Ransel, My Son- Hart (VA) 1921 Davis D
[From Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia, 1929. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2011, 2014]
LORD RANDAL (Child No. 12)
The famous old story-bearing dialogue between a mother and her son who is poisoned masquerades in Virginia as "John Willow, My Son," "Johnnie Randolph, My Son," "Johnny Rillus" (or "Rilla" or "Rolus" or, "Riller" or "Reynolds"), "Ransel, My Son," "McDonald," "John Elzie," "Billy Randall or A Rope and a Gallows," and "Where Have You Been to, My dear Son?," seldom as "Lord Randal."
In "Johnnie Randolph, My Son," the fame of a distinguished Virginian, John Randolph of Roanoke, has penetrated into ballad tradition. Cox finds the same title in West Virginia. One is glad to find in Bruce's Life evidence that Randolph was himself a ballad fancier and that therefore he may be considered worthy of the ballad's tribute to him, Writing to a niece, February 20, 1820, Randolph says: "Do you know a ballad that used to be sung to me when I was a child by a mulatto servant girl of my cousin Patsy Banister, called Patience, about a rich suitor offering 'his lands so broad' and his golden store to a girl of spirit whose reply was somehow thus?
What care I for your golden treasures?
What care I for your house and land?
What care I for your costly pleasures?
So as I get but a handsome man.
I pray thee get me that ballad. I can give you the tune."
The fame of still another John may be linked with this ballad. Scott's preface to this ballad in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border quotes a manuscript chronicle of England which recounts the death of King John of England in a manner not unlike the ballad account of Lord Randal's death.
Most of the Virginia variants belong with Child A or B, but some show relations with other versions, notably D. Most of the texts here given prefer the "hell and fire" ending of A to the "rope and gallows" idea of B (one substitutes "a keg of powder to blow her sky-high"), but all except two follow B in eliminating the death of the dogs, which elsewhere serves as an indication that the master, too, is poisoned. A general verbal similarity with Child D is to be noted.
Two very interesting survivals among the archives have been excluded as not strictly Virginian. One, "as sung by boys from the East Side of New York City," has the son o' Henry" (cf.Child C) answer that he has been down at grandma's, (cf. Child I, K, R), and finally leave the rope, etc., not to his sweetheart, but to his brother. The other, which comes from Oklahoma and is known as "Durango," indicates the grandmother as the poisoner (cf. Child I). They appear as Appendices A and B.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 10; Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin has 2-5, 7-11; Campbell and Sharp, No. 6 (North Carolina, Georgia); Child, 1, 163 (Massachusetts), 499; Cox, No. 4; Hudson, No. 4 (Mississippi); Journal, XIII, 115 (Newell, Ohio, New York, New Brunswick, Scotch variant obtained in America); XVI 258 (Barry, Rhode Island, Masschusetts, five texts and four melodies); XVIII 195 (Barry, Rhode Island, Maine, text and melody, Massachusetts, nine texts and seven melodies, Connecticut, text and melody, Vermont), 303 (Barry, Vermont, text and melody: XXII, 77 (Barry, Pennsylvania, melody only), 375-(Barry, Maine, text and tune; XXIV,345 (Barry, Maine); 157 (Tolman, fragment); XXX 289, Kittredge Indiana, fragment, New York, fragments, Missouri, fragment and melody),XXXV, 338 (Tolman and Eddy, Illinois, fragment and melody), XXXIX (Whiting, Maine); McGill, p: 19; Pound, Syllabus, p.9 (fragment) Pound, Ballads, No. 1; Shearin, p. 4; Shearin and Combs, p. 7; Shoemaker p. 139; C. A. Smith, p. 79 (New York fragment, Oklahoma, and Great Britain, melodies only), Reed Smith, No. 2; Reed Smith, Ballads, No. 2; Focus, December, 1913; February and March 1914 and The Crimson Rambler Tonkawa, Oklahoma), vol. 8, No. 4. For additional references see Journal XXIX, 157; XXX, 289.
D. "Ransel, My Son." collected by Mr. John Stone. sung by Mr. George Hart, of Konnarock, Va. Washington County. November 8, 1921.
1. "O Where have you been, O Ransel my son,
O Where have you been, my sweet and pretty one?"
"O mother I've been courting; mother make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
2. "What did you eat for your supper, O Ransel, my son?
What did you eat for your supper, my sweet and pretty one?"
A cup of cold pizen, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
3. "What will you will to your old father, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your old father, my sweet and pretty one?"
"A dead son to bury, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
4 "What will you will to your old mother, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your old mother,my sweet and pretty one?"
"A sick son for to nurse, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
5 "What will you will to your oldest brother, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your oldest brother, my sweet and pretty one?"
"My hounds. and my bugle, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
6 "What will you will to your youngest brother, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your youngest brother, my sweet and pretty one?"
"My horse, whip, and saddle, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
7. "What will you.will to your oldest sister, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your oldest sister, my sweet and pretty one?"
"My chest and my money, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick to the heart and in pain to lie down."
8. "What will you will to your youngest sister, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your youngest sister, my sweet and pretty one? "
"My land and my buildings, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at the heart and in pain to lie down."
9. "What will you will to your old sweetheart, O Ransel, my son?
What will you will to your old sweetheart, my sweet and pretty one?"
"The rope and the gallows, mother, make my bed soon,
I'm sick at the heart and' in pain to lie down."