My interpretations are:

* That she won't marry a man from Strathdon, but that doesn't mean she won't marry someone else;

* That Willie couldn't get close enough to her to "do the deed" rather than that he was impotent (i.e like trying to have sex with a fighting, spitting, clawing, biting wildcat) but he would have lost a LOT of street cred with his buddies by not being able to overpower her. It was a big, strategic move for him to kidnap her, with the 24 men, and he would have had to be pretty confident that once he had her locked in his bedchamber that it would be a simple matter to have sex with her, trusting that she would have to marry him afterwards according to tradition. To have failed at the consummation, and to have EM loudly proclaiming that fact, would have been Willie's worst nightmare, I think, having risked so much to achieve his goal.

* I don't agree, Snuffy, about the maid bemoaning that she would not be hired now, because the wording makes it mean that the maid is talking about EM -
"Ye micht hae ta'en her maidenheid,
She would hae hired your hand."

* I agree that asking Willie to get a horse for her "and get it like a man" probably means that he has to face the fact that he took a big gamble and lost, and just as she would have had to play the game and marry him if he succeeded then he has to play the game and give her back to her mother, a maiden as she came.

* As to the name Eppie, I remembered that it was the main character's name in Silas Marner, but I couldn't remember what it was a nickname for, so thanks, Jacquie.

* When Willie threatens the priest and says marry us "or else I'll be your priest" I think he is saying he will shoot the priest dead and deliver his last rites himself.

Lastly, I read a potboiler novel years ago (lent to me by a harp player I met at the Oz National Folk Festival about 20 years ago, by the way) called The Lady of Hay, by Barbara Erskine. The storyline is more complex, but the Lady of the story is treated very badly by her husband and he tries to dominate her but her spirit can not be broken despite the worst he can throw at her, so this book reminds me of Eppie Morrie, and sort of fills out some details in my imagination, and makes the song even more powerful.

Thanks for reviving this thread. I had forgotten about it. I'll have to listen to my Sileas CD again, now.

Helen