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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Jim Carroll Date: 31 Oct 19 - 08:35 PM Thanks Reinhard I never knew anybody added sound - I know Bob wouldn't approve Can I say that the two Argo sets, 'Poetry and Song' and 'Voices' are among the most albums Argo released - a perfect combination of those two genres with the best of poetry reading and of folk singing, John Faulkner's 'Johnny Armstrong' is the best I have ever heard him I have all P and S but would give my right arm (or a digitised copy of P and S) for a full set of 'Voices' Bob promised me a copy but.... so far !! Jim |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Mrrzy Date: 31 Oct 19 - 08:14 PM Roan Inish (movie) has magnificent music, too. |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Reinhard Date: 31 Oct 19 - 10:32 AM Jim, Bob Blair's lyrics, CD name, and his own comment can be found above on 31 Jul 05 and on 10 Mar 09. |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Jim Carroll Date: 31 Oct 19 - 10:28 AM I don't know if it's available now but one of the best renditions of The Great Silkie I ever heard was by Fifer Bob Blair on a series of albums of poetry and song for schools entitled 'Voices' - exquisite Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Lighter Date: 31 Oct 19 - 09:44 AM I want to believe! |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Jim Carroll Date: 31 Oct 19 - 03:42 AM "I met a distant cousin by the name of O'Shea with roots where my family has roots in Dingle, Ireland.." We recorded this from Traveller, Mikeen McCarthy, who came from Caherciveen, in County Kerry in the 1970s Jim Carroll Mermaid of Filemore M Mc Well back in Caherciveen years ago the old..... my mother was often telling me about it, there was a place called Filemore, and all the fishermen out of Filemore'd fish in this particular place, we used call it over the water. So there was Murphys, 'twas a great name in that parish like, Murphy, ‘twas nearly all Murphys, O'Sullivans and all that. So there was one Murphy man anyway, and he went out fishing. 'Twas about four or five o'clock in the evening when he went out that time anyway. My mother often told me. He went on his own. Bejay, whatever way the nets got tangled anyway. He didn't know what it was, he thought he'd a monster of a fish or something, and he had to tow it behind the boat anyway, into the strand. And when he landed in the strand he found out what he had was a mermaid. So she done her best to get away, but she'd a fishes tail like, now like that is called the mantle. It used come away easy enough, d'you know. So when he got the mantle anyway he had a magic wand anyway, she had to follow the mantle because she couldn't go anywhere without it. So he took home the mantle anyway and when he got it home he put it... there was what we the roofs of the houses that time, there was coarse bags they used call them and they have them all pinned on to the roof, nailed up like, and they have them whitewashed as well. They were very warm and anything that they wanted to put away like, they'd put it up there and 'twould be quite safe and dry for the following summer evening to their fishing nets now and all that. So he put up the mantle up there anyway unknown to her. So bejay, they claimed that she worked with him and stopped with him for seven or eight years. But for every time, she still spent all her time looking for the mantle and he knew himself if she ever got the mantle that she was gone. But she was supposed to be the loveliest looking girl around that area anyway. And as far as I hear they had two or three kids. But eventually he went out one day, out fishing and bejay, wasn't she whitewashing the roof of the house, the bags. And the bags was giving away like, they were too long there. Here she finds her mantle and she takes to the sea for it, So she said before she went back to see, she said, “any Murphy”, she said, “that ever go out fishing”, she said, “at the hour I was caught”, she said, “Their boat'll go down”. So from that day until this there was never a Murphy seen out fishing from Filemore until after five o'clock in the evening, never no more. But there was one family of the Murphys, the father and son and they went out fishing, they disbelieved her, and bejay, the boat went down and the son went down but the father got saved. So that put them all right off anyway, they never went out after that, They don't even go out since. |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Mrrzy Date: 31 Oct 19 - 12:45 AM Our very own Anne Lister has a version of this in which the cuckolded husband shoots the unfaithful wife when she tries to trick him into shooting the silkie. Excellent variation. He was a gunner good... Also I grew up with that Cynthia Gooding album, love Queen of Hearts too... |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: GUEST Date: 30 Oct 19 - 05:53 PM There is no mention of the version by June Tabor, |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Mrrzy Date: 14 May 19 - 07:38 PM Our very own Anne Lister did a great version of this. Seems earlier, and the gunner kills the wife, not the silkies. |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Rigby Date: 21 Nov 18 - 04:49 AM For the sake of completeness, I don't think anyone has mentioned the rather good version by the band Trees, which I think is to the Waters tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4D-kY5j1bE |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Corwen Broch Date: 21 Nov 18 - 03:58 AM We recorded the Play O'de Lathie Odivere version of this recently on our CD Fishe or Fowle, along with various other Selkie pieces (Seal Woman's Lament, Seal Woman's Sea Song etc). We anglicised the dialect somewhat, singing broad Scots in an English accent just sounds wrong, but we did it in its full length, 93 verses, 25 minutes. We used the Sinclair tune collected by Otto Andersson. Although its often claimed to be a Victorian forgery, I suspect its not, or at least not just that. The piece is divided into 5 parts, and the dialect of each varies exactly as you would expect if it were collected from various singers in fragments. Dialect is very local in Orkney, and would have been more so in the 19th century, and the piece reflects this. The piece makes sense, but still follows ballad logic and does not, for instance, include details such as the heroine's name which I suspect a Victorian forger would have added. There is a tradition of performance called a 'foy' in Orkney, which is defined in the Orkney Dictionary as an entertainment consisting of readings and music. The primary entertainment at a foy is a reading, by several people, of a text somewhat like a play text. It is very like a read through of a play, sometimes containing songs, and occasionally symbolic items of costume, but not acted in any way (the performers usually sitting around on chairs on stage). This is a written literary art-form. The Odivere text bears a great similarity to other foy texts and I suspect was at some point a composed foy which has cross fertilised with oral tradition, inspired by it and inspiring it. One could suspect a distant linkage with ring-dance traditions from Iceland and the Faroe islands as well as earlier forms of entertainment from elsewhere in the UK. The primary source for Odivere cited by Traill-Dennison, a minister's wife called Mrs Hiddleston, was a real person with a known interest in folklore and quite well known locally for her musical skills. If Odivere was composed, then it was by her, in which case a piece of folk culture composed 170 years ago by someone inside that tradition is still 'genuine' as far as I'm concerned. Ultimately having read a lot of genuine and Victorian ballads Odivere simply feels authentic, though possible slightly improved, rather than having the heavy fingerprint of Victorian composition upon it. Anyhow it's simply a masterpiece of both poetry and storytelling, wherever it came from. You can read our rendering into singable English here: http://www.ancientmusic.co.uk/files/lady%20odivere%20parallel.pdf Or you can hear it here: https://katecorwen.bandcamp.com/album/fishe-or-fowle |
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Subject: RE: Origins: The Great Silkie From: Reinhard Date: 17 Nov 16 - 08:43 PM Roberto asked in 2005: the John Sinclair noted by Otto Andersson in 1938 and the John Sinclair recorded on Peter Kennedy's anthology Sailormen & Servingmaids (I think in 1961) are the same person? The booklet of the Caedmon/Topic album "Sailormen and Servingmaids" noted: A brief version of it appears as no. 113 in Child without a tune, but this is no match for the variant which old John Sinclair of Flotta in the Orkney Isles turned up with in January 1934. He has since been visited by Swedish folklorists [i.e. Otto Anderson] and recorded for the BBC. [which I assume is the version on "Sailormen and Servingmaids"] |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Banjiman Date: 11 Mar 13 - 08:45 AM Here's a pipes, harp, guitar and vocals version from Wendy Arrowsmith and John & Caroline Bushby. Great Silkie |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Brian Tyson Date: 11 Mar 13 - 03:56 AM In Archie Fisher's beautiful version of this song, we have the verse: "My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring, Wi' a ring, my dear, I'll wed wi' ye; Now thou may wed with whom thou wilt For I'm sure we'll never mair atwee."* I'm quite sure the Fisher version is accurate. Of the hundreds of versions of the lyrics of this ancient ballad, he is the only one who makes sense of this verse. "I'm sure we'll never mair atwee" is a variant of "we'll never mair atwin" (i.e. "separate.") It is akin to the line in the ballad of Clerk Saunders, where May Margret says: "Your faith and troth ye never shall get, Nor our true love shall never twin" He is saying, in effect,I'll marry you (with a ring)--then, afterwards you can "marry" any human you wish; for I'm sure you and I will never be separated." The other versions make no sense. Their verses begin with the Silkie saying "I'll wed you" and end with his saying "You'll never wed me!" |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: JohnInKansas Date: 12 Jun 12 - 05:00 PM Thread drift - related(?) subject: A parody on the theme, titled "You picked a fine time to leave me, you Seal" (to the tune of the pop song "You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucile") was mentioned in a thread here some time ago, but I didn't find it with a quick search. Lyrics were published in !Sing Out, and IIRC were posted here. Info for the the curious (or demented) only. The rest may resume the serious and scholarly discussion. John |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Atlanticarc Date: 12 Jun 12 - 11:51 AM Good version on Naked Voice by Elspeth Cowie, ex Seannachie and Chantan mp3 album and trax from http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elspethcowie artist website htpp://www.elspethcowie.com |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Langtonian Date: 10 Mar 09 - 02:37 AM I was sent a private email about my recordings of this mentioned above, so just to clarify for anyone else that's interested, and hopefully deflect any further attacks, here's some background. I originally learned the tune from print, circa 1967, following the publication of it in Bronson where it is attributed to John Sinclair of Orkney. I learned the tune specifically for a recording project by Argo Records, "Poetry and Song" On that occasion I was accompanied by two fellow members of the Critics Group, John Faulkner and Terry Yarnell, both playing fiddle. My text came from an amalgam of sources and was deliberately not John Sinclairs Many years later, John Purser added some seal sounds in the background, and as much as I love and admire John's work, I cannot accept any responsibility for the seal sounds. :-) (For those unfamiliar with John's work it is well worth reading his book "Scotland's Music" and if possible listen to the 30 radio programmes that parralled the book) Over the last 40 years or so since I first learned them, my tune and the text will have no doubt undergone changes, and for that I make no apologies - it is the way of the tradition. Bob Blair |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Barry Finn Date: 10 Mar 09 - 12:52 AM I did get that, thanks Bill. I'm not done rolling the tune around but I'm leaning more towards the Waters tune, it's no wonder that so many folks have taken to it over the traditional tune. Barry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Dave MacKenzie Date: 09 Mar 09 - 08:38 PM I have the words of "The Play o' de Lathie Odivere" that I copied out in manuscript on quarto sheets over 40 years ago from the Proceedings of some Antiquarian Society,the held in Edinburgh Corporation's Scottish Library. There was a bit more than just the song text, and if I remember rightly, the author was explaining how the original had been lost so he/she had had to reconstruct it from fragments, and also discussing various points such as the implications of making an oath to Odin. The spelling was slightly different from the posted version. Here's the first verse, umlauts and all. In Norowa a lathie bed, A bonnie lass in muckle gare; An' hid wus soothly sung an' said, Shü wus a lathie sweet an' fair. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Bill D Date: 09 Mar 09 - 09:24 AM refreshing in case Barry missed this...(where did you go, Barry?) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: mg Date: 08 Mar 09 - 12:09 AM I met a distant cousin by the name of O'Shea with roots where my family has roots in Dingle, Ireland..and she said I think that they believed themselves to be Selkies..mg |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Bill D Date: 07 Mar 09 - 05:07 PM John Sinclair (I'll leave this up 'for awhile') The Gaugers treatment of the Halcro tune is nicely done, also. Halcro himself was a bit 'rough'. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Bill D Date: 07 Mar 09 - 04:58 PM Barry.. I have that.. I'll post it where you can listen. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Barry Finn Date: 07 Mar 09 - 04:21 PM Does anyone know where I might hear the John Sinclair's version of the Great Silkie on the internet. On U-Tube the only performances of the song I could find were all done to the tune Waters composed? Thanks Barry |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 09 Aug 05 - 06:27 PM Because I live in California :-) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Susanne (skw) Date: 09 Aug 05 - 06:04 PM So why haven't you been to any Eurogathering??? Shirker! :-) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 08 Aug 05 - 07:17 PM That's OK, Susanne. We can't all agree on everything, can we? Cheers, Michael (aus Hamburg) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Susanne (skw) Date: 08 Aug 05 - 05:12 PM Can't agree with you, Michael. Sometimes spelling it all out can be too much. I'm quite prepared to believe 'he shot the son and the grey silkie' and believe the mother just knew without any material proof. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 07 Aug 05 - 11:33 PM I take your point, Malcolm. I'm almost as much interested in authenticity as you are. But I'm also a working performer, and as such I'm thrilled to find that verse, which I consider important for the continuity (and the audience's comprehension) of the ballad. If Paddy hadn't made it up, I'd have to do it myself! Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 07 Aug 05 - 04:00 PM Yes, it's there; but made up by Paddy Graber, I strongly suspect, to fill a gap in a song he probably learned from a record, turning it into an "Irish version" by adding "Donegal" wherever it would fit. The language of that verse isn't really consonant with the rest. This is too rare a song to have turned up unremarked in Donegal (there's no evidence that it's ever been found in tradition outside Orkney and Shetland); and I'm afraid Paddy has on other occasions made claims for some of his material which are are very unlikely to be true. Treat with extreme caution in the absence of supporting evidence. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 07 Aug 05 - 02:24 PM Stewart -- thanks for posting that! There is the missing verse! Lave it to the Irish... Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Roberto Date: 07 Aug 05 - 01:51 AM I've listened again to the other recording of Silkie by Dave Burland, on Songs & Buttered Haycocks: he uses the same tune, similar to John Sinclair's, in both recordings. I take the chance to ask once again: the John Sinclair noted by Otto Andersson in 1938 and the John Sinclair recorded on Peter Kennedy's anthology Sailormen & Servingmaids (I think in 1961) are the same person? Thanks. R |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Roberto Date: 07 Aug 05 - 01:31 AM Yes, you're right, Susanne (skw), Dave Burland's tune in Willin' uses John Sinclair's tune. I take the chance to ask once again: the John Sinclair noted by Otto Andersson in 1938 and the John Sinclair recorded on Peter Kennedy's anthology Sailormen & Servingmaids (I think in 1961) are the same person? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREAT SILKIE O' SULE SKERRIE From: Susanne (skw) Date: 06 Aug 05 - 06:08 PM Roberto beat me to Jean Redpath's version. Still, I think her notes are worth adding: [1987:] Stories of the seal-folk are legion - Ireland, the Outer Hebrides, Argyll, Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Sutherland, Northeast Scotland and even Norway and Greenland share the tradition of the silkie, or selchie (prob. from Norse selch: seal). Thomas in 1852 described this as "the superstition of the seals or selkies being able to throw off their waterproof jackets and assume the more graceful proportions of the genus Homo". The ballad in this form was recovered in 1938 by Professor Otto Andersson of Finland from John Sinclair of Flotta in the Orkney Islands. Sule Skerry [Sula Sgeir] is a rocky islet 25 miles west of Hoy Head in Orkney. Professor Bertrand H. Bronson (University of California/Berkeley) has a note and further references. In singing the ballad, the repetition of the verse beginning "My dear, I'll wed the(e?) wi' a ring" left me a little confused as to who was speaking the second time [...] and why. I assumed that the silkie offered marriage the first time, but couldn't quite decide who proposed and who refused the second time. I resolved the dilemma to my own satisfaction, having read the epic of the "Lady Odivere" which includes a similar encounter. On the silkie's return, his reply to her proposal is: Doo wad no', whin I wad gudewife; (You wouldn't when I wanted to I winno, whin doo'r willan noo, I won't now that you are willing Dat day doo tint doo'l never faind; That day you lost you'll never find He's late, he's ower late tae rue It's late, too late for regrets) (Notes 'Jean Redpath') And this is Sheena Wellington's version (very close to Jean Redpath's) without the question marks. Any further corrections are welcome: THE GREAT SILKIE O' SULE SKERRIE Sheena Wellington, Strong Women, Greentrax CDTRAX 094, 1995. Tune: the one used by John Sinclair In Norowa' land there lived a maid Baloo, balee, the maid began Oh little ken I my bairn's father Nor yet the land whaur he belang But it happened on a certain day When this young maiden lay asleep That in there cam' a great silkie And sat him doon at her bed feet Sayin', Awake, awake, my bonnie maid Awake, awake as thou do sleep I'll tell you whaur his faither is He's sittin' here at thy bed feet Ah pray come tell tae me your name And tell me whaur your dwelling be My name it is guid Heim Mailer And I earn my livin' oot at sea For I am a man upon the land I am a silkie on the sea And when I'm far frae ony strand My hame it is in Sule Skerry A woe-, a woe-, a woefu' fate A weary fate has been laid on me That a man should come frae the wast' o' Hoy Tae the Norowa' land tae hae a bairn wi' me My dear, I'll wed ye wi' a ring Wi' a ring, cried he, I'll wed wi' thee Thou may go wed wi' whom thou will For I'm sure you'll never wed wi' me Then ye shall nurse my bonnie son For seeven years upon your knee And at the end o' seeven lang years I'll come and pay the nourris fee And she has nursed his bonnie son For seeven years upon her knee And at the end o' seeven years He's come back wi' gowd and white money My dear, I'll wed ye wi' a ring Wi' a ring, cried she, I'll wed wi' thee Thou micht go wed wi' whom thou will For I'm sure you'll never wed wi' me And I'll put a gowd chain roond his neck An' a gey guid gowd chain it'll be And if e'er he comes tae the Norowa' land You micht tak' a guid guess it is he An' ye shall mairry a gunner guid And a richt guid gunner he will be An' he's gane oot on a May mornin' An' shot the son and the great silkie A woe-, a woe-, a woefu' fate A woefu' fate has been laid on me And sighin' sair she drapped tae the strand And her tender hairt it brak'd in three [1995:] Stories and songs of the silkies or seal-people and their dealings with humankind are found widely in both Norse and Celtic tradition but Francis James Child's 'English and Scottish Popular Ballads' has only one fairly short version of this ballad and, of course, no melody. This stark tune and the fuller story were recorded in the thirties from John Sinclair of Flotta in the Orkney Islands. In some versions it is the Silkie who offers marriage the second time but while collating my text from various sources I decided that it was likely that the woman would see marriage as the only way to keep her child. (Notes Sheena Wellington, 'Strong Women') Dave Burland (Roberto's n-2 above) does not use the James Waters tune, but the John Sinclair one, though with a slightly 'funky' beat, at least on my copy of 'Willin'' (1989). |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 06 Aug 05 - 03:11 PM Hmmm. One of Paddy's little stories, I suspect. I'm afraid I find it rather hard to believe. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY (P Graber From: Stewart Date: 06 Aug 05 - 01:29 PM I hesitate to add yet another version, but this is the Donegal variant sung by Paddy Graber on his CD "The Craic Was Great." This, he says, comes from his family in Ireland. THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY - Donegal version by Paddy Graber. In Donegal there dwelt a maid, "O hush my babe" this maid sang she, "I wonder where your father is. Is he on land or in the sea?" It fell upon that self-same night, when that fair maid lay fast asleep, In there did come the great Silkie, and sat him down at her bed feet. "Awake, awake, my bonnie wee lass, just like your babe, soundly you'll sleep. You wondered where his father is, he's sitting now at your bed feet. "I pray you tell to me your name, and tell me where your dwelling be." "My name it is Good Hein Mailler, I take my living from the sea." "I am a man upon the land, I am a Silkie in the sea, And when I'm far from ev'ry strand, I make my home in Sule Skerry." "Alas, alas, this woeful fate, this woeful fate that's laid on me, That you should come to Donegal, and lie and make a babe with me." "My dear I'll wed thee with a ring, with a ring of gold I will we thee." "O you may wed with whom you will, I swear you'll never wed with me." "And you must raise our bonnie-wee son, for seven long years close by your knee, And at the end of seven long years I'll return with gold for the nourishment fee." And she did raise their bonnie-wee son, for seven long years close by her knee, And at the end of seven long years, he came with gold for the young silkie. Saying "I will wed thee with a ring, with a ring of gold will I wed thee." "O you may wed with whom you will, I swear you'll never wed with me." "But I will place a collar of gold, around his neck where all might see, And if he returns to Donegal, I'll know right well that it is he." "O you will marry a gunner good, and a right good gunner he'll prove to be, And he'll go out to the Head of Hoy and he'll shoot your son and the great Silkie." It's true she married a gunner good, and a right good gunner he proved to be, And he went out on a May morning, and he shot her son and the great Silkie. And he returned to Donegal, and a joyous man surely was he. He went straightway to his good wife, with a collar of gold from her young silkie. "Alas, alas, this woeful fate, this woeful fate that's laid on me!" And once or twice she sobb'd and sigh'd, and her tender heart it broke in three. Cheers, S. in Seattle |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREAT SILKIE O' SULE SKERRIE From: Roberto Date: 06 Aug 05 - 11:02 AM Two more recordings (Sheena Wellington and Jean Redpath), but this time I need help (with Sheena Wellington's text) and I have a question on John Sinclair's version. I can't get a couple of words in stanza 11, and I've put question marks where I'm not sure. The question: John Sinclair noted by Otto Andersson in 1938 and John Sinclair recorded on Peter Kennedy's anthology Sailormen & Servingmaids (I think in 1961) are the same person? The Great Silkie o' Sule Skerrie Sheena Wellington, Strong Women, Live at Nitten (Newtongrange) Folk Club, Scotland, Greentrax CDTRAX 094, 1995. John Sinclair's tune. In Norwa land there lived a maid Baloo, balee (?), the maid began O little ken I my bairn's father Nor yet the land whaur he belang (?) For it happened on a certain day When this young maiden lay asleep That in there come a Great Silkie And sat him doon at her bed feet Saying awake, awake, my bonnie maid Awake, awake, as thou do sleep I'll tell you whaur his faither is He's sitting here at thy bed feet I pray come tell to me your name And tell me whaur your dwellin be My name it is Gunn (?) Hein Mailer I earn my living oot at sea For I am a man upon the land I am a Silkie on the sea And when I'm far fae ony strand My hame it is in Sule Skerry A woe, a woe (?), a woeful fate A weary fate that's been lain on me That a man should come fae the West o Hoy Tae the Norwa land tae hae a bairn wi me My dear I'll wed ye wi a ring Wi a ring, cried he, I'll wed with thee Thou may go wed wi whom thou will For I'm sure you'll never wed wi me Then ye shall nurse my bonnie son For siven years upon your knee And at the end o siven lang years I'll come and pay the nouris fee And she has nursed his bonnie son For siven years upon her knee And at the end o siven years He's come back wi gowd and white money My dear I'll wed ye wi a ring Wi a ring, cried she, I'll wed wi thee Thou micht go wed wi whom thou will For I'm sure you'll never wed wi me An' I'll pit a gowd chain roond his neck An a gey good gowd chain it'll be And if e'er he comes tae the Norwa land Ye micht hae ... a guid guess it is he And ye shall marry a gunner guid An a richt guid gunner he will be And he's gaen oot on a May morning And shot the son and the Great Silkie A woe, a woe, a woeful fate A woeful fate has been lain on me And sighing sair she dropped i' (?) the strand An her tender hairt, it brakt (?) in three The Grey Silkie Jean Redpath, Jean Redpath, Philo CD PH 2015, 1975. John Sinclair's version. In Norwa land, there lived a maid Baloo, my babe, this maid began I ken na whaur your faither is Nor yet the land that he dwells in It happened on a certain day When this fair maiden fell asleep That in there come a grey silkie And sat him doon at her bed feet Saying - Awake, awake, my bonnie maid For O how sound as thou dost sleep I'll tell thee whaur his faither is He's sitting close at thy bed feet I pray come tell tae me your name And tell me whaur your dwellin be - My name it is Good Hein Mailler An I earn my living oot tae sea I am a man upon the land I am a Silkie in the sea And when I'm far fae every strand My dwelling is in Sule Skerry Alas, alas, this woeful fate This weary fate that's been laid on me That a man should a come fae the West o Hoy Tae the Norwa lands tae hae a bairn wi me My dear I'll wed ye wi a ring Wi a ring my dear, I'll wed with thee Thou may go wed wi whom thou will I'm sure ye'll never wed wi me Thou will nurse my bonnie son For siven lang years upon your knee And at the end o siven lang years I'll come and pay the nurse's fee She has nursed her little wee son For siven lang years upon her knee And at the end o seven lang years He's come back wi gold and white money My dear I'll wed ye wi a ring Wi a ring my dear, I'll wed wi thee Thou may go wed wi whom thou will I'm sure ye'll never wed wi me But I'll pit a gold chain roond his neck An a gey good gold chain it'll be That if ever he comes tae the Norwa lands You can hae a guid guess it is he And you will get a gunner good An a gey good gunner it will be An he'll gae oot on a May morning An shoot the son an the grey silkie And she has got a gunner good An a gey good gunner I'm sure 'twas he An he gaed oot on a May morning An he shot the son and the grey silkie Alas, alas, this woeful fate This weary fate that's been laid on me And ance or twice she sobbed and sighed An her tender hairt, it brak in three |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Stephen R. Date: 05 Aug 05 - 12:20 AM I believe that I saw an article in _Tocher_, it must have been at least twenty years ago, with a couple of tunes for "The Grey Selchie" that had not been published before. How about someone doing a bibliography on it? It certainly deserves one. Stephen |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Gerry Date: 04 Aug 05 - 01:43 AM My thanks to all who have posted in response to my request. I'm particularly amused to see the reference to a Nancy Kerr recording, as I own just about every CD she has ever been on - except this one! |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 03 Aug 05 - 12:16 AM That "important" verse was obviously not considered crucial by the traditional carriers of the song. Of those who even mentioned it, none sang it; but simply summarised that part before resuming their singing. James Henderson actually learned it that way from his mother; it may have been, as Alan Bruford suggests, "a regular feature of the ballad". See Alan Bruford, 'The Grey Selkie' in E B Lyle (ed), Ballad Studies. Cambridge: D S Brewer for the Folklore Society, 1976. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 02 Aug 05 - 01:05 AM refresh -- how about that missing verse? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: michaelr Date: 31 Jul 05 - 10:22 PM Stewart -- thanks so much for posting the link to the older tune. It may be superior to James Waters'. What strikes me as significant is that all the later versions leave out the most important part: the mother's husband, after shooting the seal(s), brings back to her the gold chain the silkie gave her, which she put around her son's neck -- which is how she knows that her son is dead. Why, do you think, is that verse omitted, when it would add so much to the story's clarity and poignancy? Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Lighter Date: 31 Jul 05 - 07:37 PM I've read the book Stewart recommends on his silkie website linked above - "The People of the Sea," by David Thompson. It's a great *nonfiction* read for anybody interested in the subject. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Susan of DT Date: 31 Jul 05 - 07:26 PM Thank you, Roberto. This was my favorite ballad for a long while. See SILKIE2 The Grey Silkie of Sule Skerry in the Digital Tradition for Jean Redpath's version with the tune she used. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Susanne (skw) Date: 31 Jul 05 - 05:04 PM Roberto, thank you ever so much! I'll look up Sheena Wellington's lyrics and post them some time this week if they're markedly different from any of the above. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRIE (16 versions From: Roberto Date: 31 Jul 05 - 11:55 AM 16 recordings of The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry (#113). Recently, Aly Bain and Ale Moeller recorded an instrumental rendition, on the tune composed by James Waters (Fully Rigged, Whirlie Records 2001). The recoding by Sheena Wellington, Greentrax, is not included in this post. R a) The Grey Silkie John Sinclair, Flotta, Orkney Islands, in Sailormen & Servingmaids, a collection of songs about seamen and their womenfolk, recorded in the field from traditional singers in England, Scotland and Ireland, Topic 12T194 (1961) In Norway's Land there lived a maid "Hush ba-loo-lilly". this maid began, "I know not where my babe's father is Whether by land or sea does he travel in" It happened on a certain day When this fair lady fell fast asleep That in came a good grey silkie And set him down at her bed feet Saying, "Awak', awak', my pretty fair maid, For oh, how sound as thou dost sleep, And I'll tell thee where thy babe's father is, He's sitting close at thy bed feet." "I pray thee tell to me thy name, Oh, tell me where does thy dwelling be?" "My name is good Hill Marliner, And I earn my living oot o'er the sea. I am a man upon the land, I am a silkie in the sea, And when I'm far from every strand My dwelling it's in Sule Skerry" "Alas, alas, that's woeful fate, That's weary fate that's been laid on me, That a man should come from the West o' Hoy To the Norway Lands to have a bairn wi' me." "My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring, With a ring, my dear, will I wed with thee." "Thee may go to thee weddings with whom thou wilt, For I'm sure thou never will wed wi' me." She has nursed his little wee son For seven long years upon her knee And at the end of seven long years He came back with gowd and white monie For she has got the gunner good And a gay good gunner it was he, He gaed oot on a May morning And he shot the son and the grey silkie. "Alas, alas, that's woeful fate, That's weary fate that's been laid on me." And eenst or twice she sobbed and sighed And her tender hairt did break in three. (spoken) And that's the finish. b) The Grey Silkie of Sule Skerry Bob Blair, Reachin' for the high, high lands, The Tradition Bearers, LTCD1001, 2000 (John Sinclair's version) In Norway there lived a maid Bye loo my baby - she begins Little know I my babes father Or if land or sea he's living in Then there arose at her bed feet And a grumlie guest I'm sure 'twas he Said - Here am I thy babes father Although I be not comely I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm in my own country My dwelling is in Sule Skerry He ha ta'en oot a purse o gold And he has put it on her knee Said give to me my little wee son And take thee up thy nurses fee It shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines hot on every stone That you shall take my little wee son And teach him to swim in the foam And you shall marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure he'll be And he'll go out on a May morning And kill both my young son and me And she did marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure twas he The very first shot that he did shoot He killed the son and the Great Silkie In Norway there lived a maid Bye loo my baby - she begins Little know I my babes father Or if land or sea he's living in c) The Silkie of Sule Skerry Alison McMorland (vocal and banjo), with Derek Hoy (fiddle), on Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre with Kirsty Potts, Rowan in the Rock, Songs of Love, Land and Nature, The Living Tradition, The Tradition Bearers, LTCD3002, 2001 (John Sinclair's version) In Norway land there lived a maid Hush, baloo lillie - this maid began I know not whaur ma bairn's faither is By land or sea does he traivel in It happened on a certain day When this fair maid lay fast asleep That in cam a grey silkie And sat him doon at her bed feet Saying - Awak' awak ma fair pretty maid For oh how sound as thou dost sleep I'll tell thee whaur yer bairn's faither is He's lyin' close st your bed feet I pray come tell tae me yer name An tell me whaur yer dwelling is? – My name it is guid Hein Mailer I earn ma livin' oot o the sea I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea An when I'm far fae every strand Ma dwellin t'is in Sule Skerry Alas, alas this woeful fate This weary fate' that's been laid on me That a man should come frae the West o'Hoy Tae the Noraway lands tae hae a bairn by me He said - Ye'll nurse ma little wee son For seiven lang years upon yer knee An at the end o' seiven lang years I'll come back again an pay the nouris fee And she has nursed her little wee son For seiven lang years upon her knee An at the end of seiven lang years He's cam back again wi' white monie He said - I'll pit a chain roon his neck An a gey gowd chain o it will be An if ever he comes tae the Noraway lands Ye'll hae a guid guess on who is he An he said - Ye'll wed a gunner guid An a gay guid gunner it will be An he'll gae oot on a May mornin He'll shoot your son and the grey silkie Oh she has wed a gunner guid An a gay guid gunner it was he An he gaed oot on a May mornin He shot the son and the grey selchie Alas, alas this woefu late This weary fate that's been laid on me - She sobbed and sighed and bitter cried Her tender hert did brak in three d) The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry Paul Clayton, Folk Ballads of the English-Speaking World, Folkways Records FA 2310, 1956. Tune: the one used by John Sinclair. In Norway lands there lived a maid Balloo my babe - this maid began I know not where your father is Or if land or sea he travels in It happened on a certain day When this fair lady fell fast asleep That in came a good grey silkie And set him down at her bed feet Saying - Awake, awake my pretty fair maid For oh! how sound as thou dost sleep! And I'll tell thee where they baby's father is He's sitting close at thy bed feet I pray, come tell to me thy name Oh! tell me where does thy dwelling be? - My name it is good Hein Miller And I earn my living out of the sea I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far from every strand My dwelling is in Shule Skerry Alas! alas! this woeful fate! This weary fate that's been laid for me! That a man should come from the West of Hoy To the Norway lands to have a bairn with me My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee – Thou may wed thee weddens with whom thou wilt For I'm sure thou'll never wed none with me Thou will nurse my little wee son For seven long years upon thy knee And at the end of seven long years I'll come back and pay the norish fee She has nursed her little wee son For seven long years upon her knee And at the end of seven long years He came back with gold and white money She says - My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee – Thou may wed thee weddens with whom thou wilt For I'm sure thou'll never wed none with me But I'll put a gold chain around his neck And a gey good gold chain it'll be That if ever he comes to the Norway lands Thou may have a gey good guess on him And thou will get a gunner good And a gey good gunner it will be And he'll go out on a May morning And shoot the son and the grey silkie Oh! she has got a gunner good And a gey good gunner it was he And he went out on a May morning And he shot the son and the grey silkie Alas! Alas! this woeful fate! This weary fate that's been laid for me! And once or twice she sobbed and sighed And her tender heart did break in three e) Great Selchie of Shule Skerry Cynthia Gooding, Faithful Lovers and other phenomena, Elektra 107. Tune: the one used by John Sinclair. In Norway lands there lived a maid Balloo my babe - this maid began I know not where your father is Or if land or sea he travels in It happened on a certain day When this fair lady fell fast asleep That in came a good grey selchie And set him dowo at her bed feet Saying – Awak', awak' my pretty fair maid For oh! how sound as thou dost sleep! And I'll tell thee where they baby's father is He's sitting close at thy bed feet I pray, come tell to me thy name Oh! tell me where does thy dwelling be? - My name it is good Hein Miller And I earn my living out of the sea I am a man upon the land I am a selchie in the sea And when I'm far from every strand My dwelling is in Shule Skerry Alas! alas! this woeful fate! This weary fate that's been laid for me! That a man should come from the West o' Hoy To the Norway lands to have a bairn with me My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee – Thou may go wed thee weddings with whom thou wilt I'm sure thou'll never wed none with me Thou will nurse my little wee son For seven long years upon thy knee And at the end of seven long years I'll come back and pay the norish fee She's nursed her little wee son For seven long years upon her knee And at the end of seven long years He came back with gold and white money She says - My dear, I'll wed thee with a ring With a ring, my dear, I'll wed with thee – Thou may go wed thee weddings with whom thou wilt For I'm sure thou'll never wed none with me But I'll put a gold chain around his neck And a gey good gold chain it'll be And if ever he comes to the Norway lands Thou may have a gay good guess on him And thou will get a gunner good And a gay good gunner it will be And he'll gae out on a May morning And he'll shoot the son and the grey selchie Oh! she has got a gunner good And a gay good gunner it was he And he gaed out on a May morning And he shot the son and the grey selchie Alas! Alas! this woeful fate! This weary fate that's been laid for me! And once or twice she sobbed and sighed And her tender heart did break in three f) The Great Silkie Nancy Kerr, on Sandra and Nancy Kerr, Neat and Complete, Fellside FECD107, 1996. Tune: the one used by John Sinclair. In Noroway there lived a maid Bye-loo my baby she begins Oh know not I my babes father Or if land or sea he's living in Then there arose at her bedfeet And a grummlie guest I'm sure was he Saying - Here am I thy babe's father Although I be not comely I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea But when I'm in my own countrie My dwelling is in Sule Skerry Then he has taken a purse of gold And he has put it upon her knee Saying - Give to me my little wee son And take thee up thy nurse's fee And it shall pass on a summer's day When the sun shines hot on every stone That I shall take my little wee son And teach him for to swim in the foam And you shall marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure he'll be And he'll go out on a May morning And kill both my young son and me And she did marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure twas he And the very first shot he ever did shoot He killed the son and the great silkie In Noroway there lives a maid Bye-loo my baby she begins Oh know not I my babe's father Or if land or sea he's living in I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm in my own countrie My dwelling is in Sule Skerry g) The Grey Selchie John G. Halcro, on Orkney, Land, Sea & Community, Scottish Tradition 21, School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh, Greentrax CDTRAX 9021 (fragment recorded in 1973). For I'm a man upon the land I'm a selkie in the sea And I do come from the west o' the Hoy Which wise men do call Sule Skerry My name it is good Hein Miller I earn my living by the sea And when I'm far from every shore It's then I am in Sule Skerry h) The Grey Selchie of Sule Skerry The Gaugers, Awa Wi The Rovin Sailor, Traditional Scots folk songs and music of the sea, Sleepytown Records, SLPYCD003, 1994. Tune: the one used by John G. Halcro. There lived a maid in the Norway lands Hush be loo lily – this maid began I know not far by babe's father is Whether on land or sea he does travel in Well, it happened on a certain day Fan this fair maid fell fast asleep That in there come a good grey selchie And sat him doon at her bed feet Sayin' – Awake, awake, my pretty fair maid For oh, how sound as you doth sleep! And I'll tell you far your babe's father is Oh, he's sittin' close at your bed feet For I am a man upon the land Ay, I am a selchie on the sea And fan I'm far frae every strand My dwelling is in Sule Skerry Oh alas, alas, this woeful fate This weary fate that's been laid for me That a man should come fae the West o' Hoy Tae the Norway lands tae get a bairn wi' me But my dear, I'll wed thee wi' a ring Wi' a ring, my dear, I will wed wi' thee You may go wed your weddings wi' whom you will For I'm sure I'll never wed nane wi' thee Then you will nurse my little wee son For seven long years upon your knee And at the end o' seven long years I'll come back and pay thee nurse's fee So she has nursed his little wee son For scven long years upon her knee And at the end o' seven long years He's come back wi' gold and wi' white monie Oh I will pit a gold chain aroond his neck Ay, a gay good gold chain it will be And if ever he comes tae the Norway land You can hae a gay good guess on him Oh - says she – I'll wed thee wi' a ring Wi' a ring, my dear, I will wed wi' thee You may go wed your weddings wi' whom you will For I'm sure I'll never wed nane wi' thee For you will get a gunner good Ay, a gay good gunner then he will be And he'll gae oot on a May morning And he'll shoot the son and the grey selchie Ay, and she has got a gunner good Ay, a gay good gunner then it was he And he's gaed oot on a May morning And he's shot the son and the grey selchie Oh, alas, alas, this woeful fate This weary fate that's been laid for me And aince or twice she's sobbed and sighed And her tender heart it did brak' in three i) The Silkie of Sul Skerry Ray Fisher, The Bonny Birdy, Leader LERCD2028 (2000), LP originale: 1972. Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. An earthly nourice sits and sings And aye she sings, Ba-ba, lily wean, For little ken I my bairnie's father, Far less the land that he dwells in. And he was there at her bed-foot And a grumlie guest I am sure twas he Saying, Here am I, thy bairnie's father Altho' I be not comely I wasna weel, quo' the maiden fair, I wasna weel, indeed, quo' she When the grey silkie o' Sul Skerry Did cam and brocht a bairn tae me But I'm a man upon the land And I am a silkie in the sea But when I'm far and far frae land My home is in the Sul Skerry Then he's ta'en oot a purse o' gowd And he has thrown it upon her knee Saying, Gie tae me my bonny wee son And tak thee up thy nourice fee For it will come tae pass on a simmer's day When the sun shines hot upon every stane That I will tak my bonny wee son And I'll teach him for tae swim the faem And thou shalt marry a proud gunner And a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be But the very first shot that ever he shoots He'll kill baith your young son and me j) Silkie Joan Baez, on Joan Baez Vol.2, Vanguard 79595-2 and on The Joan Baez Ballad Book, Vanguard ed. Italiana Orizzonte, Ricordi, AORL 28344, first released on Joan Baez Vol.2, Vanguard VSD-2097, 1961. Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. Chords (from the Joan Baez Songbook) G(D) F(C) G(D) An earthly nurse sits and sings F(C) G(D) And aye, she sings by lily wean - C(G) G(D) F(C) G(D) And little ken I my bairn's father F(C) Am(Em) Dm(Am) G(D) Far less the land where he dwells in An earthly nurse sits and sings And aye, she sings by lily wean - And little ken I my bairn's father Far less the land where he dwells in For he came on night to her bed feet And a grumbly guest, I'm sure was he Saying - Here am I, thy bairn's father Although I be not comely I am a man upon the land I am a silkie on the sea And when I'm far and far frae land My home it is in Sule Skerrie And he had ta'en a purse of gold And he had placed it upon her knee Saying - Give to me my little young son And take thee up thy nurse's fee And it shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines bright on every stane I'll come and fetch my little young son And teach him how to swim the faem And ye shall marry a gunner good And a right fine gunner I'm sure he'll be And the very first shot that e'er he shoots Will kill both my young son and me k) Great Selchie of Shule Skerry Judy Collins, A Maid of Constant Sorrow and Golden Apples of the Sun, Elektra Records 8122 73560-2; ballad originally released in 1962 (Golden Apples of the Sun). Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. In Norway, there sits a maid By lou, my baby - she begins Little know I my child's father Or if land or sea he's livin' in Then there arose at her bed feet And a grumbly guest I'm sure it was he Saying - Here am I thy child's father Although that I am not comely I am a man upon the land I am a selchie in the sea And when I am in my own country My dwellin' is in Shule Skerry And he hath taken a purse of gold He hath put it upon her knee Saying - Give to me my little wee son And take thee up thy nurse's fee And it shall come to pass on a summer day When the sun shines hot on every stone That I shall take my little wee son And I'll teach him for to swim in the foam And you will marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure he'll be And he'll go out on a May morning And he'll kill both my wee son and me And lo, she did marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure it was he And the very first shot that ere he did shoot He killed the son and the great selchie l) The Silkie Of Sule Skerry The McCalmans, on The Best of Scottish Folk, 2CD, Castle MusicESDCD 769 (song recorded in 1975). Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. An earthly nourice sits and sings And aye she sings - Ba, lily wean Little ken I my bairn's faither Far less the land that he lives in It happened on a summer's day When this faur maid fell fast asleep That in there cam a grey silkie And sat him doon at her bed feet I pray, come tell to me thy name Or tell me where thy dwelling be – My name it is good Hein Miller An' I earn my livin' oot o'er the sea I am a man upon the land I am a silkie on the sea And when I'm far and far frae land My home it is in Sule Skerry Thoo will nurse my little wee son For seven long years upon thy knee And at the end of seven long years I'll come back and pay thy nurse's fee An' you will get a gunner good And a gey good gunner he's sure to be And the very first shot that e'er he fires Will kill both my young son and me For she has gotten a gunner good And a gey god gunner sure was he And he gaed oot on a May morning And shot her son and the grey silkie m) The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry Art Thieme, The Older I Get, The Better I Was, Waterbug WBG 0045, 1998; ballad recorded in 1978. Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. In Norway land there lived a maid In Norway land by the mighty sea Little know I my child's father Whether land or sea that he dwells in And it came to pass in Norway land As she lay sleeping by the sea Out of the depths crept a great silkie And he stood him there at her bed feet And there he watched her all the day So soundly that you sleep – cried he If you'd know your child's father He's standing here at your bed feet I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home it is in Sule Skerry And you shall nurse our little son For seven years upon your knee And when I'm returned from my long swim I will bring your nurse's fee For I see it clear the days to come I see it clear the times that be That a gunner good standing on the shore Will kill our son and the great silkie And she has nursed their little son For seven years upon her knee And he's returned from his long swimming He has brought her nurse's fee And being glad to be near land And being glad to be at home He's taken his little son with him To teach him how to swim the foam And she had married a gunner good And a right good gunner I guess was he And he's stood him there upon the shore For to kill me out of the sea And it came to pass in Norway land In Norway land by the mighty sea That a gunner good standing on the shore Killed the son and the great silkie I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home it is in Sule Skerry n-1) Silkie Dave Burland, Songs & Buttered Haycocks, Rubber Records, RUB-012, UK, 1975. Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. An earthly nurse sits and sings And aye she sings, My little wean Saying, Little know I my bairn's father Far less the land that he dwells in Then one arose at her bed-foot And a grisly guest I'm sure was he Saying, Here am I, thy bairn's father Although I be not comelie I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home it is in Sule Skerry It was not well, said the lady fair It was not well indeed, said she That the Great Silkie of Sule Skerry Should have come and got a bairn by me And he has taken a purse of gold And he had laid it on her knee Sayin', Give to me my little young son And take you up your nurse's fee For it shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines bright on every stone That I will take my little young son And I'll teach him how to swim the foam And you shall marry a gunner good And a right fine gunner I'm sure he'll be And the very first shot that e'er he fires Will kill both my young son and me n-2) Silkie Dave Burland, (maybe on Willin'). Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. An earthly nurse sits and sings And aye she sings, My little wean Saying, Little know I my bairn's father Far less the land that he dwells in Then one arose at her bed-foot And a grisly guest I'm sure was he Saying, Here am I, thy bairn's father Although I be not comelie I am a man upon the land I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home it is in Sule Skerry And he has taken a purse of gold And he had laid it on her knee Sayin', Give to me my little young son Take you off your nurse's fee It shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines bright on every stone That I will take my little young son And teach him how to swim the foam And you shall marry a gunner good And a right fine gunner I'm sure he'll be And the very first shot that e'er he fires Will kill both my young son and me o) The Grey Selchie Solas, The Words That Remain, Shanachie 78023, 1998. Tune: the one composed by James Waters in the late 1950s. In Norwa there sits a maid "Byloo, my baby," she begins "Little know I my child's father For if land or sea he's living in" Then there arose at her bed feet A grumbly guest, I'm sure it was he Saying, "Here am I, thy child's father Although that I am not comely I am a man upon the land I am a selchie in the sea And when I am in my own country My dwelling is in Suleskerry" Then he had taken a purse of gold And he hath put it upon her knee Saying, "Give to me my little wee son And take thee up thy nurse's fee It shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines hot on every stone That I shall take my little wee son And teach him for to swim in the foam You will marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner I'm sure he will be But he'll go out on a May morning And kill both my wee son and me" Loath she did marry a gunner good And a proud good gunner, I'm sure it was he The very first shot that he did shoot He killed the son and the gray selchie In Norwa there sits a maid "Byloo, my baby," she begins "Little know I my child's father For if land or sea he's living in" In Norwa there sits a maid |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Stewart Date: 30 Jul 05 - 02:34 PM Here's an article on Silkie Folklore that I wrote for the Victory Review. Cheers, S. in Seattle |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: JohnInKansas Date: 30 Jul 05 - 11:40 AM This certainly isn't "The Great" one - but the tune is easy enough to find: Silkie Lyrics: Elizabeth Scarborough (With adaptations by Muriel Doris) SUNG TO THE TUNE OF: "Lucille" © Harold Bynum and Roger Bowling CHORUS: You picked a fine time to leave me, you seal. The babe that I bore you just makes my head reel. He'll only eat kippers, has four lovely flippers, Loves to dive down the well for his meal. You picked a fine time to leave me, you seal. Oh, you were a silkie, or that's what you told me, Though I'd have sworn you were a man. A right comely boy, oh, you gave me much joy, oh, But I never did understand. I'd have cause to regret once you got your feet wet, For a silkie, as I've come to know, On hitting the water can swim like an otter And balance a ball on his nose CHORUS Though we parted friendly, I think you should send me Some child support, that is my wish. Since I moved to Ohio, It's so hard, you don't know, Just to keep that poor kid in fish. And if I should remarry, it must be to some faery Of silkie descent, or at least To some understanding and most undemanding Boy in the employ of Greenpeace. CHORUS As printed in "The Folk Process," SING OUT, Vol 41 No 2, Aug/Sept/Oct 1996 John |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Susanne (skw) Date: 29 Jul 05 - 06:36 PM I have recordings by four artists who don't use the Waters tune. Sheena Wellington, Bob Blair and Alison McMorland (all on readily available CDs) use the one taken down from the singing of John Sinclair. Dave Burland has no notes and I haven't compared it to the others, but it doesn't seem to be the Waters tune. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:27 PM Generally when people post what they call "versions" of old songs here, they are just arrangements they have heard on records made by modern professional or semi-professional entertainers; not traditional forms in their own right. That's certainly the case in this thread; and I'm afraid that Lady Odivere is almost certainly a self-conscious late Victorian fake made by Walter Traill Dennison, not the "ancestor" of this song; though partly based on it. There are perhaps three tunes that have been found in genuine tradition associated with the song, and a few more texts. Not many, though. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: Stewart Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:10 PM The original version of the "Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" comes from the Orkney Islands (off the North coast of Scotland). I have the words, the original tune (midi file), and several links to Silkie lore HERE. The original tune for this song was nearly lost, but was noted down in 1938 by Dr. Otto Anderson, who heard it sung by John Sinclair on the island of Flotta, Orkney. He said, "I had no idea at the time that I was the first person to write down the tune. The pure pentatonic form of it and the beautiful melodic line showed me that it was a very ancient melody that I had set on paper." I much prefer this version to that of Joan Baez. Cheers, S. in Seattle |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Great Silkie From: GUEST,Gerry Date: 28 Jul 05 - 09:59 PM I just learned, in another thread, that the only tune I've ever heard for this song only goes back 50 years. This is the Waters tune, used by Joan Baez, by Art Thieme, by everyone else I can remember hearing, and also used by Pete Seeger for I Come And Stand. Bruce O. writes above that it isn't easy to come by any tunes other than the Waters tune. Is that still so? Are there any readily available recordings to another tune? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE GREY SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY From: Herma Date: 01 Mar 01 - 02:38 PM I have a version of The Grey Silkie Of Sule Skerry, as it was sung (long ago) by the McCalmans (Scottish Folk Trio). I still think it's a beautiful song. Enjoy! THE GREY SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY
An eartly nourris sits and sings
It happened on a summer's day
"I pray come tell to me thy name.
"I am a man upon the land.
"Noo ye will nurse my little wee son
"An you will get a gunner good,
Oh, she has gotten a gunner good |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Hollowfox Date: 01 Mar 01 - 01:59 PM The same tune is used for the song "Hiroshima" in the Digital Tradition. For a lovely performance of the Play of Lady Odivere, check out the casette of the same name from Timberhead Music. It's also available through Folk-Legacy or Camsco, so well beloved of us here at the 'Cat. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: The Celtic Bard Date: 28 Feb 01 - 08:47 PM Also I just remembered that there was a movie made a few years ago about the Selkies called "The Secret of Roan Inish." Very good. Rebecca <>< |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: The Celtic Bard Date: 28 Feb 01 - 08:38 PM As I mentioned above, I found an Irish folksong about the Selkies recounting the famous story about the fisherman and the Selkie that he forces to marry him after he steals her skin. Well, I found it again but it's actually about a mermaid who has a crown that basically preforms the same function as the Selkie's skin. It's called "An Mhaighdean Mhara" and is on Altan's "The Best of Altan" CD. Rebecca <>< |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Uncle_DaveO Date: 27 Feb 01 - 06:43 PM One line is wrong above. It says: "And a grumbly guest, I'm sure was he." From this you would think the silkie/guest is dissatisfied, and lets everyone know it, but not so. The word is "grumly" (or maybe "grummlie", but no letter "b"), meaning weird, fearsome. I assume it's allied to "grim". Dave Oesterreich |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Stewie Date: 27 Feb 01 - 06:22 PM I have previously posted to the forum the entire epic of which 'Silkie' forms a part. You'll find it here: --Stewie. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Don Firth Date: 27 Feb 01 - 05:56 PM Silky -- Silkie -- Selkie -- Selchie. The spelling and subsequent pronunciation is a bit iffy. I had always seen the word spelled "selchie." The first syllable pronounced "sell" and the "ch" pronounced almost like a "k", but a bit softer, like a Scottish "ch" as in "Och, mon!" The first time I saw the spelling "silkie" was on the label of a Joan Baez LP in the very early Sixties. I just typed "selchie" into google.com and came up with a humongous bunch of stuff. Here are a couple: Also, see People of the Sea by David Thomson, The John Day Company, New York, 1955. Thomson collected oral literature and songs while traveling among the Irish and Scottish isles. He'd drop into a pub for a pint, get to know the locals, then tell them a strange story he had heard. They would then open up with stories of their own. (Just for kicks, I just did a search on bookfinder.com and discovered that it has been reissued or reprinted, 1996.) Fascinating book! Don Firth (My great-great grandfather and grandmother came from the Orkney Isles -- Sule Skerry is just to the west, I believe -- and settled in the San Juan Islands. None of their descendants feel all that comfortable unless we live somewhere near large bodies of salt water. . . .) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: GUEST,The Celtic Bard Date: 27 Feb 01 - 05:10 PM Now that you mentioned it, Stewart, I remember hearing a beautiful and haunting Irish folksong about a Weltie (I think that's how you spell it) that got her seal skin taken away from her by a fisherman who made her his wife. Years later her children told her about a seal skin they saw their father oiling and she was able to return to the sea and her other children. The sadness of the song really comes across in the verse where the fisherman finds his children standing on the shoreline calling for their mother. I originally heard it in Gaelic and then found the translation. Thanks for jogging my memory. Originally I didn't even know that a Silkie was. Thanks you guys for coming through yet again. Rebecca <>< |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Stewart Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:52 PM Rebecca, here's a trad version from the Orkney Islands about a silkie who traveled to Norway land CLICK HERE. I've heard an almost identical trad Irish version where the silkie travels to Ireland. Also a couple of links to the silkie mythology: THE GREAT SILKIE O' SULE SKERRY. Cheers, S. in Seattle
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: SINSULL Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:45 PM Mr. Greenhaus had an interesting aside on this one after Susan sang it at Annamill's. Something to the effect that the silkie was actually an explanation for a number of women pregnant by way of visiting New Foundlanders. Did I understand this correctly, Dick? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: MMario Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:40 PM For something a little different to the same tune - you might want to look at The Silkie and The Fause Mermaid
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Joe Offer Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:29 PM Hi, Rebecca - watch the spelling of the word - I think you'll find it listed as silkie. If you put silkie in our SuperSearch or our blue Digitrad search box, you'll find it. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: Lyr Add: GREAT SILKIE From: Lonesome EJ Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:27 PM GREAT SILKIE
An earthly nurse sits and sings,
For he came on night to her bed feet,
"I am a man upon the land,
And he had ta'en a purse of gold
"And it shall come to pass on a summer's day,
"And ye shall marry a gunner good,
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: GUEST,Bruce O. Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:17 PM There are several versions. The best known tune isn't a traditional one. For those you have to look hard. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: Llanfair Date: 27 Feb 01 - 04:14 PM It's in the digitrad. Browse in the G section and you will find it. It is a lovely song, I did it on my CD. Cheers, Bron. |
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Subject: Words for 'The Great Silke' From: GUEST,The Celtic Bard Date: 27 Feb 01 - 03:50 PM I've been taking an intermediate piano class at my university and we were recently were assigned a Scottish folksong called "The Great Silke." I love the tune because it's so haunting and sad and I was wondering if it had any lyrics. I'm more into Irish folk music than Scottish but the tune made me curious. Any help would be appreciated. Rebecca <>< |
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