US & Canadian Versions: 22. St. Stephen and Herod
[According to George Edwards, this was learned from his grandfather from Seaton, East Riding, Yorkshire, England. Edwards' version is the only surviving "traditional" melody of the ballad. According to Bronson, "The Edwards family appears on this and other showing[s] to have been in touch with a peculiarly literate antiquarian tradition."
This means that Edwards' version may have been based originally on a print text or someone singing a version of the Sloan manuscript similar to the the one I've included below from Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944) in the The Oxford Book of Ballads (1910).
Edwards, a native of England who lived in Vermont, has been an informant of Barry and Flanders in the early 1930s and later Norman Cazden. Besides being a unique source of traditional ballads, he knows printed ballads and also has arranged ballads.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
St Stephen and Harod- George Edwards, October 16, 1934; Vermont; collected by Helen Hartness Flanders.
Saint Stephen was a serving man
In Herod’s royal hall
He serv-ed him with meat and wine
That doth to King’s befall.
He was serving him with meat one day
With a boars head in his hand
When he saw a star come from the East
And over Bethlehem stand.
Saint Stephen was a righteous man,
And in faith was bold.
He was waiting for the birth of Christ,
As by the prophets told.
He cast the boar's head on the floor,
And let the server fall.
He said, "Behold a child is born,
That is better than us all.
And quickly he went into Herod's room,
And unto him did say,
"I am leaving thee King Herod,
And will proclaim thy wicked ways."
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Mr. Edwards added, October 16, 1934,"The song tells that Herod became excited with doubt and, said, that if such a thing were possible, even the capon on the platter before him would rise up and, crow. When the capon thereupon did rise up and crow, Herod, had, Stephen stoned to death." A few weeks rater Mr. Edward's recalled the following fragment:
"What aileth thee, Stephen?
What aileth thee?
Do you not like the meat and drink
As served in Herod's hall?"
(He knew that the cock crew the moment Christ was born. It was in the dish before the hing when it crew.)
The men took Stephen and led him away
ere the end of the day.
______________________
This is a more modern translation of the Sloane manuscript (Child A)from Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944) in the The Oxford Book of Ballads (1910).
98. St. Stephen and King Herod
I. SAINT STEPHEN was a clerk
In King Herod’s hall,
And servéd him of bread and cloth
As every king befall.
II. Stephen out of kitchen came
With boar’s head on hand,
He saw a star was fair and bright
Over Bethlehem stand.
III. He cast adown the boar’s head
And went into the hall:
‘I forsake thee, Herod,
And thy workés all.
IV. ‘I forsake thee, King Herod,
And thy workés all,
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Is better than we all.’—
V. ‘What aileth thee, Stephen?
What is thee befall?
Lacketh thee either meat or drink
In King Herod’s hall?’—
VI. ‘Lacketh me neither meat ne drink
In King Herod’s hall;
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Is better than we all.’—
VII. ‘What aileth thee, Stephen?
Art wode or ’ginnest to brede?
Lacketh thee either gold or fee,
Or any rich weed?’—
VIII. ‘Lacketh me neither gold ne fee
Ne none rich weed;
There is a child in Bethlehem born
Shall helpen us at our need.’—
IX. ‘That is all so sooth, Stephen,
All so sooth, I-wys,
As this capon crowé shall
That li’th here in my dish.’
X. That word was not so soon said,
That word in that hall,
The capon crew Christus natus est
Among the lordés all.
XI. ‘Risit up, my tormentors,
By two and all by one,
And leadit Stephen out of this town,
And stonit him with stone.’
XII. Tooken they Stephen
And stoned him in the way;
And therefore is his even
On Christe’s own day.
GLOSS: leve] dear. wreke] avenged. wode] mad. brede] become (mad). weed] clothing.