The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8767   Message #55521
Posted By: Tim Jaques tjaques@netcom.ca
24-Jan-99 - 07:29 PM
Thread Name: 'Orrible Murder!
Subject: RE: 'Orribble Murder!!
The one you put as False Lover John is similar to the one I have heard as The False Knight (not The False Knight On The Road.) It goes by another name too -- there is something about a cat and a parrot named Polly in it.

Again, I don't think its murder, but self-defence, because otherwise he would have tossed her in the drink like the rest of his women. Rather like the old man in Marrowbones (aka Old Woman From Wexford/Mabou) who catches wind of his wife's plan to murder him and drowns her instead.

I think The Flower of Serving Men starts off with a murder by the mother, although the daughter doesn't seem to get any revenge by the end of the song.