Tune Req: rampant moll

Subject: Tune Req: rampant moll /sea snake
From: GUEST,julia L
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 12:10 PM

I am seeking the tune "Rampant Moll"
It is designated as the tune for the broadside song "The Great Sea Snake" circa 1840
Any idea?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: rampant moll
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 12:52 PM

The tune isn't listed in Simpson's British Broadside Ballad and its Music. The two copies of The Great Sea Snake in the Bodleian have no tune specified (and the tune is not given for any other broadside there).

Folk Songs of the Catskills says that the The Wonderful Crocodile had the tune of the Great Sea Snake specified, so perhaps it's a version of one of the tunes for that.

The Rakish Rhymer (1917) specified Rampant Moll for one of the songs there though.

JCs tunefinder shows no entries for that title. Nor are then entries for it in Levy or LOC.

So, so far I've no idea!

Mick

Subject: RE: Tune Req: rampant moll
From: GUEST,julia L
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 11:15 PM

Hey Mick- thanks so much for looking. 'T is a puzzlement..
One broadside says this

The Great Sea Snake

Set to the air 'Rampant Moll.'

Great sea snake, and Gaffer Grey. Sold, wholesale and retail, by L. Deming, No. 62 Hanover Street, Boston, and at Middlebury, Vt. [n. d.]

Another set of lyrics published in a newspaper simply has the tune as "original"

I'll check out the Crocodile tune and see if it fits. We have several versions of that here in Maine also, so maybe one of those will work

cheers- Julia