happy?

On Feb 7, 1592 Huntley (George Gordon, 1st marquess of Huntley, 1562-1626) burned the Earl's castle of Dunibrissel in Fife & later that day fatally stabbed James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray and Lord Doune.
 

Ye Highlands and ye Lawlands,
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And Lady Mondegreen.

                          "The Bonny Earl of Murray," Child #181(A) (1st printed 1733)

(According to Peter Buchan [1790-1854]: James VI, being jealous of an attachment betwixt his Queen, Anne of Denmark, and the Earl of Murray, the handsomest man of his time, prevailed with the deceitful Marquis of Huntly, his enemy, to murder him; and by a writing under his own hand, promised to save him harmless.  He was killed at his castle of Dunibrissel.)

However, The HappyFile research division has read (and retained a very small amount) of the staggering convolutedness of these events in Edward Ives' very good book The Bonny Earl of Murray.  We hope to be up to speed on the facts in a year or three.  Ives' best guess is that Jim was born 1567.  He became Earl of Murray by marriage January 1581 [age 14] and was unlikely ever to have met "the queen."

The book was written largely because of the great effect Dyer-Bennet's stirring rendition had on Ives.  It had the same effect on me and maybe many of you.  I got to understand just what ballads were for.

(I'll do one more Happy! Feb 10th and then I won't inflict myself on you for a while.)