Outlandish Knight- Anon (York) 1891 Kidson A
[From Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs, Chiefly Obtained in Yorkshire and the south of Scotland" edited by Frank Kidson. 1891. The text is nearly identical to the Pitt's broadside given by Dixon (Child E) also by Stokoe from Northumberland (1882). Inexplicably, here are several very minor variations in Kidson's text ("hast" for "has" and "thou" for "you"). Kidson's notes follow,
R. Matteson 2018]
THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT. SINGULAR ballad of the Bluebeard type which formerly had a wide spread popularity in England and Scotland. The same thing is found in the folk lore of Sweden and Germany. The first Scottish version published was in David Herd’s collection, 1776, as “ May Colvin,” and afterwards other copies appear in later gatherings, as “May Collean” and “False Sir John.” Tradition, it is said, points out the real actors in the drama, and gives names to the places wherein it was enacted; but, as these vary in each district where the ballad is or was recited, no reliance can be placed upon it. For particulars see Chamber’s Ballads, 1829, and Child’s collection, 1857.
The “Outlandish Knight” is the English copy of the story, and it was first edited in a volume issued by the Percy Society, by Mr. J. H. Dixon; Seattislz Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, r846. I am in possession of a copy of it on a broadside in a similar form, but named “The Old Beau.”
All copies, both Scottish and English, preserve the parrot incident.
The air was obtained in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and is certainly an early tune. Another air to the same words may be found in Northumbrian Minstrelsy, and others, differing from each other, to which the “May Colvin” version of it were sung, are in R. A. Smith’s Scottish Minstrel, Vol. III., circa 1821, Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, 1827, and Christie’s Traditional Airs, Vol. II.
THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT.
[music]
1. An Outlandish knight from the Northlands came,
And he came a wooin to me;
He promised he'd take me tothe Northlands,
And there he'd marry me.
2. Come fetch me some of your father's gold,
And some of your mother's fee,
And two of the best nags out of the stable,
Where they stand thirty and three.
3 She fetched him some of her father's gold,
And some of her mother's fee,
And two of the best nags out of the stable,
Where they stood thirty and three.
4 She mounted her on her milk-white steed,
He on the dapple grey;
They rode till they came unto the sea-side,
Three hours before it was day.
5 "Light off, light off, thy milk-white steed,
And deliver it unto me;
Six pretty maids have I drowned here,
And thou the seventh shalt be.
6 "Pull off, pull off thy silken gown,
And deliver it unto me;
Methinks it looks too rich and too gay
To rot in the salt sea.
7 "Pull off, pull off thy silken stays,
And deliver them unto me;
Methinks they are too fine and gay
To rot in the salt sea.
8 "Pull off, pull off thy Holland smock,
And deliver it unto me;
Methinks it looks too rich and gay
To rot in the salt sea."
9 "If I must pull off my Holland smock,
Pray turn thy back unto me;
For it is not fitting that such a ruffian
A naked woman should see."
10 He turned his back towards her
And viewed the leaves so green;
She catched him round the middle so small,
And tumbled him into the stream.
11 He dropp-ed high and he dropp-ed low,
Until he came to the side;
"Catch hold of my hand, my pretty maiden,
And I will make you my bride.'
12 "Lie there, lie there, thou false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me;
Six pretty maids hast thou drowned here,
And the seventh has drowned thee."
13 She mounted on her milk-white steed,
And led the dapple grey;
She rode till she came to her own father's hall,
Three hours before it was day.
14 The parrot being in the window so high,
Hearing the lady, did say,
"I'm afraid that some ruffian has led you astray,
That you have tarried so long away."
15 "Don't prittle nor prattle, my pretty parrot,
Nor tell no tales of me;
And thy cage shall be made of the glittering gold,
Although it is made of the tree."
16 The king being in the chamber so high,
And hearing the parrot, did say,
"What ails you, what ails you, my pretty parrot,
That you prattle so long before day?"
17 "It's no laughing matter," the parrot did say,
"That so loudly I call unto thee,
For the cats have got into the window so high,
And I'm afraid they will have me."
18 "Well turned, well turned, my pretty parrot,
Well turned, well turned for me;
Thy cage shall be made of the glittering gold,
And the door of the best ivory."