Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme- Christie 1850; Child B
Child B, "Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme" was recorded by Christie in 1850 from the singing of an old woman in Buckie, (Enzie, Banffshire,) who reported that the song could be traced back in her family tradition for a hundred years. Below is the information, music and text from Christie.
X:1
T:ISAAC-A-BELL and HUGH THE GRAEME
N:Child 18B
N:Bronson 18.1
N:Christie 1876
N:Sung by an old woman in Buckie – 1850
I:abc2nwc
M:2/4
L:1/16
K:Bb
z6C2|D2 G2 G2 (A B)|A2 (A G) F4"^|"
|G4(A3 G)|A2 d2 z2"^|"
c2|d2 d2 c2 (B A)|G2 (A B) D2 "^|"
F3/2 E/2|D3 C B,3 C|D2 G2 z2z2
w:A KNIGHT had two sons_ o sma_ fame,
[Hey nien_ nan-ny]
I-saac-a-Bell and_ Hugh the_ Graeme.
[And the nor-lan flowers spring bon-ny]
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme; Version B- Child 18, Sir Lionel
Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 110. From the singing of an old woman in Buckie, Enzie, Banffshire.
1. A knight had two sons o sma fame,
Hey nien nanny
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
2. And to the youngest he did say,
Hey nien nanny
'What occupation will you hae?
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
3 'Will you gae fee to pick a mill?
Hey nien nanny
Or will you keep hogs on yon hill?'
While the norlan flowers spring bonny
4 'I winna fee to pick a mill,
Hey nien nanny
Nor will I keep hogs on yon hill.
While the norlan flowers spring bonny
5 'But it is said, as I do hear,
Hey nien nanny
That war will last for seven year,
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
6 'With a giant and a boar
Hey nien nanny
That range into the wood o Tore.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
7 'You'll horse and armour to me provide,
Hey nien nanny
That through Tore wood I may safely ride.'
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
8 The knicht did horse and armour provide,
Hey nien nanny
That through Tore wood Graeme micht safely ride.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
9 Then he rode through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
And up it started the grisly boar.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
10 The firsten bout that he did ride,
Hey nien nanny
The boar he wounded in the left side.
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
11 The nexten bout at the boar he gaed,
Hey nien nanny
He from the boar took aff his head.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
12 As he rode back through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
Up started the giant him before.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
13 'O cam you through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
Or did you see my good wild boar?'
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
14 'I cam now through the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
But woe be to your grisly boar.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
15 'The firsten bout that I did ride,
Hey nien nanny
I wounded your wild boar in the side.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
16 'The nexten bout at him I gaed,
Hey nien nanny
From your wild boar I took aff his head.'
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
17 'Gin you have cut aff the head o my boar,
Hey nien nanny
It's your head shall be taen therfore.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
18 'I'll gie you thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny
To heal your wounds, then come to me.'
While the norlan flowers spring bonny
19 'It's after thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny
When my wounds heal, I'll come to thee.'
When the norlan flowers spring bonny
20 So Graeme is back to the wood o Tore,
Hey nien nanny
And he's killd the giant, as he killd the boar.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
------------------
The Editor arranged this Air in 1850 from the singing of the person referred to in note p. 42 [see info next paragraph]. The 5 and 6 bars of the Air resemble the 5th and part of the 6th bar of "Fine flowers in the Valley', (Johnson's "Museum" IV. 331.) The Editor intended to give the Air to "The bonnie banks 0' Fordie" (Motherwell's "Minstrelsy', p. 82,) to which it is well adapted; but it is here given to the unpublished Ballad sung to it by the old woman from whose singing the Air was arranged. "Hey nien nanny," and "The Norlan' flowers spring bonny' (the words sung by this woman,) indicate perhaps a Norse or Danish origin. The Ballad, though of little merit may be considered, by some, worthy of preservation, especially connected with the Air to which it was sung. Through the old woman and her "forbears" it can be traoed, as sung in Banffshire, for more than 100 years.
[From p. 42] This copy of the air was arranged by the Editor from the singing of an old woman in Buckie, (Enzie, Banffshire,) from whose singing he arranged a great number of old Airs and Ballads. She died in the year 1866 at the age of nearly 80 years Her father, long resident in Buckie, where fishermen and labourers have "tee-names"had the "sobriquet' "Meesic" (Music)— given to him in the end of the last century by the populace, thus indicating his fame as a ballad-singer.
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme
A KNIGHT had two sons o' sma' fame,
Hey nien nanny,
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny;
And to the youngest he did say,
Hey nien nanny,
"What occupation will you ha'e,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny?
"Will you gae fee to pick a mill?
Hey nien nanny;
Or will you keep hogs on yon hill,
While the Norlan' flowers spring bonny?"
I winna fee to pick a mill,
Hey nien nanny;
Nor will I keep hogs on yon hill,
While the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
"But it is said, as I do hear,
Hey nien nanny,
That war will last for seven year,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny,
With a giant and a boar,
Hey nien nanny,
That range into the wood o' Tore,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
"You'll horse and armour to me provide,
Hey nien nanny,
That through Tore wood I may safely ride,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny."
The Knicht did horse and armour provide,
Hey nien nanny;
That through Tore wood Graeme micht safely ride,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
Then he rode through the wood o' Tore,
Hey nien nanny;
And up it started the grisly boar,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
The firsten bout that he did ride,
Hey nien nanny,
The boar he wounded in the left side,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
The nexten bout at the boar he gaed,
Hey nien nanny,
He from the boar took aff his head,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
As he rode back through the wood o' Tore,
Hey nien nanny,
Up started the giant him before,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
"Oh, cam' you through the wood o' Tore,
Hey nien nanny;
Or did you see my good wild boar,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny?"
"I cam' now through the wood o' Tore,
Hey nien nanny;
But woe be to your grisly boar,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
"The firsten bout that I did ride,
Hey nien nanny,
I wounded your wild boar in the side,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
The nexten bout at him I gaed,
Hey nien nanny,
From your wild boar I took aff his head,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny."
"Gin you have cut aff the head o' my boar,
Hey nien nanny,
It's your head shall be ta'en therefore,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.
I'll gi'e you thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny,
To heal your wounds, then come to me,
While the Norlan' flowers spring bonny."
"It's after thirty days and three,
Hey nien nanny;
When my wounds heal,
I'll come to thee,
When the Norlan' flowers spring bonny."
So Graeme is back to the wood o' Tore,
Hey nien nanny;
And he's kill'd the giant, as he kill'd the boar,
And the Norlan' flowers spring bonny.