Downie Dens of Yarrow

07 Mar 01 - 01:44 PM (#412895)
Subject: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: GUEST

In the song Downie Den of Yarrow there is a line. "Her hair it being three quarters long, wraped it round his middle so small" How long is her hair??

Thanks Gary®

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07 Mar 01 - 02:05 PM (#412909)
Subject: RE: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C

"Dewie" Den of Yarrow? Anyway, if you substract one quarter from full length, you should come up with the proper answer.

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07 Mar 01 - 03:21 PM (#412927)
Subject: RE: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

The way the singer's granddaughter sang it in the 1880's:

Her hair it being three quarters long,
The colour it was yellow;
She wrapped it round his middle sma',
And carried him hame to Yarrow.

I think long was down to the top of thigh, so 3/4 would be roughly to the waist.

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08 Mar 01 - 01:21 PM (#413442)
Subject: RE: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: GUEST

I'm leary about accepting 3/4 as a referance to body length. Since in the era of the song being drawn and quartered, did not mean they drew lines on you b/4 cutting you into 1/4 body part. Anybody have anything other that a literal interpretation??

Gary®

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08 Mar 01 - 01:38 PM (#413460)
Subject: RE: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: Les from Hull

Of course, this was before they invented wheelbarrows!

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08 Mar 01 - 02:11 PM (#413489)
Subject: RE: Downie Dens of Yarrow
From: shankmac

The version I have is His hair it was five quarters lang, Its colour was the yellow, She twined it round her lily hand, And drew him out o' Yarrow

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