The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #166816   Message #4014874
Posted By: Steve Gardham
22-Oct-19 - 11:32 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: By Thirty and By Three (Significance?)
Subject: RE: Folklore: By Thirty and By Three (Significance?)
It scans nicely and actually simply means 'there were about 30 of them' which doesn't scan as well.

Try the following--all Child ballads:
193B st30
211 st48
281A st 4, B st 4, C st 3.

Merry men
100A st8
81A st 13, B st 4, C st 20, H st 10
110 B st 18, C st 15
156 A st 2, F st 2
182, B st 14
164 (Vol 5 p245) st 10
165 st 17

Steeds
192 A st 11
211 st 8