Origins: Erlinton (Child #8)

Subject: Origins: Erlington (Child #8)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 18 - 10:27 PM

So, here we have this Child Ballad with absolutely no discussion in the threads. Here are the lyrics we have in the Digital Tradition. Any corrections or comments?

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ERLINGTON

There was & knight, an he had a daughter,
An he wad wed her, wi muckle sin;
Sae he has biggit a bonnie bower, love,
An a' to keep his fair daughter in.

But she hadna been in the bonnie bower, love,
And no twa hours but barely ane,
Till up started Tammas, her sin true lover,
And O sae fain as he wad been in.

'For a' sae weel as I like ye, Tammas,
An for a' arte weel as I like the gin,
I wadna for ten thousand pounds, love,
Na no this night wad I let thee in.

'But yonder is a bonnie greenwud,
An in the greenwud there is a wauk,
An I'll be there an sune the morn, love,
It's a' for my true love's sake.

'On my right hand I'll have a glove, love,
An on my left ane I'll have nane;
I'll have wi' me my sisters sir, love,
An we will wauk the wuds our lane.'

They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud,
Na no an hour but barely ane,
Till up start Tammas, her sin true lover,
He's taen her sisters her frae mang.

An he has kissed her sisters sir, love,
An he has sent them hame again,
But he has keepit his ain true lover,
Saying,' We will wauk the wuds our lane'

They hadna waukd in the bonnie greenwud
Na no an hour but barely ane,
Till up start fifteen o the bravest outlaws
That ever bure either breath or bane,

An up bespake the foremost man, love,
An O but he spake angrily:
'Either your life -- or your lady fair, sir,
This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.'

'My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,
An O my life, but it lies me near'.
But before I lose my lady fair, sir,
I'll rather lose my life sae dear.

Then up bespak the second man, love,
An aye he spake mair angrily,
Saying, 'Baith your life, and your lady fair,
This night shall wauk the wuds wi me.

My lady fair, O I like her weel, sir,
An O my life, but it lies me near !
But before I lose my lady fair, sir,
I'll rather lose my life sae dear.

'But if ye'll be men to your manhood,
As that I will be unto mine,
I'll fight ya every ane man by men,
Till the last drop's blude I has be slain.

'O sit ya down, my dearest dearie,
Sit down and hold my noble steed,
And see that ya never change your cheer
Until ya see my body bleed.'

He's feughten a' the fifteen outlaws,
The fifteen outlaws every ane,
He's left naething but the auldest man
To go and carry the tidings hams.

An he has gene to his dearest dear,
An he has kissed her, cheek and chin,
Saying, 'Thou art mine sin, I have bought thee dear,
An we will wauk the weds onr lane.'

Child #8
From Child, version B
@love @fight @outlaw
filename[ ERLINTON
SF
Apr98

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There's no listing in the Traditional Ballad Index for Erlington.

Subject: RE: Origins: Erlington (Child #8)
From: GUEST,Wm
Date: 05 Oct 18 - 10:38 PM

Here is the link in the Traditional Ballad Index.

Subject: RE: Origins: Erlington (Child #8)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 18 - 10:46 PM

Thanks, Wm, I Knew it had to be htere. I had thought it was "Erlington."

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Erlinton [Child 8]

DESCRIPTION: (Erlinton) has a daughter, whom he confines to protect her virtue. A young man nonetheless spirits the daughter away. The lady's guards pursue; the young man slays all but one, and they escape.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1803 (Scott)
KEYWORDS: courting death fight escape
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Child 8, "Erlinton" (3 texts)
OBB 37, "Erlinton" (1 text)
Whitelaw-Ballads, pp. 198-199, "Erlinton" (1 text)
Morgan-Medieval, pp. 42-44, "Erlinton" (1 text)
DT, ERLINTON
Roud #24
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Earl Brand" [Child 7] (plot)
cf. "The Bold Soldier [Laws M27]" (plot)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Robin Hood and the Tanner's Daughter
NOTES [53 words]: Child himself admits that it is "only with much hesitation" that he has separated "Erlinton" from "Earl Brand," and if they are in fact distinct, there has clearly been cross-fertilization. The distinction may not matter much; "Earl Brand" has a lively traditional history, but "Erlinton" was pretty much a dead end. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: C008

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Subject: RE: Origins: Erlinton (Child #8)
From: Reinhard
Date: 06 Oct 18 - 08:13 AM

Joe, if you can't find a Child ballad in the Traditional Ballad Index by ballad name, just access it by the file name. The basic Child ballads are consistently https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Cnnn.html with nnn the ballad number in three digits. (There also are some additional variants and information in files like C010A.html or C061App.html)

Subject: RE: Origins: Erlinton (Child #8)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 07 Oct 18 - 11:18 AM

It is odd that Child decided to give Erlinton its own number and yet he put Earl Brand and The Douglas Tragedy both together when all they share is a plot and a motif that occurs in several ballads and probably was borrowed from a 17thc broadside. All 3 are derived in some way either directly or indirectly from Scandinavian ballads (IMO).