The Brown Girl- Brown (NC) c1921 Sutton/Brown J
[My date. From MS in the Abrams collection; noted from The Brown Collection of NC Folklore; Vol. 2 1952. Mrs Maude Minnish Sutton collected in the early 1920s for the Brown Collection. Complete text from MS is at bottom of this page,
R. Matteson 2014]
J. 'The Brown Girl.' Taken down by Mrs. Sutton from the singing of Mrs. Brown of Beech Mountain, Watauga county, "one of the twenty-odd singers in the Blue Ridge from whom I collected this ballad," Mrs. Sutton notes. It is a normal text of fifteen stanzas. Only Fair Ellender's dress is described, not Thomas's. There is a new phrase in stanzas 2 and 6:
He called up his merry merry men
By one, by two, and by three
She called up her merry merry men
By one and by two and by three
The death of Lord Thomas is told in a way to make it seem accidental, but that is probably not what is meant to be understood:
He threw the sword against the floor.
The point flew up in his breast.
Now lie three lovers all in a row ;
God send them home to rest.
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The Brown Girl- taken from Mrs. Brown, Beech Mountain NC, circa 1921.
"Oh father and mother come tell this riddle,
Come tell this riddle to me.
The brown girl she has house and lands,
Fair Eleanor she has none."
"Then we'll throw our advice to you
Go bring the brown girl home."
He called up his merry merry men
By one, by two, and by three
She called up her merry merry men
By one and by two and by three.
He rode till he came to Fair Eleanor's hall
He jingled at the ring,
There was none so ready as the fair lady herself,
she rose and let him in.
What news, what nesw Lord thomas?" she said,
'what news have yo ubrought to me?"
"I've come to ask you to my wedding
For married I must be."
"Bad news bads news," Fair elleanor said,
"You've brought bad news t ome,
You've come to ask me to your wedding,
For married thy say you'll be."
She called up her merry, merry men,
By one by two, by three,
"Go bridal and saddle my milk-white steed,
Lord thomas' wedding i'll see."
Seh dressed hersel;f in silk and fine,
Put on a coat of green,
And every city that she pass through,
She was taken to be some queen.
She rode till she came to Lord Thomas' hall,
She jingled at the ring,
There was none so ready as lord Thomas himself,
He arose to let her in.
He took her by the lily-white hand
And led her through the hall
And seated her at the head of the table,
Among the ladies all.
"Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas is this your bride?
I think she's mighty brown,
You might have had as fair a lady,
As ever the sun shone one.
The Brown girl she had a penknife,
Very long and sharp at the point,
In an iststant between the short ribs and teh long,
She pierced it in her heart.
"Lord Thomas, Lord thomas are you blind?
Lord Thomas why can't you see?
Lord Thomas this is my own heart's blood,
A trickling dow nmy knee."
He took the Brown girl by the hand
And led her out of the hall,
And with his sword he cut off her head,
And kicked it against the wall.
He threw the sword against the floor.
The point flew up in his breast.
Now lie three lovers all in a row ;
God send them home to rest.
"Go dig my grave under yon green tree,
Go dig it wide and deep,
Go bury fair Eleanor in my arms,
The Brown girl at my feet."