Hi,

There are three more versions of Child 10 to post from Carpenter's collection. I've been wading though Child's version A-Z and trying to figure out the best way to group like versions. The difficulty is with the refrains and forms since some refrains vary with nearly identical text. There's also the resuscitation stanzas (making a harp/fiddle from the dead sister's body/hair) which are not present in the standard Scottish and English/American "Bow down" versions.

Perhaps someone can help me confirm the source of Child Rc, titled The Barkshire Tragedy (yes, this is Child 10) which according to Child is:

"Rc. 'The Scouring of the White Horse,' p. 158, from Berkshire, as heard by Mr Hughes from his father."

What's confusing is Hughes gives the source as "a ruddy-faced, smock-frocked man, who, with his eyes cast up to the tent-top, droned through his nose the following mournful ditty:"

La, "The Drowned Lady" also from The Scouring of the White Horse, is also attributed to Hughes' father (John Hughes) who learned it as a boy in Wales at Ruthyn also Ruthin.

Hughes grew up in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). This is another difficult detail I'm trying to resolve.

Richie