The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #163685   Message #3909571
Posted By: Steve Gardham
05-Mar-18 - 10:17 AM
Thread Name: Origins: James Madison Carpenter & Child Ballads
Subject: RE: Origins: James Madison Carpenter & Child Ballads
It's not in Kinloch's Ballad Book but there is a similar version in Chambers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland. Here the actual song is a straight English version which even mentions Bristol, just Scottified a little. The Devil only actually appears in the spoken introduction and at the end cantefable style. This could be an interim version between the English simple dialogue song and the Scottish introduction of the supernatural element. I'm sure you can guess what my attitude to stuff supplied by Crawfurd is.