The Twa Corbies- Tytler (Scotland) 1783 ? Child A d.
Not sure of the date of the version of The Twa Corbies as Mary Fraser Tytler supplied several family manuscripts to Child. The original ballad manuscript known as the Brown manuscript was produced in 1783 for William Tytler. This is probably from the third manuscript with 15 texts and some tunes. Child MS source lists:
(1) MSS. of Mrs Brown of Falkland. 1783-1801. (1) Jamieson-Brown MS., mostly taken down from the mouth of Mrs Brown by Professor
Scott of Aberdeen about 1783. Laing MSS.,
Library of the University of Edinburgh.
(2) William Tytler's Brown MS. Fifteen ballads, with the airs: thirteen being revisions of pieces in (1). Presented by Mrs Brown to W. Tytler in 1783. Described by Anderson in a letter to Percy, Nichols's Illustrations, Vh, 176 ff. The MS. has disappeared, but, excepting one, all the pieces it contained are substantially known from (1) or other sources.
(3) Alexander Fraser Tytler's Brown MS. Nine ballads sent A. F. T. by Mrs Brown in 1800; with the airs. Anderson, as above, vn, 179 f. Aldourie Castle, Inverness-shire.
Transcripts and notes concerning the "Brown manuscript" of Scottish popular ballads from Houghton Library, Harvard College Library: The original ballad manuscript was produced in 1783 for William Tytler (1711-1792), who was a Scottish antiquarian, lawyer, and historian. The information for the original transcription of ballad text was furnished by the singing and dictation of Mrs. Anna Gordon Brown (d.1810), of Falkland and recorded by her nephew, Robert Eden Scott (1769-1811). Anna Brown was the wife of the Rev. Andrew Brown (d.1805) and the daughter of Professor of Philosophy, Thomas Gordon (1713-1797) of Kings College Aberdeen. Robert Eden Scott was a philosopher and his mother was Elizabeth Scott, daughter of Thomas Gordon and sister of Anna Gordon. The current location of the original manuscript is not known, but for many years, it was in the hands of the Fraser-Tytler family.
Twa Corbies Version A d.
d. Fraser-Tytler Manuscript, p. 70.
1 As I was walking forth all alane,
I heard the ither corbies making a mane;
The tane unto the t'other say,
'Where sail we twa dine to-day?'
2 'In behint yon auld fail dyke,
I wot there lies a new slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair.
3 'His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild bird hame,
His lady 's ta'en another mate,
So we may mak our dinner sweet.
4 'Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane,
And I'll pike out his bonny blue een;
Wi ae lock o his gowden hair
We'll theek our nest when it grows bare.
5 'Mony a one for him makes mane,
But naebody kens sail where he is gane;
Oer his white banes, when we've laid them bare,
The win may blaw for evermair.'