Recordings & Info 31 A. The Half-Hitch
[Some collectors, including Barry and Flanders, have included the US ballad, "The Half-Hitch" as a version of Child 31: The Marriage of Sir Gawain. Because of the similar theme and association with Child 31 I'm including it here as Appendix 31. Coffin flatly states: "To call 'The Half-Hitch' a form of Child 31 is to stretch the concept of the secondary ballad to its limits." ]
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
6) Wiki
7) Mainly Norfolk (lyrics and info)
8) Assorted lyrics
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud Number 1887- 31 A The Half-Hitch (21 Listings)
Alternative Titles
The Loathly Bride
Traditional Ballad Index: Half-Hitch, The [Laws N23]
DESCRIPTION: A girl pretends to refuse her fiance. Finally he gives up, promising to marry the first girl he sees. She disguises herself as the ugliest woman possible and makes sure he sees her. He asks her to marry; she consents. She reveals herself after they wed
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1919 (Sturgis and Hughes)
KEYWORDS: courting disguise trick marriage
FOUND IN: US(MA,NE)
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Bronson (31), 1 version
Laws N23, "The Half-Hitch"
BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 382-389, "The Loathly Bride" (1 text plus a version reprinted from Sturgis)
Flanders/Brown, pp. 236-239, "The Half-Hitch" (1 text)
Flanders/Olney, pp. 33-37, "The Half-Hitch" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's (#1) in the appendix to #31}
Flanders-Ancient1, pp. 265-275, "The Half-Hitch" (2 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune) {Bronson's (#1) in the appendix to #31}
DT 453, HALFHITC
Roud #1887
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Marriage of Sir Gawain" [Child 31]
NOTES: This text is associated by some editors (e.g. notably Flanders) with Child 31, "The Marriage of Sir Gawain." It should be noted, however, that the only themes the two have in common are a marriage made for honour rather than love and an ugly woman who turns out to be beautiful (themes also found in "King Henry," Child 32). - RBW
The Half Hitch [Laws N23/Ch 31]
Rt - Marriage of Sir Gawain
At - Loathly Bride
Laws, G. Malcolm / American Balladry from British Broadsides, Amer. Folklore Soc., Bk (1957), p214
Andrew, Peleg William (P. W.). Thompson, Harold W.(ed.) / Body, Boots & Britches, Dover, Bk (1962/1939), p417 [1930s]
Chase, Jane. Flanders, Helen H. & George Brown / Vermont Folk Songs and Ballads, Folklore Associates, Bk (1968/1931), p236 [1930]
MacArthur, Margaret. Them Stars, Whetstone WS 04, CD (1996), trk# 6
Seeger, Peggy. Blood and Roses, Vol. 2, Blackthorne ESB 80, LP (1979ca), trk# A.05
Seeger, Pete. Story Songs, Columbia CL 1668, LP (1961), trk# A.02
Seeger, Pete. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof, 8, p40 (1966)
Seeger, Pete. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof, 10, p56 (1968)
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
31. THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAIN
The only known traces of this old romance-ballad in America are derivative songs that can scarcely be called versions. Typical is the Barry, Brit Bids Me; 382 text entitled the Loathly Bride ', which alters the story considerably. In the original the girl suffers under a "hex" that keeps her ugly until she can find a man who will treat her courteously in spite of her haggishness. In the derivative she purposefully disguises herself as a hag to test a foolish vow her lover has made. In a rash moment, he has sworn to marry the first woman he meets who will have him. The grace of the old song has vanished, and the mood has become comic. There is no riddle to answer in exchange for King Arthur's life, and the sacrifice of Gawain to the hag is lacking.
Of the same sort is The Half-Hitch printed in Sturgis and Hughes, Sgs Hills Ft, 50 and Flanders, 7t F-S Bids, 236.
HALF HITCH, THE (Folk trax) - "A noble lord in Plymouth did dwell" - To test her betrothed, a girl pretends fickleness and refuses to marry - He swears to marry the next he meets. She dresses as a beggar "with her petticoats hoisted upon the half-hitch" and an amusing dialogue follows when he proposes - she behaves badly at the wedding feast but reveals herself in bed - LAWS #N23 ABBB 1957 pp214-5 - ROUD#1887 - STURGIS-HUGHES SHV 1919 pp50-57 Vt - BARRY-ECKSTORM-SMYTHE BBM 1929 pp382-9 Jystin de Coster, Maine 1925 (w/o) from Sturgis-Hughes pp50-57 "The Loathly Bride" - FLANDERS-OLNEY BMNE 1953 pp33-37 Mrs W E Pierce, Vt 1932