Hi,

Jim- I just read Ian Spring's introduction to 'Secret Songs of Silence'- TY. I've also read Brown's "Child's Unfinished Masterpiece" and asked her questions regarding Buchan and her book and she replied but didn't want to go into any controversy over authenticity of collected versions- not sure why.

David Buchan has an article (Chapter) in his book, Ballad and the Folk, title the Peter Buchan controversy. Both Brown and Buchan address the "Chil Ether" hoax where Hill Burton wrote fragments of a ballad and gave it to Buchan who promptly came up with the "whole" ballad. I'm sure Child wondered why almost all of Buchan published ballads were several stanzas longer than those offered by other collectors.

Here in the US we have the dilemma of John Jaocb Niles, who collected many "first" versions of Child ballads not found by anyone but him in the US. Perhaps his legacy is best revealed by his "I Wonder As I Wander" which he wrote after collecting a fragment from a small child. At least in this example we know his "creative arranging" was at work.

Malcolm Douglas, for one, seem to think his work to be primarily authentic- but how can you tell? Unless there are obvious changes in his manuscripts we are left in the dark. That why I'm including Niles collected works.

About his version of "Bar the Door" Niles says, "I have known since early childhood," which I've guesstimated to be circa 1898 when Niles was 6. No versions have been found in Kentucky, where Niles grew up. Since some of Niles versions have been rejected summarily by "ballad" musicologists, this one may also be deemed questionable (even though I'm sure many of his contributions are authentic and this ballad seems to be something he learned). His version was published in his 1961, The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles.

The Old Man and the Door (Niles No. 58) (Major mode on D) Learned, I presume, from his parents c. 1898 in Louisville KY. Niles is vague about the source, citing it's from "the Niles family."

1. With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do
The wind blew in the window.
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
The wind blew on the floor-o.

2. The goodman to the goodwife said,
"Old woman, shut the door-o."
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
"Go shut the door yourself-o."

3. They made a paction [1] good and strong,
The first to speak a word-o,
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
Would rise and shut the door-o.

4. The travelers whooped, the travelers howled,
The travelers drank his ale-o.
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
They swilled her puddins, too-o.

5. The goodman leapt from out his bed,
"Ye scald my beard with brew-o!"
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
"Ye cannot kiss my Jane-o!"

6. Our goodwife skipped upon the floor,
Our goodman he was angry-o.
With a heigh-ho for the dummerie-do,
'Twas he who closed the door-o.


1. Agreement.


As with many of his "versions" it seems like something constructed by a person knowledgeable with all the elements of the ballad. Collected versions tend to leave elements out- still there's no telling. It's just unlikely that Niles would be the only one to collect a similar version- and that- no other versions were found in the area.

Richie