The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #5552   Message #32463
Posted By: Håvard
13-Jul-98 - 03:46 PM
Thread Name: Green Fields of France
Subject: RE: Green Fields of France
Joe's link is definately the song Erig Bogle refers to in "No Man's land" - Loesberg's "Traditional Folksongs & Ballads of Scotland, vol 3" states:
"Out of the to versions extant, this is the 'modern' and most popular one. Set to an old har tune, it first appears in the Skene MS (c1630). The new words are ragments of the older song together with parts of 'I've heard them lilting' by Jane Elliot (1727-1805). The song speaks of the battle of Flodden (Sept 9th 1513). On that day King James IV, and the cream of Scottish nobility were slain by the troops of Henry VIII. The king, nine earls, fourteen lords, the chiefs of many highland clans, as well as thousands of nameless rank and file were massacred. The forest alluded to is the district containing the whole of Selkirkshire, parts of Peebleshire, and some of Clydesdale, which at one stage were a favorite hunting resort of the Scottish Kings and Nobles. The 'flowers" of the song may refer to the quality of the archers and footsoldiers that came from this area."
I have a version of "No Man's land" somewhere, with a female singer, and followed by the "Flower of the Forest" on Higlanf pipes.
As for parodies, this is my favorite Bogle song. However (as several have mentioned) it's not a very easy song to sing, and with the possible exeption of "Band played..." it's the most widely abused.
Håvard