Origins: The Lady's Fan

Subject: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 10:38 PM

Any further information on this version of Lady of Carlisle, other versions? Corrections? I think there's a word missing in the first line.

Here are the Digital Tradition lyrics:

THE LADY'S FAN

Down in yonder lives a lady
Who she is I do not know;
She had two lovers and they were brothers
And both of them she thought she would try.

As these three lovers sat down to dinner together,
O the lady she made this reply,
" Come let us take a walk in the fields together
My constant loved ones for to try. "

First they came to the mulberry bushes,
The next they came to the lion's den,
O into her hand she held a fan
And in the den she dropped the same.

"If there's anybody wants to gain this lady's favour,
Is there anybody here my heart for to win?
If there's anybody here wants to gain this lady
Return to me my fan again."

O up speaks the bold sea captain,
Unto this lady he made this reply,
"O lady, in the den there lies great danger,
For life, for love, I dare not try,
O lady in the den there lies great danger,
And in the den I will not go."

When up speaks the bold lieutenant
And unto the lady he made this reply,
"O lady, in the den there lies great danger
But I will return to you your fan or die."

With sword in hand he boldly did venture,
And oh the lions they looked sad and grim,
He picked up the fan into his hand
And from the den safely he returned again.

O when she saw her true love a-coming
And unto him no harm was done,
She fell a-fainting in his arms
Saying, "Take the prize which you have won."

Then up speaks this bold lieutenant (sea captain?),
Unto the lady he made this reply,
"O it's lady for your sake the wild woods I'll wander
And it's for your sake I'll lament and die."

From Maritime Folk Songs, Creighton
Collected from Nathan Hatt, Middle River, Nova Scotia, 1952
DT #335
Laws O25
@courtship @animal
filename[ LDYCRL2
TUNE FILE: LDYCRL2
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 03:06 AM

A quick search, over breakfast, fails to show Frank Harte’s version on Mudcat. If you remind me at today’s Zoom session, I might sing it! The storyline is common throughout Europe, in various contexts.

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 03:20 AM

Basic references are: Laws O25, Roud 396.

Regards

Subject: ADD Version: The Lady Who Threw Her Fan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 04:11 AM

I can't find the version in Creighton, but GEST has a version:

http://gestsongs.com/20/fan.htm

Lady Who Threw Her Fan (MacEdward Leach)

THE LADY WHO THREW HER FAN

In London town there dwelled a lady,
And with her beauty none could compare;
And she was courted by lords and squires,
And men of wonder I do declare.

She was so high and so condescending,
No man on earth could her husband be,
Unless he was some great man of honour,
Was never conquered on land or sea.

There were two brothers that were her lovers,
She did admire them above the rest;
Intent she was for to try their valour,
To see which of them that loved her the best.

One of them was a bold sea captain,
On board the Tiger, a fierce man-o-war;
And the other of them was a third lieutenant,
On board of the cruiser A Jolly Tar.

Early one morning a coach got ready,
It was by her orders at the break of day;
And those two brothers being two bright heroes,
For London town they rode away.

And when they came to London town,
She threw her fan in the lion's den,
Saying, which of ye now will gain a lady,
And bring to me back my fan again?

Now up speaks the bold sea captain,
As he stood shivering by her side,
He said, in battle I was never daunted,
Always inclined for to meet my foe.

But where there's wild beasts, wolves, and tigers,
My strength to them it would prove in vain;
Therefore my life I won't put in danger,
Supposing if your favour I should never gain.

Now up speaks the third lieutenant,
With a voice like thunder most loud did roar,
He said, in battle I was never daunted,
Always inclined for to be in war.

He drew his sword out of his scabbard,
And boldly entered the lions' hall;
'Twas by his valour he being so clever,
Four of these lions to his blade did fall.

When she saw her true love coming,
And no harm to him was done,
She threw herself into his arms,
Saying, here's the prize that you dearly won.

When the news to the king was carried,
Four of his lions they were left slain,
He sent for the young man,
And well rewarded him for the same.

He rose him from a third lieutenant,
And made him admiral over the blue;
That day unto his true love got married,
See what the force of strong love can do.

####.... Author unknown. Variant of a 19th-century British ballad, Lady Of Carlisle [Laws O25] American Balladry From British Broadsides (G Malcolm Laws, 1957). Also a variant of a 19th-century British broadside ballad, The Bold Lieutenant In The Lion's Den, published by James Lindsay (Glasgow), and archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Murray, Mu23-y1:087 ....####

Collected in 1951 from Thomas Williams [1872-?] of St Vincent's, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada, ©2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).

A variant was also collected in 1951 from Cyril O'Brien [ca.1902-?] of Trepassey, NL, and published as In St Giles There Dwelled A Lady in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada, ©2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).

A variant was collected in 1952 from Nathan Hatt of Middle River, Victoria County, NS, by Helen Creighton [1899-1989] and published as The Lady's Fan in Maritime Folk Songs (Ryerson, Toronto, 1962/1972).

According to Sam Henry's Songs of the People (G Huntington, 1990 pp. 488-489), the incident described in this ballad took place early in the 18th-century when in the presence of the French King Francis, Count de Lorge recovered his lady love's glove from the lion's den. The occurence has been made the subject of poems, The Glove by Robert Browning, and The Glove and the Lions by Leigh Hunt.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 10:08 AM

Adam McNaughtan's modern spoof of this one, with an Edinburgh man and a Glasgow man, is brilliant and deserves to be widely heard, but I hesitate to suggest that someone should learn it because I fear that few could do it as well as Adam himself.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 10:25 AM

I think you have all the details on another thread regarding the French origins in the 16th century. The spread of the story around the world would make an excellent study but it's beyond my powers I feel.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 12:15 PM

Anybody have Creighton's Maritime Folk Songs so we can correct the Digital Tradition? I know at least that there must be a word missing in the first line.

And of course, all this reminds me of Don't Go In Them Lions' Cage Tonight.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 04:31 PM

Hi Joe
I've got MFS. p34 What is it ye lack?
v1
Down in yonder lives a lady,
Who she is I do not know,
She had two lovers and they were brothers,
And both of them she thought she would try.

You probably realised the first 2 lines are cobbled in from 'Oh No John'

Subject: RE: Origins: The Lady's Fan
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 04:35 PM

The transcription at top is correct. Looks to me like somewhere down the line of transmission a singer forgot how it started and cobbled in the 2 lines from the other song. A fairly common ploy.