I apologize for posting three times in a row, but I have some more info to add. Here are Francis James Child's notes and texts of Jellon Grame for those interested: Child #90 - Jellon Grame And here's the text as given in Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Vol. II (1802), which differs in some details from Child's A version: Jellon Grame - Walter Scott The line "He sharped his broad sword lang" in the first verse shows up in Scott's text and in Alexander Robb's text from oral tradition. I wouldn't think it unlikely that Scott's book had some influence on the oral tradition of this ballad. Here's some information on Alexander Robb: Alexander Robb - Name Authority Record I also copied Alex Robb's version as it was taken down by Gavin Greig in 1907 from Bertrand Bronson's "Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, Vol. II": "Jellon Graeme." Greig MSS., II, p. 140; and Bk. 769, LIX, p. 18, King's College Library, Aberdeen. Also in Gavin Greig, Ry- mour Club Miscellanea, I (1919), p. 199; and in Gavin Greig and Alexander Keith, Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs, 1925, p. 71. Sung by ALexander Robb, New Deer, Aberdeenshire. O, Jellon Graeme sat in good greenwood, And he sharped his broadsword lang;* He called on his young footpage, Who quickly to him ran. Get up, get up, my young footpage, As far as e'er ye can, For ye maun gang to Lily Flooer Ere the sun be on the rain; And ye maun gang to Lily Flooer, And I fear ye'll never win hame. . . . . . . . . . Fell low down on her knee,- Spare my life now, Jellon Graeme, For I'm nae prepared to dee, * 1919: keen And finally, here's the text from "The Glenbuchat Ballads", an important ballad collection from the Reverend Robert Scott, minister of the parish of Glenbuchat in Aberdeenshire, Scotland crica 1818 that was unknown to Francis James Child: Gil Ingram (The Glenbuchat Ballads) VOL. II : 15, PP. 48–51 (Child 90, Jellon Grame; Roud 58) 01 Sleep ye wake ye Lilly Flower Or are ye no within I sleepna aft I wake right aft Wha are ye kens my name 02 Ye’re bidden come to good green wood An haste thee there wi’ speed To mak to your love Gil Ingram A sark o’ summer weed 03 Ye lie ye lie ye bonny boy So loud’s I hear ye lie For its nae a month, nor yet a week Nor days but barely three Since I made to my love Gil Ingram Sarks for summers three 04 But ye’re pray’d to come wi me lady O dinna tarry lang But come wi me to good green wood An speak wi Gil Ingram 05 She’s ta’en her mantle her about To green wood fast shes gone An sair she called for Gil Ingram But answer she got nane 06 She lookit east, she lookit west If she her love could see An’ she saw but fause Gillom Graham Beneath a green wood tree 07 Cast aff, cast aff, fair Lilly Flower That gown that ye have on It is o’er good an’ o’er costly To ly amo’ the feam 08 Aff she has cast her robes o’ silk An’ laid them on a stone She was a woman fair enough Tho’ she stood coat alone 09 O mercy, mercy Gillom Graham Have mercy upon me Such as ye gave, such shall ye have No mercy lady for thee 10 O mindna ye fair Lilly Flower When your rich bridal stood For hunger we were gard eat men’s flesh For thirst to drink men’s blood 11 Cast aff, cast aff fair Lilly Flower That coats that ye have on They are oer good to be stained wi blood O’ that they shall get none 12 O mercy, mercy Gillom Graham When I’m your brother’s wife Hae mercy on your brother’s bairn Altho’ ye wish my life For I hae nae langer to go wi bairn But days barely five 13 Out has he ta’en a thristy bran An’ strippit o’er a straw An’ thro’ an’ thro’ her fair body He gart cauld iron ga 14 O bonny was that Lilly Flower Was slain in the green wood An’ bonny was the knight bairnie Lay weltering in her blood 15 Up has he ta’en that bonny boy An’ rowed him in his sleeve Altho’ I have slain your fair mother Your father to me was leave 16 Up has he taen the bonny boy An’ rowed him in his han’ Your mother was ance far dearer to me Than houses or than land 17 He’s taen him to his mother’s bower As fast as he could gang Nurse well, nurse well this bairn mother Until he be a man His mother put foot in a Flander’s ship An’ to Flanders did she gang 18 Nurse well, nurse well, this bairn mother Gi’ him to nurses three An’ if I live an’ brook my life Well paid shall be their fee 19 Nurse well, nurse well this bairn mother Gi him to nurses nine Three to sleep, an three to wake An’ three to go between 20 O it fell ance upon a day That Gillom Graham thought lang An’ he has gane to good green wood An’ took the boy wi him 21 It wonders me said the bonny boy The Flander’s ships ne’er tak’ the sea The woman that ye ca’ my mither Thinks never lang for me 22 It wonders me says the bonny boy The Flanders ships taksna the faem The lady ye ca my mither Thinks never lang for hame 23 O see na ye yon tree my boy — — — — — Your father was ance … — — — — — 24 O see na ye yon rose my boy An’ the lilly by its side Your mother was a fairer flower When she was your father’s pride Stanzas numbered, except 22 to 24; second and fourth lines indented. 05 Line 4: he made to she got. 07 Line 4: foam to feam. 12 Line 5–6: Initially numbered as a new stanza; number blotted out Now we have all known versions of the ballad together in one thread. By the way, here's another nice rendition of the ballad, sung by Raymond Crooke on Youtube: Raymond Crooke - Jellon Grame (Child #90) He took upon him the enormous task of recording a version of every single Child Ballad, hats off to him.
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