The Broomfield Hill- Russell (Upwey) 1907
Conventional Ballads
by H. E. D. Hammond, Frank Kidson, Lucy E. Broadwood, A. G. Gilchrist, Cecil J.Sharp, J. A. Fuller-Maitland, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 11 (1907), pp. 61-76
4. - THE BROOMFIELD HILL.
Tune noted by H. E. D. Hammond. SUNG BY MRS. RUSSELL, AT UPWEY, FEB., 1907.
DORIAN
Why had'st not thou a - waked me, my lit - tle foot - boy,
That I might have my will ?
And all the lit - tle birds in the mer -ry greenwood,
Of her should have their fill.
And all the lit - tle birds in the mer- ry greenwood,
Of her should have their fill.
In singing this verse, the only one she could remember, Mrs. Russell often repeated lines 3 and 4 of the melody exactly.
We have noted from Mrs. Perry, of Cheddington, a major tune, and a fuller version of words which follows closely one of the versions in Child's Eniglish anld Scottish Popular Ballads.- H. E. D. H.
[text added from Mrs. Perry, of Cheddington]
1. It's of a Lord in the North Countrie,
He courted a lady gay;
As they were riding side by side
A wager she did lay.
2 "I'll bet to you five hundred pounds,
Five hundred pounds to one,
That a maid I will go to a merry green wood
And a maid I will return."
3 When she arrived to a merry green wood
Her love lay fast asleep,
With a grey nag and a silver saddle on
And a greyhound under his feet.
4 Three times she rode around his head,
Six times around his feet,
Nine times she kissed his cherry, cherry cheek
As he lay fast asleep.
5 She took the ring off her right hand,
Put it on his left hand,
To let him know she had a-been there-
And so quickly gone again.
6 When he woke out of his sleep
The birds began to sing,
Saying "Awake, awake, awake, Master!
Your true love's gone again!"
7 "I wish my love was back again,
Was back again! " he cried [cried he]
"Then all the birds of the merry green wood
Should have their fill of she!"
Versions of this song, from the I7th century onwards, have always been popular. I have copies on ballad sheets. The full ballad is in Bell's Sonigs of the Peasantry of England, 1857, Ministrelsy of the Scottish Border, etc. It is generally entitled "The Merry Broomfield, or the West Country Wager."- F. K.
The use of the blossoms of the broom as a charm to keep the Knight from waking during the lady's visit is an interesting point in the ballad. (See Miss Broadwood's note on flower-charms under "The Elfin Knight," in the 7ournal, Vol. iii, p. I4 et seq.) The verse sung by Mrs. Russell is confused with another; the threat about the " little birds " is addressed by the Knight to his stebd. " All the little. birds in the merry greenwood " shall have their fill of the horse's flesh, if he fails to overtake the maiden in her flight.-A. G. G.
Miss Gilchrist's surmise about the magical. use of the broom is probably correct. Child points out the use of magic in this ballad, and refers to Icelandic tales where a thorn is used to induce supernatural sleep, the thorn being, of course, a powerfully magical tree.- L. E. B.