Scottish Ghost Story for Song

Subject: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: JedMarum
Date: 03 May 07 - 06:27 PM

I came across a few ghost stories - apparently famous Scottish Ghosts ... I am wondering if I can find a few examples of songs written about these stories?

Anyone know of Scottish Ghost songs?

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 May 07 - 06:44 PM

Here's an obscure one. Equally obscure as a song and as a ghost story - I mentioned it to Roddy Martine (who has recently published a book about Scottish ghosts) and he'd never heard of it.
^^
From the NLS Glen.370 copy of James Porteous's "A Collection of Strathspeys,
Reels & Jigs, Respectfully Dedicated to Lady Jardine of Applegarth"
[Edinburgh, 1822]; this copy has "Applegarth" handwritten on the titlepage.

Newspaper clipping (dated on back, Evening News, 6th July [1953? - illegible]

A Dumfriesshire Ghost Story

Spedlin's Tower, a grim old castle in Dumfriesshire, on the southwest bank
of the Annan, is the scene of a ghost story of great local fame, and
supported by excellent traditional authority. In the time of Charles II,
Sir Alexander Jardin confined in the dungeon of this castle a miller named
Porteous, who was suspected of arson. Absentmindedly carrying off the
keys of the vault, the miller was starved to death. No sooner was he dead
than his ghost began to torment the household. But Sir Alexander procured
a black-letter Bible, and so long as that remained in the house the ghost
could not move out of the vault where Porteous had died. Here its screams
were frequently heard at night. "Let me out, let me out," it would cry,
"for I'm dyin' o' hunger." When the family repaired to a newer mansion,
Jardine Hall, on the other side of the river, the Bible was left behind to
keep the restless spirit in order. Once, however, it was sent to Edinburgh
to be rebound, when the ghost crossed the river, and played such mad pranks
in the new house - pulling the lord and lady out of bed, &c. - that the
Bible was recalled at once. Early in the present century, however, the
Bible was taken to Jardine Hall without any unpleasant circumstances.

Ballad in 19th or early 20th century writing:

The Prisoner of Spedlins

To Edinburgh, to Edinburgh,
The Jardine he maun ride;
He locks the gates behind him,
For lang he means to bide.

And he, nor any of his train,
While minding thus to flit,
Thinks of the weary prisoner,
Deep in the castle pit.

They were not gane a day, a day,
A day but barely four,
When neighbours spoke of dismal cries,
Were heard frae Spedlins Tower.

They mingled wi' the sigh of trees,
And the thud-thud o' the lin;
But nae ane thocht 'twas a deein' man
That made that eldritch din.

At last they mind the gipsy loon
In dungeon lay unfed;
But ere the castle key was got,
The gipsy loon was dead.

They found the wretch stretch'd out at length
Upon the cold cold stone,
With starting eyes and hollow cheek,
And arms peeled to the bone!

----------------------------------

Now Spedlins is an eerie house,
For oft at mirk midnight
The wail of Porteous' starving cry
Fills a' that house wi' fright.

'O let me out, o let me out,
Sharp hunger cuts me sore;
If ye suffer me to perish so,
I'll haunt you evermore!'

O sad sad was the Jardine then,
His heart was sorely smit;
Till he could wish himself had been
Left in that deadly pit.

But, "Cheer ye,' cried his lady fair,
'Tis purpose makes the sin;
And where the heart has had no part,
God holds his creature clean.'

The Jardine sought a holy man
To lay that vexing sprite;
And for a week that holy man
Was praying day and night.

And all that time in Spedlins house
Was held a solemn fast,
Till the cries waxed low, and the boglebo
In the deep Red Sea was cast.

----------------------------------

There lies a Bible in Spedlins ha',
And while it there shall lie,
Nae Jardine can tormented be
With Porteous' starving cry.

But Applegarth's an altered man -
He is no longer gay;
The thought o' Porteous clings to him
Unto his dying day.

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Muttley
Date: 03 May 07 - 08:14 PM

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Muttley
Date: 03 May 07 - 08:16 PM

Oops! Supposed to write something first - just woke up and that's my excuse!

So is there a tune and some chords to go with the song?

Mutt

(NOW I hit the 'send' button!)

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 May 07 - 08:27 PM

Nope, that was all there was. The metre allows lots of options.

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 03 May 07 - 09:06 PM

Jed, this one is from Nova Scotia's (New Scotland)Cape Breton Island. It, The Ghost Of Bras d'Or, is in the DT. Barry's midi is in much slower time than the song. It is onethat I often sing. If you are interested I could send you an mp3 of Charlie MacKinnon singing it.
               Sandy

@displaysong.cfm?SongID=6359

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From:
Date: 03 May 07 - 09:15 PM

Ghost of Bras d'Or is actually a Cape Breton song which comes from a Poem written by Lillian Crewe Walsh. Charlie MacKinnon was the fellow who put it to music.

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Susan of DT
Date: 03 May 07 - 09:50 PM

There is a legend of Duncan Campbell and his cousin's ghost predicting his death at Ticonderoga, which is told in two songs: Piper's Refrain by Rich Nardin and The Legend of Duncan Campbell by Margaret MacArthur, one in the DT here and the other in the new version of the DT. See the notes on the Piper's Refrain for more of the story. The Piper's Refrain leaves out the beginning of the story.

Also lots of Child Ballads
   Proud Lady Margaret #47
   Sweet William's Ghost #77
   Unquiet Grave #78
   Wife of Usher's Well #79
   Holland Handkerchief #272
I figure almost all of the Child ballads, if not primarily Scots, have some Scots versions.

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 May 07 - 04:14 AM

THE DUNDEE GHOST (Matt McGinn)

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: GUEST,RLS
Date: 04 May 07 - 11:31 AM

There's also a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson on the "Ticonderoga" example above

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 May 07 - 06:09 PM

Thanks y'll. I'll dig through these.

Subject: RE: Scottish Ghost Story for Song
From: Jack Lewin
Date: 07 May 07 - 12:27 PM

How bout this one about the fire spook if Caledonia Mills (Mary Ellen Spook)

DON'T BLAME IT ON THE GIRL
(kevin gilfoy)

COME GATHER AROUND, DON'T MAKE A SOUND
AND HEAR WHAT I'VE TO SAY
ABOUT A FARM NORTHEAST OF HERE
NOT TWENTY MILES AWAY
IT HAPPENED EIGHTY YEARS AGO ON A BLUSTRY WINTER DAY
IT STILL STRIKES FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF SOME
TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY!

chorus
SO LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT THERE'S FIRES ALL ABOUT
THEY'RE IN THE LOFT AND ON THE WALLS
THEY'RE IN THE PARLOR COUCH.
THE GOINGS ON AROUND THIS FARM'S THE TALK OF ALL THE WORLD
A SPOOKS AT WORK IN HERE FOR SURE
DON'T BLAME IT ON THE GIRL!

WELL THE FEARFUL SIGHTS ON THAT FATEFULL NIGHT IN THE HOME OF OLD BLACK JOHN
WAS BROUGHT ON BY A DEATH BED CURSE THAT RELEASED THE BOCHADANS
THE CURSE WAS LAID THERE YEARS BEFORE TO THE ONES THAT BROUGHT HIM HARM
TIL THE TIME WAS RIGHT FOR THE FIRES TO LIGHT
AND IT DROVE THEM FROM THE FARM.

(chorus)

WELL PRINCE CAME IN AND TOLD THEM ALL I'M HERE TO SAVE THE DAY
MYSTERIES SUCH AS THESE I'VE SOLVED FOR YEARS IN MY OWN WAY
SO ITS OFF THEY RODE TO SEE THE FARM, DRAWN BY HORSE AND SLEIGH
THOUGH WHIDDEN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG
HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY.

(chorus)

THE LAND THAT ALEX WORKED BY HAND LIES IDLE TO THIS DAY
A FEW BRAVE SOULS HAVE VENTURED THERE BUT NONE HAVE EVER STAYED
SO IF BY CHANCE YOU CATCH A GLANCE DON'T WORRY IT'S OK
BUT IF YOU SEE A BLACK DOG THERE,
YOU BETTER RUN AWAY!
(chorus)
(chorus)