's. The Laidlaw and Leyden ballads became part of the Abbotsford Collection which were the ballads collected for Sir Walter's Minstrelsy. In Kittredge's 1904 edition of ESPB which he edited with Sergeant, he lists Leyden's MS as A* which gives it priority as the earliest and perhaps best example of Earl Brand. After John Leyden (September 8, 1775 – August 28, 1811) moved to Edinburgh in 1790 he became an acquaintance of Dr. Robert Anderson (1794), editor of The British Poets, and of The Literary Magazine and then to Dr. Alexander Murray, who helped Leyden with his study of Eastern languages. Anderson also introduced Leyden to Richard Heber, who was helping Scott collected ballads for his Minstrelsy. A bio on Leyden from an 1890 edition of The Encyclopedia Britannica reports:
Leyden was admirably fitted for helping in this kind of work, for he was a borderer himself, and an enthusiastic lover of old ballads and folklore. Scott tells how, on one occasion, Leyden walked 40 miles to get the last two verses of a ballad, and returned at midnight, singing it all the way with his loud, harsh voice, to the wonder and consternation of the poet and his household.
Leyden's version titled "Earl o' Bran," which I've dated 1802 (MS 22b. in the Abbotsford Collection) was written down by Richard Heber who commented[8], "I have not written the Chorus, but Mr Leyden, having it by him, knows how to insert it." The chorus was never inserted and remains unknown. Here's Leyden's version, from an unknown source, Edinburgh:
Earl o' Bran
1 Did ye ever hear o guid Earl o Bran
An the queen's daughter o the southlan?
2 She was na fifteen years o age
Till she came to the Earl's bed-side.
3 'O guid Earl o Bran, I fain wad see
My grey hounds run over the lea.'
4 'O kind lady, I have no steeds but one,
But ye shall ride, an I shall run.'
5 'O guid Earl o Bran, but I have twa,
An ye shall hae yere wael o those.'
6 The're ovr moss an the're over muir,
An they saw neither rich nor poor.
7 Till they came to ald Carl Hood,
He's ay for ill, but he's never for good.
8 'O guid Earl o Bran, if ye loe me,
Kill Carl Hood an gar him die.'
9 'O kind lady, we had better spare;
I never killd ane that wore grey hair.
10 'We'll gie him a penny-fie an let him gae,
An then he'll carry nae tiddings away.'
11 'Where hae been riding this lang simmer-day?
Or where hae stolen this lady away?'
12 'O I hae not riden this lang simmer-day,
Nor hae I stolen this lady away.
13 'For she is my sick sister
I got at the Wamshester.'
14 If she were sick an like to die,
She wad na be wearing the gold sae high.'
15 Ald Carl Hood is over the know,
Where they rode one mile, he ran four.
16 Till he came to her mother's yetts,
An I wat he rapped rudely at.
17 'Where is the lady o this ha?'
'She's out wie her maidens, playing at the ba.'
18 'O na! fy na!
For I met her fifteen miles awa.
19 'She's over moss, an she's over muir,
An a' to be the Earl o Bran's whore.'
20 Some rode wie sticks, an some wie rungs,
An a' to get the Earl o Bran slain.
21 That lady lookd over her left shoudder-bane:
'O guid Earl o Bran, we'll a' be taen!
For yond'r a' my father's men.
22 'But if ye'll take my claiths, I'll take thine,
An I'll fight a' my father's men.'
23 'It's no the custom in our land
For ladies to fight an knights to stand.
24 'If they come on me ane by ane,
I'll smash them a' doun bane by bane.
25 'If they come on me ane and a',
Ye soon will see my body fa.'
26 He has luppen from his steed,
An he has gein her that to had.
27 An bad her never change her cheer
Untill she saw his body bleed.
28 They came on him ane by ane,
An he smashed them doun a' bane by bane.
29 He sat him doun on the green grass,
For I wat a wearit man he was.
30 But ald Carl Hood came him behind,
An I wat he gae him a deadly wound.
31 He's awa to his lady then,
He kissed her, and set her on her steed again.
32 He rode whistlin out the way.
An a' to hearten his lady gay.
33 'Till he came to the water-flood:
'O guid Earl o Bran, I see blood!'
34 'O it is but my scarlet hood,
That shines upon the water-flood.'
35 They came on 'till his mother's yett,
An I wat he rappit poorly at.
36 His mother she 's come to the door:
'O son, ye 've gotten yere dead wie an English whore!'
37 'She was never a whore to me;
Sae let my brother her husband be.'
38 Sae ald Carl Hood was not the dead o ane,
But he was the dead o hale seeventeen.
This was not the only version Scott saw. At the end of William Laidlaw's fragmented 21-stanza version Scott had written at the head, "Earl Bran, another copy" which means Scott had already seen Leyden's more complete version. Interesting is the editor's second footnote of Scott's Minstrelsy, volume 3: "At the time when Sir Walter Scott was collecting the materials for this work, the farm of Blackhouse was tenanted by the father of his attached friend, and in latter days factor (or land-steward), Mr. William Laidlaw. James Hogg was shepherd on the same farm, and in the course of one of his exploring rides up the glen of Yarrow, Sir Walter made acquaintance with young Laidlaw and the 'Mountain Bard,' who both thenceforth laboured with congenial zeal in behalf of his undertaking."
The problem with Earl Brand is that the sum of its extant versions are five, and that it was never popular and did not survive after the mid-1800s excerpt for a fragment of an early version sung by Robert White's sister, Mrs Andrews. The opening of Earl Brand is poorly constructed and corrupt and was derived from an earlier unknown ballad. Earl Brand was not brought to America and was a poor choice to represent the three ballads under Child 7. "Lord Douglas" also known as "Douglas Tragedy" or "Lord William and Lady Margaret" was brought to America in an earlier somewhat corrupt form. The conclusion is that Lord Douglas is a secondary rewrite of the ballad using the implied local Scottish setting and adding Lord Douglas as the paramour. Since the name Lord William is used throughout versions of Lord Douglas the addition in the title and first stanza seems obvious.
This was Scott's comment about "Lord Douglas": "Many copies of this ballad are current among the vulgar, but chiefly in a state of great corruption; especially such as have been committed to the press in the shape of penny pamphlets. One of these is now before me, which, among many others, has the ridiculous error of 'blue gilded horn,' for 'bugelet horn.' The copy, principally used in this edition of the ballad, was supplied by Mr. Sharpe."
In a letter to Scott, dated 5th August 1802, Charles Kirkpatric Sharpe wrote: 'The Douglas Tragedy was taught me by a nurserymaid, and was so great a favourite, that I committed it to paper as soon as I was able to write' (Correspondence, I. 135). Despite Scott's comments about the cheap print version, except for the last stanza, Sharpe's version is not much different than the print version (see also Child I). The end of stanza 1 is a corruption of "a lord or a knight." Here's Sharpe's text:
Douglas Tragedy
1 'Rise up, rise up, now, Lord Douglas,' she says,
'And put on your armour so bright;
Let it never be said that a daughter of thine
Was married to a lord under night.
2 'Rise up, rise up, my seven bold sons,
And put on your armour so bright,
And take better care of your youngest sister,
For your eldest's awa the last night.'
3 He's mounted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And lightly they rode away.
4 Lord William lookit oer his left shoulder,
To see what he could see,
And there he spy'd her seven brethren bold,
Come riding over the lee.
5 'Light down, light down, Lady Margret,' he said,
'And hold my steed in your hand,
Until that against your seven brethren bold,
And your father, I mak a stand.'
6 She held his steed in her milk-white hand,
And never shed one tear,
Until that she saw her seven brethren fa,
And her father hard fighting, who lovd her so dear.
7 'O hold your hand, Lord William!' she said,
'For your strokes they are wondrous sair;
True lovers I can get many a ane,
But a father I can never get mair.'
8 O she's taen out her handkerchief,
It was o the holland sae fine,
And aye she dighted her father's bloody wounds,
That were redder than the wine.
9 'O chuse, O chuse, Lady Margret,' he said,
'O whether will ye gang or bide?'
'I'll gang, I'll gang, Lord William,' she said,
'For ye have left me no other guide.'
10 He's lifted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And slowly they baith rade away.
11 O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a' by the light of the moon,
Until they came to yon wan water,
And there they lighted down.
12 They lighted down to tak a drink
Of the spring that ran sae clear,
And down the stream ran his gude heart's blood,
And sair she gan to fear.
13 'Hold up, hold up, Lord William,' she says,
'For I fear that you are slain;'
''Tis naething but the shadow of my scarlet cloak,
That shines in the water sae plain.'
14 O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a' by the light of the moon,
Until they cam to his mother's ha door,
And there they lighted down.
15 'Get up, get up, lady mother,' he says,
'Get up, and let me in!
Get up, get up, lady mother,' he says,
'For this night my fair lady I've win.
16 'O mak my bed, lady mother,' he says,
'O mak it braid and deep,
And lay Lady Margret close at my back,
And the sounder I will sleep.'
17 Lord William was dead lang ere midnight,
Lady Margret lang ere day,
And all true lovers that go thegither,
May they have mair luck than they!
18 Lord William was buried in St. Mary's kirk,
Lady Margret in Mary's quire;
Out o the lady's grave grew a bonny red rose,
And out o the knight's a briar.
19 And they twa met, and they twa plat,
And fain they wad be near;
And a' the warld might ken right weel
They were twa lovers dear.
20 But bye and rade the Black Douglas,
And wow but he was rough!
For he pulld up the bonny brier,
And flang't in St. Mary's Loch.
The last stanza is obviously newly constructed to tie into the mention of Lord Douglas' name in the first stanza. Scott's text, as received from C.K. Sharpe, is similar to the the print text of 1792 (Child I). The assumption would be that the Lord Douglas print text was created in the last half of the 1700s from a ballad that would be "Lord William and Lady Margaret."
A comparison of Scott's "Lord Douglas" to "Earl Brand" shows that although they are ballads with the "Maid's family tries to prevent elopement" theme, the ballads are different. Perhaps the most telling difference is that Earl Brand has a chorus while Lord Douglas, also known as "Lord William and Lady Margaret," does not. Earl Brand is pursued by her father and fifteen men while Lord William is pursued by her seven brothers and her father. Lord Douglas does not have the character Carl Hood who stabs Earl Brand in the back (see also: Braes of Yarrow, where it's one of the brothers) and has the rose briar ending, perhaps acquired from the similar tragic ballads "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" or "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet." Although Earl Brand and Lord Douglas are different ballads the common stanza suggests the possibility of a common antecedent.
Along with the ballads classified under Child 7 are other similar "Maid's family tries to prevent elopement" ballads. The ballads of Child 7 have two different groups of people trying to prevent the elopement: 1) Earl Brand, is pursue by her father and 15 men while 2) Lord William (Douglas), also Child of Ell, is pursued by the maid's father and seven brothers. Similar themes are found in other ballads including The Bold Soldier (Bold Keeper/Lady and the Dragoon); the Braes o Yarrow (including "Rare Willie") ballads; and "Fair Margaret and Sweet William."
Early texts of the "Maid's family tries to prevent elopement" ballads include The Child of Ell- Child F, from Percy in 1753 (but older) and dating back to 1673 is the broadside of the related Bold Soldier ballad (See: 7A The Lady and the Dragoon), titled, "The Bold Keeper."
Child assigns "Earl Brand" as his A version with his version 7Aa taken from Mr. Robert White's papers. Both 7Aa and 7Ab are from Mr. Robert White's papers. Child gives the changes from Aa for Ab in his end notes. Ac is given in full by Robert Bell with some changes. Ad is a fragment from Mrs. Andrews, Mr. White's sister and only one change and the refrain are given-- so Ad will be impossible to reconstruct without the MS. The rational for making Earl Brand his A version appears to be his comparison with the older Danish ballads represented by "Ribold and Guldborg." The problem with making Earl Brand Child's A version is that there are only 5 traditional versions and the ballad did not continue past the mid-1800s, whereas the "Lord Douglas" ballad was popular and remained popular (as evidence see both Greig/Duncan Collection and Carpenter Collection) and it's antecedent was brought to America where it was collected in Maritime Canada, New England and the Appalachians.
Child B, Douglas Tragedy (my C) was popular in the throughout the 1800s and well into the 1900s. The forty versions found in Greig/Duncan and Carpenter Collections are evidence of the ballads popularity in the UK. An earlier version of "Lord William and Lady Margaret" was brought to America and although not a popular ballad it is well represented, with a large number of ballads found in the Southern Appalachian region. Over one dozen versions were collected by Sharp, Davis, Wilkinson, and Foss in the Shenandoah region in Virginia (encompassing Albermarle, Greene Counties and specific areas such as Brown's Cove). North Carolina is also well represented with around a dozen versions published from the Brown Collection of NC Folklore (1952) and more from collectors like Sharp and Abrams.
The American versions seem to have been based on an earlier version of Lord Douglas since Lord Douglas is not mentioned-- instead he is "Lord William" or "Sweet Willie." There are two different introductions, the common one is:
The names of the lord, Sweet William (Lord William) and his lover, Fair Margaret (Lady Margot) are the same as found in Child 74, "Lady Margaret and Sweet William." This results in an obvious confusion of titles although the ballad texts are distinct. Some American versions of Child 7 use the Fair Ellen (Ellendor/Elindor) name for the lady (See Greer 1913, Brown B). Common titles in America include "Seven Brothers," "Seven Brethren," "Seven Sleepers," "Sweet Willie," "Rise You Up," and "He Rode Up To the Old Man's Door."
The corruption of names is also found in the following UK text which has recently published[8] from the Crawfurd Collection (Scotland). It was collected by Thomas Macqueen, a poet who was hired by both Crawfurd and Motherwell to collected Scottish ballads in the early to mid-1820s.
Lord Thomas and Ladie Margaret- sung by Rachel Rodgers of Wallace Street, Ayr, c. 1827.
1. O sleep or wake Lord Percy,
Or are you yet within,
Rise up and tent your young dochter,
For the eldest ane is gone.
2. He called up his seven braw sons,
To get their armour bricht,
For it neir shall be said a dochter o mine,
Shall be wed wi lord or knight.
3. Up then rase his seven braw sons,
An' gat their armour bricht,
And they're away to the meadow green,
Lord Thomas for to fecht[fight].
4. O haud my horse Ladie Margaret he said,
Haud be the bridal rein,
until I fecht yout sevin breither bauld
In he meadow wher they sstand.
5. An she held an ay she went
An never drap a teir,
Until she saw her sevin breither faw,
An her father she lue't [lov-ed] sae deir.
6. O haud your hand, Lord Thomas, she said,
Your blows are unco sair
I may get sweethearts monie a ane,
But a father I'll neir get mair.
7. Syne she pouit out her silk napkin
That was sae soft an' fine.
And she dictit[wiped] the blude frae her breithers wound,
That ran mair red than wine.
8. You're welcome you're welcome ladie Margaret,
Either to gang or byde,
"I'll gae, I'll gae Lord Thomas, she said,
Sin aw my friends are dead."
9. He set her on a milk-white steed,
Himself upon a bay,
An syne he blew his beugle horn,
An' stately rode away.
10. When he cam to his mother' bower
In the middle o the nicht,
Rise up, rise up, dear mither, he said,
I've gaint a ladie bricht.
11. O lay my head and mak my bed,
O mak it wide an' deep,
And lay my ladie by my syde,
The sounner I may sleep.
12. She tied head and made his bed,
She made it wide an' deep,
And laid his ladie by his syde,
An' they teuk an endless sleep.
13. Lord Thomas died at twal o'clock,
Ladie Margaret died ere day,
An' did you eir hear tell o a couple wed,
That tauk sae short a stay.
This short, corrupt version of Douglas Tragedy also has the "name-calling" stanza (6th) found in the Scandinavian versions. The maid is warned not to call out her lover's name in battle. When she does he is stabbed with the fatal blow. Curiously this happens in "Lord Douglas" when the maid calls out "Hold your hand Lord William" so he will spare her father. Child, who writes about the "name-curse" in his headnotes, does not associate the curse with Lord Douglas. In Child B, Lord William does not instruct his lover to not call his name during the battle. But when she calls his name he receives a mysterious fatal wound which is not mentioned at the time. She later sees the blood from the wound when they go to the clear water to drink. A similar scene is found in Ribolt and Guldborg (from Danish Kaempe Viser p. 750)[9]:
"Hald, hald, my Ribolt, dearest mine,
Now belt thy brand, for it's mair nor time.
"My youngest brither ye spare, O spare
To my mither the dowy news to bear;
"To tell o' the dead in this sad stour—
O wae, that ever she dochter bure!"
Whan Ribolt's name she nam'd that stound,
'Twas then that he gat his deadly wound.
However, in Lord Douglas no mention of the wound is made. William is just wounded but says nothing and even at the clear water denies the wound. That stanza at the clear water (where he says the red/blood in the water is "nothing but the shadow of my scarlet cloak") is the only common stanza in Earl Brand and Lord Douglas.
* * * *
Some conclusions-- The fragment of the Child of Ell from Percy's 1753 MS can hardly be the model or ur-ballad for the later ballads of Child A (Earl Brand) and B (Douglas Tragedy). Still it is important because it shows the ballad was in circulation long before the secondary ballads. Since one stanza of Douglas Tragedy and Earl Brand is held in common and the themes are similar it's possible that Douglas Tragedy and Earl Brand sprang from a common antecedent.
The theme of the maid who elopes with her lover and is pursued by her father and brothers (or father's men) is found in a number of ballads and broadsides in English speaking countries and in Scandinavia where it was also popular. The details of the UK ballads vary enough so that the Scottish "Earl Brand" and "Douglas Tragedy" should be considered different yet similar ballads. Child, to his credit, did separate "Erlington" from these and presumably did not include "Bold Soldier/Lady and the Dragoon" ballads in his 305 because they were derived from broadsides. The "Bold Soldier/Lady and the Dragoon" ballads are included as Appendix 7A as they appear in Bronson's "Traditional Tunes."
"The Douglas Tragedy" also titled "Lord William and Lady Margaret" was well known in Aberdeenshire in the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s as evidenced by number of ballads (around 40) collected by Greig and Duncan about 1908 and the versions collected by James Madison Carpenter in the early 1930s. An earlier form of "The Douglas Tragedy" which I've titled, "Lord William and Lady Margaret" was brought to America probably by the late 1700s where it was found in Appalachian (Virginia colony) as well as the Northeast and Canada.
The nature of the "Douglas Tragedy" ur-ballad is hard to fathom. It was brought to America in mostly corrupt form which shows it was in traditional circulation rather than in print. The prints in Scotland that appeared in chapbooks from 1792 to 1800 represent later reductions where the name "Lord Douglas" has been added. The Scottish Lord Douglas prints also appear to be missing the opening stanza(s) and other corruptions were pointed out by Scott[10]. In America the name "Lord Douglas" is not found[], rather it's "Lord William" or "Sweet William." This puzzling bit of information means that the American versions must have been derived from an earlier unknown UK version, "Lord William and Lady Margaret." The American versions have an introductory stanza which may be a corruption or derived from an earlier missing UK stanza:
1 As he rode up to the old man's gate
So boldly he did say,
"Your oldest daughter you may keep at home,
But the young one I'll take away."
This stanza shows the elopement (abduction) of the youngest daughter not clearly presented in the Scottish "Lord Douglas" versions which say, "take better care of your youngest sister" but fail to mention the the elopement (abduction). Neither the UK or American versions of Lord Douglas properly show the elopement (abduction) and Earl Brand is no better-- it just has the fifteen year old King's daughter who "sae boldly she came to his bedside." The few US versions[5] with a common four stanza introduction are from Mississippi and Virginia and feature "Sweet William" and "Fair Elinor/Ellender" or "Fair Ellen" (see, for example, the opening stanzas below by Mrs. Theodosia B. Long and Mary Ila Long, Mississippi, between 1923 and 1930; Hudson). Stanzas 3 and 4 seem to have borrowed this introduction from another ballad (see: Lord Thomas) and the stanzas are not supported by corroborating versions in the UK:
1. Before the rising of the sun,
One morning early in sweet May,
When the tops of the trees were very green,
And the roots had withered away.
2. Sweet William mounted the milk-white steed,
He proudly led the dappled gray,
He swung his bugles around his neck,
And he went riding away.
3. He rode till he came to fair Eleanor's gate,
And tingled loudly at the ring,
"Are you sleepin! or not fair Eleanor," he said,
"Are you sleeping or not within?"
4. Fair Eleanor gladly rosed up,
And quickly slipped on her shoes,
And straightway out to her dear Sweet William,
Fair Eleanor she then goes.
5. He helped her up on the milk-white steed,
And proudly rode the dappled gray ,
He swung his bugles around his neck,
And they went riding away.
The 5th stanza ties back into Child B texts. These are either missing UK introductory stanzas or more likely it is an attempt to include missing opening stanzas not found in the UK versions of Child B. The same or similar stanzas are found five versions from Mississippi and Virginia.
The hypothetical origin of the Child 7 ballads could be configured:
1. Early ballads: a. Child of Ell and b. the missing Ur-ballad of Earl Brand/Lord Douglas
2. Missing Ur-ballad> Lord William and Lady Margaret> Lord Douglas
3. Missing Ur-ballad> Earl Brand
The Child of Ell and missing Ur-ballad are different archaic ballads with a similar theme-- their relationship is unknown. Lord Douglas is a secondary ballad written or adapted from Lord William and Lady Margaret.
R. Matteson 2018]
________________________________
Footnotes:
1. From Hales and Furnivall, Volume I, p. 133 titled "Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript: Ballads and Romances, by Thomas Percy" dated 1867.
2. Percy, "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry," 1765: X. THE CHILD OF ELLE.
3. "De danske folkeviser" og herr Svend Grundtvig
4. They are "modern" when compared to the Percy MS of 1753 but much older. It's also clear that the ballads Child A and B are somewhat corrupt secondary ballads-- the originals are missing.
5. Scott points out sole stanza held in common which suggests the possibility of a common antecedent.
6. When Scott wrote on Laidlaw's MS "Earl Bran, another copy"" it implies that he has already seen Leyden's copy.
7. Even though Child did not have access to the MSS of Earl Brand that Scott acquired, it was clear that Scott knew the ballad. See Scott's detailed notes in volume 3 of his Minstrelsy(1803) and Child's headnotes for Earl Brand in Volume I (1882) of his English and Scottish Popular Ballads.
8. Emily Lyle edited " Andrew Crawfurd’s Collection of Ballads and Songs," 2 volumes which was published in 1975.
9. Translation by Robert Jamieson from "Illustrations of northern antiquities," 1814.
10 See Scott's notes in Volume 3 of his Minstrelsy and his quote in these headnotes.
11. By my count there are at least five US versions with this introduction.
_______________________
CONTENTS:
1) The Child of Ell- (Northum) 1765 Percy, Child F
2) Lord Douglas' Tragedy- (Scot) 1792 print, Child I
Earl o Bran- Leyden (Edin) c.1802 Heber, Child A*
Douglas Tragedy- Sharpe (Dum) 1802 Scott, Child B
Earl Bran- Laidlaw (Selk) c.1802 Scott, Child J
Earl Bran- fiddler (Northum) 1818 Telfer, Child Aa
Earl Douglas- Mrs Notman (Renf) c.1826 Child C
Lord Thomas & Ladie Margaret- Rodgers (Ayr) c1827
Lady Margaret- (Edin) c.1827 Kinloch MS, Child D
Douglas Tragedy- (Edin) 1827 Motherwell, Child E
Gude Earl Brand- (Edin) 1828 Motherwell, Child G
Auld Carle Hood- (Berw) pre-1830 Campbell, Child H
Brave Earl Brand- (Northum) 1846 Bell, Child Ac
Douglas Tragedy- D. Edwards (Aber) c1875 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- William Ross (Tur) 1880 Carpenter
Prince William- M. Robertson (Aber) 1880 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- P. Barnett (Aber) c1890 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- W. Walker (Aber) 1895 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- J.W. Spence (Aber) 1907 Greig A
Douglas Tragedy- John Bain (Aber) 1908 Greig B
Douglas Tragedy- Jemima Milne (Glas) 1908 Greig C
Douglas Tragedy- John Ord (Glas) 1908 Greig D
Douglas Tragedy- Mrs. Lyall (Aber) 1908 Greig E
Douglas Tragedy- W. Farquhar (Aber) 1908 Greig F
Douglas Tragedy- Alex Robb (Aber) 1908 Greig H
Douglas Tragedy- Annie Shirer (Aber) 1907 Greig I
Lord Douglas- Mrs Oliphant (Aber) 1908 Greig J
Lord Douglas- Alex Glennie (Aber) 1908 Greig L
Lady Margaret- Anon (Aber) 1908 Greig M
Lady Marg'ret- Anon (Aber) 1908 Greig N
Child of Elle- Bell Robertson (Aber) 1909 Greig
Douglas Tragedy- Mary Thain (Aber) c1930 Carpenter
Lord William- Mrs Duncan (Aber) c.1930 Carpenter
Lord William- Bell Duncan (Aber) c.1930 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- W. Angus (Aber) c.1930 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- A. Campbell (Aber) 1930 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- Annie Kidd (Aber) c1930 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- John Riddoch(Aber) 1931 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- J Esselmont (Aber) 1931 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- J Davidson (Aber) c1931 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- Mrs. Lyall (Aber) 1931 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- Mrs. Reed (Moray) 1931 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- W. Mackey (Aber) 1932 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- A. Campbell (Aber) 1932 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- H. Campbell (Aber) 1932 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- Eliz Craig (Aber) c1932 Carpenter
Douglas Tragedy- Bella Higgins (Perth) 1954 REC
Douglas Tragedy- Ewan MacColl (Scot) 1956 REC
Lord William- George Inglis Fraser (Aber) 1959
Prince William- Lucy Stewart (Aber) 1960 REC
Douglas Tragedy- Betsy Whyte (Angus) 1977 REC
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Missing versions: The Douglas Tragedy [disc recording] Old Woman Singer (contributor), Poor House, Insch
https://www.vwml.org/search?q=RN23%20Poor%20House,%20Insch&is=1 Poor House, Insch
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“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy, a folio volume made up, within the last few years, of detached poetical pieces at Abbotsford. This important collection, which includes a quarto Manuscript of 81 pages that had belonged to Thomas Wilkie, 1813-15, contains upwards of eighty ballads and fragments, the majority of which are in the handwriting of Sir Walter's friends and correspondents. Richard Heber contributes ‘The Earl o' Boyn, No. 17, ‘The Earl o' Bran, 22 b, and ‘Clerk Sandy, 22 c.; John Leyden ‘Archie o Ca'field, 90, ‘The Queen's Marie, 90 a, “Thomas the Rhymer, 96, and “Tamlane, 96 a ; and William Laidlaw and James Hogg each a considerable number, the latter's including ‘The Battle of Otterburn, 132 and 5, “Old Mai[t]land, 78, and ‘My love he built me a bonny bowr, 133 b. In the hand of Joseph Ritson we have ‘The Gallant Grahams of Scotland,' 137. The Rev. Professor Paxton sends the only known copy of the ‘Lament of the Queen's Marie” [Mary Hamilton], 92, that connects that ballad with the apothecary mentioned by Knox, while Bruce Campbell, Sornbeg, sends a fine fragment of Edom o Gordon in a Scottish form, ‘It fell about the Martinmass Time, 75. Among the other known contributors are Mrs Greenwood of London, Major Henry Hutton, and James Skene of Rubislaw.
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Illustrations of northern antiquities, from the earlier Tentonie and ...
edited by Robert Jamieson, Sir Walter Scott, Henry William Weber, 1814.
RIBOLT AND GULDBORG.
TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH KÆMPE VISER, p. 750.
Ribolt er en Greve-son,
(Om det er eders villie;)
Hand gilled Guldborg, det var i lon.
(Der huen legtes for dem.)
Hand giUed hende fra hun var barn,
{Om det er, &c.)
Ribolt was the son of an Earl gude;
(Sae be that ye are willing;)
Guldborg he lang in secret lo'ed.
(There's a hue and cry for them.)
Whan she was a bairn he lo'ed her sair,
(Sae be, &c.)
And ay as she grew he lo'ed her the mair.
(There's a, &c.)
"Guldborg, will ye plight your troth to me,
And I'll till a better land bring thee.
"Till a better land I will thee bear,
Whare there never comes or dule or care.
"I will bring thee untill an oe
Whare thou sall live and nagate die."
"It's till nae land can ye me bear
Whare there never comes or dule or care;
"Nor me can ye bring to sic an oe;
For to God I owe that I should die."
"There leeks are the only grass that springs,
And the gowk is the only bird that sings;
"There a' the water that rins is wine:
Ye well may trow this tale o' mine."
"O how sail I frae the castell win,
Sae fiel they watch me out and in?
"I'm watch'd by my father, I'm watch'd by my mither,
I'm watch'd by my sister, I'm watch'd by my brither;
"My bridegroom watches wharever I ga,
And that watch fears me maist ava!"
"And gin a' your kin were watching ye,
Ye maun bide by what ye hecht to me.
"And ye maun put on my brynie blae;
My gilded helmet ye sail hae;
"My gude brand belted by your side;
Sae unlike a lady ye will ride:
"Wi' gouden spur at your heel sae braw,
Ye may ride thro' the mids o' your kindred a'."
His mantel blue he has o'er her thrown,
And his ambler grey he has set her upon.
As o'er the muir in fere they rade,
They met a rich Earl that till them said:
"O hear ye, Ribolt, dear compere mine,
Whare gat ye that page sae fair and fine?"
"O it is nane but my youngest brither,
And I gat him frae nane but my mither."
"In vain ye frae me the truth wad heal:
Guldborg, Guldborg, I ken ye well.
"Your red scarlet ye well may len;
But your rosy cheeks fu' well I ken.
"I' your father's castell I did sair,
And I ken you well by your yellow hair.
"By your claiths and your shoon I ken ye ill,
But I ken the knight ye your troth gae till;
"And the Brok I ken, that has gotten your han'
Afore baith priest and laic man."
He's taen the goud bracelet frae his hand,
And on the Earlis arm it band:
"Whaever ye meet, or wharever ye gae,
Ye naething o' me maun to nae man say."
The earl he has ridden to Kallo-house,
Whare, merrily-drinking, the kemps carouse.
Whan Sir Truid's castell within cam he,
Sir Truid at the deas he was birling free:
"Here sit ye, Sir Truid, drinking mead and wine,
Wi' your bride rides Ribolt roundly hyne."
Syne Truid o'er the castell loud can ca':
"Swyth on wi' your brynies, my merry men a'!"
They scantly had ridden a mile but four,
Guldborg she luikit her shoulder o'er:
"O yonder see I my father's steed,
And I see the knight that I hae wed."
"Light down, Guldborg, my lady dear,
And hald our steeds by the renyies here.
"And e'en sae be that ye see me fa',
Be sure that ye never upon me ca'; [name calling]
"And e'en sae be that ye see me bleed,
Be sure that ye namena me till dead."
Ribolt did on his brynie blae;
Guldborg she clasp'd it, the sooth to say.
In the firsten shock o' that bargain
Sir Truid and her father dear he's slain.
I' the nexten shock, he hew'd down there
Her twa brethren wi' their gouden hair.
"Hald, hald, my Ribolt, dearest mine,
Now belt thy brand, for it's mair nor time.
"My youngest brither ye spare, O spare
To my mither the dowy news to bear;
"To tell o' the dead in this sad stour—
O wae, that ever she dochter bure!"
Whan Ribolt's name she nam'd that stound,
'Twas then that he gat his deadly wound.
Ribolt he has belted his brand by his side:
"Ye come now, Guldborg, and we will ride."
As on to the Rosen-wood they rade,
The never a word till ither they said.
"O hear ye now, Ribolt, my love, tell me
Why are ye nae blyth as ye wont to be?"
"O my life-blood it rins fast and free,
And wae is my heart, as it well may be!
"And soon, fu' soon I'll be cald in the clay,
And my Guldborg I maun a maiden lea'."
"It's I'll tak my silken lace e'en now,
And bind up your wound the best I dow."
"God help thee, Guldborg, and rue on thee;
Sma boot can thy silken lace do me!"
Whan they cam till the castell yett,
His mither she stood and leant thereat.
" Ye're welcome, Ribolt, dear son mine,
And sae I wat is she, young bride thine.
"Sae pale a bride saw I never air,
That had ridden sae far but goud on her hair."
"Nae wonder, nae wonder, tho' pale she be,
Sae hard a fecht as she's seen wi' me!
"Wold God I had but an hour to live!—
But my last bequests awa' I'll give.
"To my father my steed sae tall I gie ;—
Dear raither, ye fetch a priest to me!
"To my dear brither that stands me near,
I lea' Guldborg that I hald sae dear."
"How glad thy bequest were I to fang,
But haly kirke wad ca' it wrang."
"Sae help me God at my utmost need,
As Guldborg for me is a may indeed.
"Ance, only ance, with a lover's lyst,
And but only ance, her mouth I kist."
"It ne'er sal be said, till my dying day,
That till twa brithers I plight my fay."
Ribolt was dead or the cock did craw;
Guldborg she died or the day did daw.
Three likes frae that bower were carried in fere,
And comely were they withouten peer;
Sir Ribolt the leal and his bride sae fair,
(Sae be that ye are willing,)
And his mither that died wi' sorrow and care.[2]
(There's a hue and cry for them.)
1. " O vse, hun nogentid dotter fddde!"
2 See "Popular Ballads and Songs, &c. 1806," vol. I. p. 222.
NOTES ON RIBOLT AND GULDBORG. [Jamieson]
There leeks are the only grass that springs,
And the gowk is the only bird that sings— P. 324', v. 8.
In this couplet, Ribolt intimates, by two very characteristic metaphors, that the land to which he proposes to carry his mistress is a perfect paradise, enjoying a perpetual spring. "The leek," says the Danish editor, " was formerly, as among the Israelites, esteemed a very valuable herb, and the cuckoo a fine singing bird; who, nevertheless, only utters a cry which, in the learned language, is called " coccysmus." His song is agreeable, because it is seldom heard, and then only in the most delightful season of spring, and the early part of summer."
It is not without good reason that the Welch, as well as most other mountaineers, are partial to leeks, which were formerly believed to be possessed of great medicinal virtues; and certainly, as kitchen physic, their nutritive qualities, their lightness, and their kindly exhilarating warmth, as well as the facility with which they are cultivated, render them peculiarly salutary and acceptable to the poor and frugal peasant, who breathes the sharp keen air of a mountainous country. In the East they are still a favourite vegetable; and the modern Egyptians cat them with as much cordiality, and with more than as much good reason, as the antient Egyptians 'worshipped them.
In the days of old, they were food for heroes, and supposed to contribute not a little to military ardour, as well as to manly vigour; as we learn from a poem on the actions of King Svein, quoted by Snorro, in " Heims Kringla," p. 828.
Var a sunnudag svanni,
Seggur hnie margur und eggiar,
Morgin than sem manne
Maer lauk ethur bl baere:
That is, " On the Sunday morning early, many fell by the edge of the sword, before the maidens had brought any one leeks or ale for his breakfast." In such high esteem, indeed, was this herb among the Scandinavians, that they did not call a man who was the ornament of his name, as we would do, the fioxuer of his family, but Jettar Laukr, the leek of his family !—Wc shall not stop here to inquire what connection the Scotish ^om't/ge and purry have with the Latin porrus (a leek;) but the learned editors of" Orkneyinga Saga," not without an appearance of probability, suppose (in which they are supported by Schilter and Junius) that the original meaning of leek' is found in the Greek A*^«»o», which signifies pot-herbs in general; and that the porrus, on account of its superior qualities, was, by way of distinction, called Leek, i. e. the herb.
Our Scotish kail, meaning originally pot-herbs in general, is in much the same predicament with the leek, and derives its denomination from a similar association of ideas. In Greek, £o*n means pot-herbs. The Germans, who prefer putting the aspirate after the vowel, instead of khol, write kohl, from whence our specific name cole-wort, in Latin caulis. Now in German, kohle, which was formerly written without the final vowel, has also the same signification as the English coal, fire, and the Latin calor, Sec. &c. And here we have to observe, that, so far as our knowledge of languages extends, we have found all the generic names, which imply food, to be composed of roots, which signify heat and vigour; and we are disposed to think, that the leek, on account of its heating, nourishing, and invigorating qualities, was by the antient Egyptians chosen from the vegetable kingdom, as the fittest emblem of the all-inspiring and animating power of heat, or fire; as the ox was chosen from the animal kingdom by them and other agricultural nations, and the quiet, useful, and milk-giving cow, by herdsmen, to be dedicated to Mother Earth, the prolific wife of Mithra, the power of meethness, or heat..
"And the gowk is the only bird that sings."—P. S24, v. 8. Mr Syv is certainly right as to the charm found in the note of the cuckoo; and, under certain circumstances, the croaking of a frog might be no less acceptable to the ear.— u You have nothing like that in your country! Is it not delightful I" said an Englishman to his Scotish guest, whom he had taken out for the first time, in a fine summer's evening, to hear the song of the nightingale. "Ha' 'wa' I" said Saunders; " I wadna gi'e ae wheeple o' a ivhaup for a' the nichtingales in England !"—a sentiment which was perfectly natural, although perhaps more honourable to the animal than to the musical sympathies of ray honest countrymen; for Saunders had lived all his days in a parish in the west of Scotland, which was so bleak and bare, that not even the rural lark ever condescended to visit it; and the only bird of song they had was the tuhaup, or curlew, that frequented their moors upon the approach of Spring.
I'm watch'd by my father, fyc.—-P. 324, v, 11. So in « Erlinton:"
"And he has warn'd her sisters six,
And sae has he her brethren se'en,
Outher to watch her a' the night,
Or else to seek her morn and e'en."
« And the Brok I ken, Sec."—P. 325, v. 25. Guldborg's bridegroom was Sir Truid the Brok. "The Broks," (Brook ?) says the Danish editor," as well as the Brysks1 and Sinklars, came from Scotland; and Eske Brok of Estrup was the sixth in descent of that family. One of his daughters was the Dame Elizabeth Brok, who gave her name to Broksoe in Portmosen. There is a long story about the hat which Eske Brok took in an encounter he had with a Dverg, who, in order to get it again, gave him very advantageous terms, but with this deduction, that he should leave only female issue behind him. In like manner Ransov's lady received a gift from these subterraneous people, as Dame Sophia Ransov of Soeholm related to me, and as may be found elsewhere recorded."
"They scantly had ridden a mile butfour, Gtddborg she lookit her shoulder o'er."—P. 32«, v. 32. The original term Stund, which signifies an hour, signifies also an hour's walk, or a German mile, or league; so, in the " Child of Elle:"
"Fair Emmeline scant had ridden a mile, &c" And in " Erlinton:"
"They hadna ridden in the bonnie green wood
A mile but barely ane, &c."
As the German mile, or league, is the more probable distance, I have translated accordingly. The Scotish ballad phrase, " luikit her shoulder o'er," is perfectly Danish; thus,
"Det var hoye Berraerijs,
Hand sig ofver Axel saae, &c."
'Qu. Braces i Bruce is a common name in Normandy at this day, and was originally Danish.
It was high Bermeriis,
He him o'er hit shoulder look'd.
"Light doom, Guldborg, my lady dear, And hold my steed by the renyies here."—P. 326, v. S4. It seems deserving of remark, that although the circumstance of knights in armour (who never quitted the saddle while they could keep their seat in it) alighting from their horses in order to fight, is very unusual, and hardly ever to be met with either in the real or fabulous histories of the preux Chevaliers, more especially where one had to fight, pele raele, with many; yet this singularity occurs in all the Scotish versions of this tale:
"But light nowe downe, my ladye faire,
Light downe, and hold my steed, &c."—C, Of ELLE.
"He lighted off his milk-white steed,
And gae his lady him by the head, &c"—Erlinton.
"Light down, light down, Lady Marg'ret," he said,
"And hold my steed in your hand."—Doug. Trag.
If this is really an anachronism, it is not a little surprising, that the reciters of all the four pieces, in Denmark, England, and Scotland, should agree in the same mistake; as there is hardly a probability that it came to Scotland later than the middle of the fifteenth century, at which period, an armed knight and his charger were almost, like a Centaur, one animal.
"And e'en sae be that ye see me bleed, Be sure that ye namena me till dead."—P. 326, v. 36. There is in the Keempe Viser no note upon this passage, which wants illustration. It seems to have a reference to some prediction, wierd, fatality, or enchantment. In " Erlinton," the original idea appears to be still more obscured and deteriorated:
"Say'n * See ye dinna change your cheer,
Untill ye sec my body bleed."
This " untill," if there was nothing supernatural in the case, seems very much out of place in the mouth of such a man as Ribolt.
"My youngest britherye spare, O spare,
To my mither the dowy news to bear."—P. 326, v. 41.
So also in " Erlinton"
An' he has killed them a' but barely ane;
For he has left that aged knight,
And a' to carry the tidings hame."'
"It's m lak my silken lace e'en now,
And bind up your wound the best I dow."—P. 327, v. 49.
This is the strongest proof that Guldborg could possibly give her lover of virtuous affection and unbounded confidence. So indecorous was it accounted for a lady to appear unlaced before any man, to whom she was not married, that many a prude dame of Guldborg's days would have esteemed it hardly pardonable in her to use such means, although the only means she had, of saving her lover from bleeding to death; and so much is the case now altered, that we doubt not but many of our readers will wonder what we could find in a couplet apparently so insignificant to call for a commentary!
It is from the manner and motive, rather than from the action itself, that the character of the actor is to be estimated. For a gentle lady to ride over hill and dale, through wood and wild, by night or by day, with a gentle knight, was held to be no disparagement to her chastity and delicacy; and such elopements as that of Guldborg with Kibolt were very common, and perfectly consistent with the adventurous spirit of the times. The frequency of such occurrences, as well as the dignity and interest with which they appear in our ancient ballads, is to be referred to the pride, jealousy, and stern, unbending severity of parents among the nobles; their quarrels and feuds with their neighbours; the unlimited power which they had over their children, the little social and endearing familiar intercourse, which the stately formalities then kept up, admitted of their having with them; and the peculiar manners and habits of the age, which gave the young, the brave, and the fair, opportunities of observing each other under circumstances which were calculated to make the most lively impressions, and to give rise to the most romantic and enthusiastic attachments.
"Ribolt teas dead or the cock did craw;
Guldborg she died or the day did daw, fyc."—P. 328, v. 62.
So in the Douglas Tragedy:
*' Lord William was dead lang ere midnight,
Lady Margaret lang ere day."
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The Percy Folio is a folio book of English ballads used by Thomas Percy to compile his Reliques of Ancient Poetry. Although the manuscript itself was compiled in the 17th century, some of its material goes back well into the 12th century.
The Percy folio manuscript revisited
Percy in his Reliques of Ancient English Poetry 1765
Sven Grundvig. "Ribold and Guldborg,
The Douglas Tragedy (Lord William and Lady Margaret)
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Ballad Theory and Technique, 1913
Allied with the foregoing belief that physical contact with the dead may prove fatal is the superstition that it is dangerous to allow an enemy to gain possession of one's name. By reference to Norse analogues of The Douglas Tragedy we find that Earl Brand owes his death to the indiscretion of his sweetheart in revealing his name to her kinsmen. Thus in the Danish ballad Ribold and Guldborg Ribold enjoins his stolen bride:
“Now if in fight you see me fall,”
My name I pray you not to call.
“And if you see the blood run red,
Be silent, lest you name me dead.”
Ribold slays Truid and her father, but when he sets upon her brothers, the maiden cries:
“Stop, stop, Ribolt, o stay thy hand,
And sheathe I pray thy murderous brand.”
The moment Guldborg named his name,
A fatal blow, the deathblow came.
The ballad of Erlinton, closely related to The Douglas Tragedy, also receives light from the Danish piece:
132 Campbell and Sharp, op. cit., pp. 130, 132.
13% No. 42 A 7 ff.; B 6 ff. Child seems not to have noticed the striking resemblance between the headache in this piece and that in The Suffolk Miracle. It is true that the situation in one song is somewhat the reverse of that in the other, but the general idea underlying the two incidents is doubtless the same.
1** Translation by Prior, Ancient Danish Ballads, II, 403.
He lighted aff his milk-white steed,”
An gae his lady him by the head,
Sayn, “See ye dinna change your cheer,
Untill ye see my body bleed.”
American variants of the British ballads do not always preserve folklore elements well, but as regards the dead-naming incident in The Douglas Tragedy,” a Campbell and Sharp text of this piece seems to come nearer the original telling than do the Child versions:
She got down and never spoke,”
Nor never cheaped
Till she saw her own father's head
Come trinkling by her feet.
The following is the best reading from the Child texts:
An bad her never change her cheer 198
Untill she saw his body bleed.
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Ettrick and Yarrow: a guide: with songs and ballads - Page 169
by William Angus, 1894 dates "probably 15th century."
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The Douglas Tragedy
Rounder CD 1775 ('Classic Ballads 1')
Performer Henry McGregor,
Place Scotland : Perthshire : Perth
Collector Kennedy, Peter / Hamish Henderson
Date collected 1955
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Select Views of the Royal Palaces of Scotland,
By John Jamieson 1830
In a M.S. in the possession of Lord Traquair, dated 1711—from which the circumstances above mentioned are extracted—this is called 'Lord William and Fair Margaret.' ut like most of our popular ballads it has borne different names. It is published, in the Minstrelsy of the Border, vol. iii. 243, &c., under the title of “The Douglas Tragedy.' This place is merely mentioned by, Chalmers as “Blackhouse tower, on Douglas burn.”
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The Douglas Tragedy
Contributors - Bella Higgins
http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/62098/10
Sky Master: The Story of Donald Douglas
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1787201740
Dr. Frank Cunningham - 2016 - Preview - More editions
James Douglas conducted so many successful destructive raids on the English border that the harassed English named him “Black Douglas.” On one occasion he seized an enemy castle by disguising his men as black oxen and another time came within the proverbial inch of capturing the English monarch Edward III. Douglas is mentioned in an old ballad, “But by and rade the Black Douglas, and wow but he was rough!”
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