The House Carpenter-Hare (WV) pre1925 Cox L
[From: Folk-Songs of the South by Cox; 1925; his notes follow. This stanza was found in the music section at the end of the book.
The ten stanzas for this version are housed in the Cox collection probably at West Virginia University. Versions F-U are listed but no lyrics are given.
R. Matteson 2013]
25. JAMES HARRIS (THE DAEMON LOVER) (Child, No. 243)
Twenty-one variants have been found in West Virginia, under the titles: "The House Carpenter," "The House Carpenter's Wife," and "The Salt Water Sea" (cf. Cox, xlv, 159). The story is virtually the same in all the variants.
In the main, the West Virginia variants agree very closely with Child B, but contain here and there stanzas that show relations to other Child versions. The returned lover has lost all trace of the "Daemon," unless such a trace is found in A 13, 14.
For a list of American texts see Journal, xxx, 325; xxxv, 346. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 29 (North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee); Pound, No. 17 (Illinois; same as Journal, xxvi, 360); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin; Nos. 6-1 1.
L. "The House Carpenter." Contributed by Professor A. J. Hare, Morgantown, Monongalia County. He learned it when a child from his mother. Ten stanzas.
1. "Well met, well met, my pretty fair maid,
Well met, well met,' said he
"I have just returned from the salt, salt sea,
And 'tis all for the love of thee."