Recordings & Info 25. Willie's Lyke-Wake
[There is one US & Canadian version of this ballad, a fragment sung by George Edwards.]
CONTENTS
1) Alternative Titles
2) Traditional Ballad Index
3) Folk Index
4) Child Collection Index
5) Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud number 30 (24 Listings)
Alternative Titles
Among the Blue Flowers and the Yellow
The Sun Shines Over the Valley
Traditional Ballad Index: Willie's Lyke-Wake [Child 25]
DESCRIPTION: Willie wants to know if his sweetheart loves him. On the advice of his (mother), he feigns death and has his lover come to his wake. She despairs. Coming to the wake, she kisses the "corpse," which comes to life to accept her love
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1827 (Kinloch) [Child/Kittredge gives a date of 1810 (Printed by Scott), see Kittredge's Brief.]
KEYWORDS: love funeral trick
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord))
REFERENCES (8 citations):
Child 25, "Willie's Lyke-Wake" (5 texts)
Bronson 25, "Willie's Lyke-Wake" (4 versions)
GreigDuncan4 843, "Among the Blue Flowers and the Yellow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lyle-Crawfurd1 16, "The Merry Lykewake"; 55, "The Sun Shines Over the Valley" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Leach, pp. 110-111, "Willie's Lyke-Wake" (1 text)
OBB 61, "Willie's Lyke-Wake" (1 text)
Flanders-Ancient1, p. 242, "Willie's Lyke-Wake" (1 fragment, two lines only, the second line of which is found in Child's "C" text of "Willie's Lyke-Wake," but a similar line is found in "The Beggar Wench," and the first line of this fragment, "Kind sir, if you please," may fit better with the latter)
DT 25, WILILYKE*
Roud #30
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Among the Blue Flowers and the Yellow
Child Collection Index
025 Ewan MacColl Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow - Willie's Lyke-Wake The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (Child Ballads) - Vol. 2 1964 2:24 Yes
025 Ewan MacColl Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow (Willie's Lyke-Wake) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) - Vol. 3 1956 2:18 Yes
025 Ewan MacColl Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow (Willie's Lyke-Wake) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) - Vol. 5 [Reissue] 196? No
025 Ewan MacColl Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow (Willie's Lyke-Wake) Ballads - Murder Intrigue Love Discord 2009 2:21 Yes
025 Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger Willie's Lyke-Wake Saturday Night at the Bull & Mouth 1977 4:05 Yes
025 Helmi Brenner Herr Karl Och Klosterjungfrun Den Medeltida Balladen (The Medieval Ballad) - Folk Songs in Sweden 1995 3:37 Yes
025 Jez Lowe Willy's Lyke Wake Jez Lowe 1980 3:54 Yes
025 Jez Lowe Willy's Lyke Wake Galloways 1996 3:57 Yes
025 Johnny Collins & Friends Willie's Lyke Wake The Traveller's Rest 1973 4:49 Yes
025 Lucy Pringle & Chris Wright Willie's Lyke-Wake The Speaking Heart 2010 No
025 Mimmi Johansson Herr Karl Och Klosterjungfrun Den Medeltida Balladen (The Medieval Ballad) - Folk Songs in Sweden 1995 2:17 Yes
025 The Clutha Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow The Bonnie Mill Dams 1977 3:08 Yes
Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America
by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
25. WILLIE'S LYKE-WAKE
See the Vermont Historical Society, Proceedings, N.S., VII, 73 98. [Refers to a version given by George Edwards]