The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #111710   Message #2355892
Posted By: Jim Carroll
03-Jun-08 - 02:15 AM
Thread Name: Review: Bonnie Jeannie o' Bethelnie/Glenlogie
Subject: RE: Review: Bonnie Jeannie O' Bethelnie/Glenlogie
This is the text of John Strachan's version from the Folk Song of Britain series.
The note to it is the most comprehensive I could find. In one of the versions quoted above, the action seems to have been transfered from Scotland to Ireland by substituting Bantry for Banchory, but I'm sure it was a slip as it has never been found here.
It was included on the 3 Folkways albums of Child Ballads made by MacColl which were my introduction to the ballads - still my favourite version by far.
Jim Carroll

Te note to it is the most comprehensive one I could find
1. GLENLOGIE (Child 238), sung by John Strachan, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire; recorded by Alan Lomax and Hamish Henderson.

[Popular recently in the bothies of the Northeast, this ballad brings to light one of the pleasant moments in the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. On her progress] through the North, she stopped for a time at the house of Fetternear and there took a fancy to a young girl of the neighbourhood named Jean Meldrum, and made her a member of her cortege. One day, on their way through the village of Banchory, Jean's eye fell upon Sir George Gordon. She was smitten and at once wrote him a letter saying that she must have him or die. In one ballad version Sir George voices a perplexity common to many men...

Then reading the letter.
As he stood on the green.
Says, "I leave you to judge, sirs,
What do women mean ?"

At first the knight took the whole affair as a joke, but Jean fell into a violent fever and her father, a chaplain, intervened on her behalf, so skilfully, indeed, that the knight relented and married her. At this time Jean was barely sixteen years old.

References:
Christie I, p. 282; Moffat MS, p. 239; Greig LL, pp. 190-2; Ord, pp. 412-5.

1. There were four and twenty nobles stood at the king's ha'.
And bonny Glenlogie was floor o' them a'.

2. There were nine and nine nobles rode roon' Banchory Fair
And bonny Glenlogie was floor o' them there.

3. Doon come Jeannie Gordon, she come trippin' doonstairs.
And she's fa'en in love with Glenlogie over a' that was there.

4. She called on his footboy that stood by his side,
"Now who is that young man and far does he bide?"

5. "His name is Glenlogie when he is at hame,
And he's o' the Gay Gordons, and his name is Lord John."

6. "Glenlogie, Glenlogie, you'll be constant and kind,
I've laid my love on you and you're aye in my mind."

7. He turned him roon' quickly as the Gordons do a',
Says, "I thank you, Jeannie Gordon, but your tocher's ower sma'."

8. Her father was a chaplain and a man o' great skill.
And he penned a brave letter and he penned it richt weel.

9. When he looked on the letter a light laugh laughed he,
But when he read the letter the tear blind his e'e.

10. "Go saddle the black horse and saddle the broon.
Bonny Jean o' Bethalnie'll be dead ere I win."

11.   An' pale and wan was she when Glenlogie come in,
But reid and rosy grew she when she kent it was him.

12. Oh, Bethalnie, oh, Bethalnie, it shines where it stands;
And the heather bells o'er it shines o'er Fyvie's land.