The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #38819   Message #547657
Posted By: Joe Offer
11-Sep-01 - 09:30 PM
Thread Name: Origins of: Barbara Allen, is there a story ?
Subject: RE: Barbara Allen, is there a story ?
Here's the entry ffrom the Traditional Ballad Index.
-Joe Offer-

Bonny Barbara Allan [Child 84]

DESCRIPTION: A knight lies dying for love of Barbara Allan. His servant summons her, but she scorns him. As she returns home, she hears the death-bell, repents, and in turn dies. Buried close together, a briar grows from her grave, a rose from his; they entwine
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1740 (Tea-Table Miscellany; mentioned by Pepys in 1666)
KEYWORDS: love hardheartedness death flowers
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord,Hebr),England(All)) US(All) Canada(Mar,Newf) Ireland
REFERENCES (33 citations):
Child 84, "Bonny Barbara Allan" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Bronson 84, "Bonny Barbara Allan" (200 versions)
Percy/Wheatley III, pp. 128-130, "Barbara Allen's Cruelty"; pp. 133-135, "Sir John Grehme and Barbara Allen" (2 texts)
Randolph 21, "Barbara Allen" (15 texts, 6 tunes)
Eddy 16, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (6 texts, 4 tunes)
Flanders/Olney, pp. 197-200, "Mary Alling" (1 text, 1 tune)
Leach, pp. 277-280, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (3 texts)
Wyman-Brockway I, p. 1, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Friedman, p. 88, "Barbara Allen" (3 texts, 1 tune)
OBB 158, "Barbara Allen's Cruelty" (1 text)
Warner 40, "Barbara Allen"; 187, "Barbara Allen" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
PBB 59, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (1 text)
McNeil-SFB1, pp. 102-105, "Barb'ry Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sharp-100E 7, "Barbara Ellen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Niles 36, "Bonny Barbara Allan" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Sharp/Karpeles-80E 19, "Barbara Ellen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sandburg, p. 57, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scott-BoA, pp. 7-8, "Bawbee Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Copper-SoBreeze, pp. 278-279, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 89, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ritchie-SingFam, pp. 169-171," [Barbry Ellen]" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 820-822, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
TBB 12, "Bonny Barbara Allan" (1 text)
SHenry H236, p. 375, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gilbert, pp. 25-26, "Barbara Allen" (1 text)
HarvClass-EP1, pp. 68-69, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (1 text)
Abrahams/Foss, p. 143, "(Barbara Allen)" (1 tune, partial text)
LPound-ABS, 3, pp. 7-9, "Barbery Allen"; p. 10, "Barbara Allen" (2 texts)
JHCox 16, "Bonny Barbara Allen" (9 texts plus mention of 3 more; 2 tunes)
PSeeger-AFB, p. 79, "Barbara Allen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 179 "Barbara Allen" (1 text)
BBI, ZN1459, "In Scarlet Town where I was bound"
DT 84, BARBALEN* BARBALN2* BARBALN3* BARBALN4 BARBALN5

RECORDINGS:
James B. Cornett, "Barbara Allen" (on MMOK, MMOKCD)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Barbara Allen" (on NLCR10)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Shantyman's Life (I)" (tune)
cf. "Mother, Mother, Make My Bed" (floating verses)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Barbara Ellen
Barbary Allen
File: C084

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