Lord Lovel- Martin (VA) 1917 Davis A
[From Davis; Traditional Ballads of Virginia; 1929. His notes follow.
Verse 4 is rare and found also in Brown A from NC.
R. Matteson 2014]
20. LORD LOVEL
(Child, No. 75)
For a general introduction to Nos. 18, 19, and 20, see the head-note to No. 18.
The wide popularity of "Lord Lovel" in America has frequently been mentioned, as in the head-notes of Cox and Reed Smith. The thirty-seven items of the Virginia collection can be more succinctly represented here because they all belong to a single version, and because several variants are almost identical. They all agree in the general outlines of the story differ only in minor details and in phraseology. There are, however, some remarkably interesting minor variations. The thoughts that came into Lord Lovel's mind, for instance are sometimes "languishing," but also "lingering," "laughing," "angry," "anguish," "strange," "laiguid," and "languish," and the church whose bells are tolling is sometimes "St. Pancras," but also "St. Patrick's," " St. Pauthry's," "St. Varney's," " St. Vincent's," " St. Mary's," and " St. Rebecca." The lovers preserve their names with some constancy. Lady Nancybell (variously spelled is only once Lady Annie, later Lady Annie the belle, which is quite close to the Ouncebell of Child A; and Lord Lovel slips only once, and quite naturally, into Lord Lover.
The Virginia texts are all closely related, in phraseology and in story, to Child H. The story is familiar. Lord Lovel tends his horse at his castle gate, when up comes Lady Nancybell to bid her lover good speed. In answer to her inquiries, he tells her that he is going strange countries for to see, and for what length of time he will be gone. In one text, A, she says that his intended stay is too long, and that she will be dead when he returns. Lord Lovel goes, but before his intended stay is up he languishes for Lady Nancybell and returns. In London he is greeted by funeral bells and is told the name of the dead, Lady Nancybell. He has the grave opened and the shroud turned back that he may kiss the dead, and himself dies of grief. They are buried near one another, and the rose and brier, springing from their graves, entwine their branches as a sign of love transcending death.
Miss Mary Johnston, the novelist, in a letter to Dr. Smith, of the Virginia Folk-Lore Society, tells of hearing a mountain woman sing the first two lines of "Lord Lovel" thus:
Lord Lovel stood at his cassy-gate,
A-combing his milk-white speed.
"It is probable," Dr. Smith explains, "that 'steed,' meaning nothing to the hearer, found itself easily replaced by the equally meaningless 'speed,' while 'cassy,' which often appears as 'casten' related itself vaguely in the singer's mind with the 'cast'-of 'cast-iron."' But the substitution of "cassy" for "castle" does not need such elaborate explanation. The ways of popular
etymology are strange.
The four melodies, all much alike, are rather lilting, even tripping, with their double or triple repetition of the last word of the fourth line, followed by the repetition of the line. They are quite out of harmony with the deep tragedy of the ballad. To sing the tune is to mitigate the tragedy, perhaps even to run the risk of burlesquing it.
Parodies of "Lord Lovel" may be partially attributed to the tune, but also to the nature of the story. As Child says, " 'Lord Lovel' is peculiarly such a ballad as Orsino likes and praises: it is silly sooth, like the old age. Therefore a gross taste has taken pleasure in parodying it. But there are people in the world who are amused even with a burlesque of Othello." A Civil war
parody about Abe Lincoln, from oral tradition in Virginia, forms a perhaps excusable appendix to the ballad. Cox refers to various parodies in his head-note, p. 78.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 14; Belden, No.6 (fragment); Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina);. Bulletin, Nos. 2-10; Campbell and Sharp, No. 19 (North Carolina); Child, V, 294 (Massachusetts); Cox, No. 12; Jones, p. 301; Journal, XVIII:, 291 (Barry, Massachusetts, Connecticut, fragment and melody, Rhode Island, fragment, melody reprinted from Mus. 401, 2, Harvard
University Library); XIX, 283 (Belden, Missouri, version reprinted from Mr. Ashby's ballad-book); XXIV, 337 (Barry, melody only from Hudson MS. No. 336); XXXI, 352 (Pound, Nebraska, fragment); XXXVI 143 (Tolman and Eddy, Ohio, fragment and melody); Pound, Syllabus, p. 9, (fragment); Pound, Ballads, No. 2; Sandburg, p. 70 (South Carolina) Scarborough, p. 55 (North Carolina, text and melody); Shearin, p. 3; Shearin and Combs, p. 8; shoemaker, p. 149; Reed Smith, No. 6; Reed Smith, Ballads, No. 6. Parody satirizing a Confederate officer, Belden, No. 128. Confederate parody substituting Lincoln for Lovel, Bulletin,No. 6, p. 6. For additional references, see Cox, p.78; Journal, XXIX, 160; XXXVI 343.
A. "Lord Lovel." collected by Mr Roxie Martin and Mr. J. M. McManaway. Sung by a white woman of Blackwell's Hollow, Va. Albemarle county. June 1, 1917. In another copy of this ballad from the same source, Lord Lovel becomes Lord Lover after the first stanza. The fourth stanza of this variant is not found in Child H or in any other Virginia text.
1 Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate
Combing his milk-white steed,
When up came Lady Nancy Bell
Wishing her lover good speed, good speed,
Wishing her Lover good speed.
2 "Where are you going, Lord Lovel?" she said.
"Where are you going ? " said she.
"I'm going, my Lady Nancy Bell,
Strange countries for to see."
3 "When will you be back, Lord Lovell" she said,
"When will you be back?" said she.
"In a year or two or three, at least,
I'll return to fair Nancy."
4 "Too long, too long, Lord Lovel," she said,
"Too long , too long," said she.
"In a year or two or three at least,
The grass will grow over me."
5 He hadn't been gone quite a yet and a day
Strange countries for to see,
When laughing[1] thoughts came into his mind,
Lady Nancy Bell he would go and see.
6 So he rode and he rode on his milk-white steed,
Until he came to London town.
And there he heard Saint Pancreas' bells
And the people all mourning around.
7 "Oh, what is the matter?" Lord Lovel he said,
"Oh, what is the matter?" said he.
"A lord's lady dead," the woman replied,
"And some call her Lady Nancy."
8 So he ordered the grave to be opened wide
And the shroud to be turned down,
And then he kissed her clay-cold lips,
Until the tears came trickling down.[2]
9 Lady Nancy she died as it might be today,
Lord Lovel he died tomorrow.
Lady Nancy she died out of pure, pure grief,
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow'
10 Lady Nancy was laid in saint Pancreas' church,
Lord Lovel was laid in the choir;
And out of her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of her lover's a brier.[3]
11 It grew and it grew to the church steeple top,
Until it could grow no higher.
And there it entwined in a true lovers' knot,
For all true loves to admire.[4]
1. languishing
2. Variant line: "Until the tears came tinkle down"
3. Variant line: "And out of her lover a brier"
4. Variant line: "For all true lovers to admire."