US & Canada Versions: 114. Johnie Cock
[The two of the four traditional versions of Johnny Cock collected in the US and Canada come from Virginia. The first "Johnny Cock" was sung by Mrs. Acy Doyle, Highland Co. in 1920. The second, "Fair John and his Seven Foresters" is likely a ballad recreation by John Jacob Niles fashioned after the other Viriginia text. It was "collected" by him in 1933 and is from Smyth Co. Virginia. The Moores' version, collected in Oklahoma, came by way of Ontario from Scotland. Creighton's version was collected in Torono from an elderly woman over 90 years old.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
CONTENTS: (To access individual text click on highlighted blue title blow)
1) Johnny Cock- Doyle (VA) 1920 Stone/Davis -- From: Traditional Ballad of Virginia, Davis; 1929. Sung by Mrs. Acy Doyle. Highland County. November 3, 1920. This was the first version collected in North America.
2) James o' Broodie- Strachen (OK-ON) 1925 Moores -- From: Ballads and Songs From the Southwest; Ethel and Chauncey Moore, 1964. Sung by Mrs. Mary Strachen of Tulsa, who was born at Grange, Banffshire, Scotland. She came to Oklahoma in 1925 from Ontario, Canada, where she had lived since she was a little girl.
3) Fair John & his Seven Foresters- Johnson (VA) 1933 -- From the Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, 1961. Sung by Pete Johnson; collected by Niles in 1933; Smyth Co. Virginia. This version is likely a ballad recreation.
4) Johnnie o' Cockleslee- Kilpatrick(ON)1950 Creighton -- From Creighton and Senior, Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia; 1950. Sung by Mrs. Kilpatrick, Toronto.
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BALLADS AND FOLK SONGS OF THE SOUTHWEST- NOTES
32 Johnie Cock
"The first notice in print of this precious specimen of unspoiled traditional ballad [Child, No. 11a] is in Ritson's Scottish Songs, 1794, I, xxxvi, note 25," writes Professor Child in III, 1. Motherwell, I, 169-75, gives a text with the title Johnnie o' Breadislee and includes a tune in II,27 6. Of the ballad he says: "History is silent with regard to this young Nimrod." He also notes that "tradition assigns Braid, in the neighborhood of Edinburgh, to have been the scene of his woeful hunting." Except for the substitution of "Jamie" for "Johnie," the Oklahoma variant is very true to form, making it one of the finest texts and tunes of our collection. For other texts, see Creighton and Senior,65-67; Davis, 385-87; Gummere, t23-26; and Ord, 467-69.
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Creighton and Senior, 1950; Notes
Johnie Cock
[Child 114 ]
Child says that "the first notice in print of this precious specimen of the unspoiled traditional ballad is in Ritson's Scottish Song, I794, I, XXXVI, note 25." Scott, 1802, was-the first to publish the ballad. It is rarely found today. Although this variant is incomplete, it is extremely interesting. One or two points differ from the Child copies. For instance, Mrs. Kilpatrick recalled that Johnie rested because he had outstripped his companions. Other variants attribute it to too much feasting of a deer he had slain. Also verse 6 is different, as Johnnie usually kills all but one. It is quite unusual for the bird to inform his mother of his plight, but verses 9 and 11 are different. Stanza 7 is like the one verse given in Child, 114 K. I took this song down in Toronto. Mrs. Kilpatrick was over ninety at the time. and I regret I was unable to note the music. As far as I can learn, none of my Nova Scotian singers knows the ballad.
See Motherwell's Minstrelsy, pp. 17-22; Gerould quotes it many times in his study of the ballad; Ord, pp. 467-469; Davis pp. 385-387; Gummere, pp. 123-126.
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Notes by Davis; 1929:
JOHNIE COCK
(Child, No. 114)
No other survival of this genuine old ballad has hitherto been found in America. This version of Mr. Stone and Mrs. Doyle is the only one discovered in Virginia. "On my way out of Highland County," writes Mr. Stone, November 3, 1920, " Mrs. Dever told me about the song which, from the foresters in it, I took to be 'The Douglas Tragedy' with its seven bold sons. I asked Mrs. Dever's little daughter to copy and send it to me, which she did. To my surprise I found it to be a new ballad."
The Virginia text is not quite complete, but it is in accord with the Child versions as to the primary points of the story. "A gallant young fellow, who Days no regard to the game-laws, goes out, despite his mother's entreaties, to ding the dun deer down. He kills a deer, and feasts himself and his dogs so freely on it that they all fall asleep. An old palmer, a silly auld, stane-auld
carl, observes him, and carries word to seven foresters. They beset Johnie and wound him; he kills all but one, and leaves that one, badly hurt, to carry tidings of the rest. Johnie sends a bird to his mother to bid her fetch him away . . . " The only significant additions of the Virginia version are that Johnny Cock blows a provocative blast upon his horn and rouses the seven
foresters, who are then directed to him by the silly old man; that Johnny Cock says that no wolf would be guilty of so dastardly an attack as theirs; that he throws the wounded seventh forester across his saddle to carry the tidings home; that the bird is sent not to his mother but to fair Eleanor's window.
The Virginia text has no very close resemblance to any Child text, and it must therefore be set down as a separate version. Perhaps its relation is closest to either A or B, with about an equal number of points of likeness to each and with differences from either. Buck and Bouncer, the two names given to three bloodhounds, would seem to be corruptions of "busk" and "boun," meaning to make ready, prepare. Compare the second stanza of Child D,
"Ye'll busk, ye'll busk my noble dogs,
Ye'll busk and mak them boun."
the opening line of the fragment, Child M, as sung by Carlyle's mother, "O busk ye, O busk ye, my three bluidy hounds."
"Come, Buck, come, Bouncer" would be a fairly natural modern interpretation of these two unfamiliar words. That the final stanza of this ballad is corrupted from "Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor" is suggested with the more confidence since a variant of the last named ballad comes from the same family. Writes Mr. Stone, " Mrs. Dever's version of 'Lord Thomas and Fair
Eleanor' can be traced back to an old Scotchman in Highland County years ago. Possibly 'Johnny Cock' came from the same source." In its present form the final stanza does not quite make sense, and the text, like Child B-G, must be adjudged incomplete.
In contrast to the broadside texts of some of the Robin Hood ballads that follow, "Johnny Cock" is an excellent specimen of the unspoiled traditional ballad. The only reference to an American text would be to Bulletin, No. 8, p. 7, where this find was originally announced.
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From: The British Traditional Ballad in North America; Coffin 1950
114. JOHNIE COCK
Texts: Davis, Trd Bid Va, 385 / Va FLS Bull, #8.
Local Titles: Johnny Cock.
Story Types: A: Johnny, against his mother's warnings, goes out to poach deer. He kills an animal and feasts himself and his dogs so freely that they all fall asleep. Foresters hear him blow his horn, and an old man directs them to the poacher. They attack Johnny. He kills six of them and throws the seventh, badly wounded, over a horse that he may carry the news of the
fight home. Johnny then sends a bird to Fair Eleanor asking that he be fetched back as he is wounded.
Examples: Davis.
Discussion: The American version is shorter than the Child texts, though similar to them. Minor American variations are the blast of the horn, Johnie's comments on the forester's attack, the manner in which the seventh forester is sent off, and the flight of the bird to Eleanor rather than to the mother. This text most resembles Child A or B with some traits of D and M, but it has a final stanza that seems to be the result of contact with Lord Thomas and Fair Annet. See Davis, Trd Bid Va, 385 for a discussion of this and other points in connection with the song. He notes there that the text is incomplete and spotty, although the continuity has remained intact.