I should specify that I am talking about St. Mary's Church in Dundee, Scotland. Note the response from the Presbyterian camp. (Keep in mind there was no "St Mary's kirk" per se until they rebuilt the church and so renamed it. It became the first reformed church in Dundee).

75B.11        Lord Lavel was buried in Mary's kirk,
        Nancybelle in Mary's quire;
        And out o the ane there grew a birk,
        Out the other a bonny brier.
75B.12        And ae they grew, and ae they threw,
        Until they twa did meet,
        That ilka ane might plainly see
        They war twa lovers sweet.

75I.16        The tane was buried in Mary's kirk,
        The tother in Mary's choir,
        And out of the tane there sprang a birch,
        And out of the tother a briar.
75I.17        The tops of them grew far sundry,
        But the roots of them grew neer,
        And ye may easy ken by that
        They were twa lovers dear.


Birk was chosen to replace the rose in the metaphor because it rhymes with kirk and also because it has the right symbolism for Calvinist sentiments- Druidic symbol for purification, used in brooms.

"Lord Lovel" has a rich history of parody. It has served as a medium for much religious/political dialogue. How about this?:

75G.9        'Deal well, deal well at Isabell's burial
        The biscuit and the beer,
        An gainst the morrow at this same time
        You'll aye deal mair and mair.
75G.10        'Deal well, deal well at Isabell's burial
        The white bread and the wine,
        An gainst the morn at this same time
        You'll deal the same at mine.'
75G.11        They dealt well, dealt weel at Isabell's burial
        The biscuit an the beer,
        And gainst the morn at that same time
        They dealt them mair an mair.
75G.12        They dealt weel, dealt weel at Isabell's burial
        The white bread an the wine,
        An gainst the morn at that same time
        They dealt the same again.

This is Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story stuff. It is obviously a plea for pleace amongst Scots despite differing religious traditional. This verse was actually borrowed from other related folk ballads but only in this one do we have the reciprocal thing going on and any mention at all of "biscuit and beer". It is traditionally the "white bread and the wine". Prety neat huh?