Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie

Subject: Info on
From: Jeff Lipton
Date: 06 May 97 - 07:20 PM

I'm interested in information on a British / Irish / Scots song called "Fyvio" -- I'm not sure of the spelling. The song is about a regiment which comes to Fyvio, the captain falls in love with the prettiest girl there (of course).

One verse: As we marched down through Fyvio As we marched along through Fyvio The captian fell in love with a very bonny lass The prettiest maid in Fyvio

Full lyrics and any knowledge of this song's history would be appreciated. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Susan of DT
Date: 06 May 97 - 07:40 PM

It's in the DT. Search for Fyvio. We also have the Fenario version.

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Dick Wisan
Date: 06 May 97 - 11:36 PM

Fife. The fair maid of Fife.

Subject: RE: Info on
From:
Date: 07 May 97 - 07:58 AM

There's also an americanized version adapted to the War Between the States.

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 07 May 97 - 11:13 AM

WFOSTER

Like to see that version. Is it in the DT?

Regards

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Matt Robson
Date: 07 May 97 - 11:21 AM

Fyvie - a village in NE Scotland near Aberdeen...

Theronce was a trup of Irish Dragoons Came aye marchin up through Fyvie oh And the Captain fell in love With a bonnie bonnie lass And her name it was called pretty peggy oh.

Is this the one?

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Bob Schwarer
Date: 07 May 97 - 07:57 PM

The Clancy Bros. (and Tommy Makem) do a nice version of this

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Info on
From:
Date: 08 May 97 - 04:06 AM

Fenario is the main U.S. version, and it comes from the Scots one, "The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie". This itself is a localisation of an English song, "Pretty Peggy of Derby". Anyhow, beware the Clancy/Makem version, with misunderstood place-names & such ("Maid of Fife-E-O", I think). Beware the version in the DT as well--it's pretty close to the way Jean Redpath sang it, but again as so often it seems transcribed from a record without complete understanding of the text, so you've got a very queer word in stanza 10: "The drums they did beat a merry brassel- geicht". What is sung is actually closer to [my version] "The drums they did beat on the bonnie braes o' Gight" -- pronounced "Gicht" by the way, ch as in German -- which is another place in the North-East. Contact me by e-mail about this if you like.

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Susan of DT
Date: 08 May 97 - 07:19 PM

A Scot told me that a brasselgeicht was a type of dance tune.

Subject: RE: Info on
From: Farris Ofthemal
Date: 09 May 97 - 05:44 PM

The Old Blind Dogs do a nice version, too.

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: GUEST,Ken Christie
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 01:46 AM

I grew up near Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, being an Aberdeenshire boy myself, we used to listen to, and sing, the songs of the North-East of Scotland.

My dad had a song book called "The Cornkisters" now sadly lost, which contained many songs of the North-East including

"The Barnyards of Delgaty (pron. Delgettee),

"A pair o' nicky tams" which were farm workers trousers, each leg tied tight just beneath the knees by string, to stop field mice from climbing up your legs (and affectionately known as "shit catchers")

"The Road to Dundee" a beautiful ballad,

"The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre" which translated into English, means the cleaning of George's cowshed,

"McGintie's Meal and Ale" a story of a party that went a little out of hand, and of course,

"Turra Mairket" which is a song about Turriff Market, where the farmers sold their produce.

"The Bonny Lass o'Fyvie" the story of a beautiful girl who rejected the advances of a Capt of the Irish Dragoons who had fallen in love with her and wanted to marry her. He died of a broken heart. Sad really.

The problems we have with this song, as with the others, is that it is typically written in the Doric, which is the dialect of the North East of Scotland, and because many people have taken these songs around the world, many of the words have lost their meaning and have been substituted by guess words.

Even the Irish band, the Corries, called the song "The bonny lass of Fife E O", thinking that she came from Fife, which is another county of Scotland, just to the north of Edinburgh. She obviously didn't come from there, because there are so many references to other geographical areas in the song that are close to Fyvie, like "Garioch" (pron. Geerie), "Howe o'Auchterless", the city of "Aberdeen", etc. and I knew many a bonnie Jean in the toon o' Aiberdeen in my time.

So these songs and so many others have been corrupted over time.

Just done a search of Google and found Cornkisters, which took me to a website where you an purchase several vinyl Albums called "Bothy Nichts, the songs of Northeast Scotland" (a Bothy was a hut to where the farmworkers retired after a hard day's work in the fields, where they would entertain themselves with stories and songs. Remember there was no radio or television then. LOL) The song, "The Bonny Lass o'Fyvie" is on Volume 2. You can also look up Fyvie on Google Maps.

Want any more info, you can contact me on kennchristie1 at gmail.com

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 02:16 AM

"Even the Irish band, the Corries, called the song "The bonny lass of Fife E O"

1: The Corries were about as Scottish as you could get - NOT Irish

2: The title of the song given on their recordings is correctly stated as being "The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie".

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 02:20 AM

From Bob Dylan,

' I've been all around this country and have never yet found Fenario '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Iains
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 04:11 AM

Wikipedia gives some interesting explanations


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bonnie_Lass_o%27_Fyvie

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 04:56 AM

Old Meldrum town is on the road from Fyvie to Aberdeen, which leads by the river Ythan.

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Jim McLean
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 06:27 AM

See Dylan's "Pretty Peggy-o", an original song by him!!!

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Feb 18 - 07:49 AM

Oldmeldrum - all one word.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BONNY LASS O' FYVIE (Christie, 1876)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Jul 18 - 01:31 AM

Lyrics and notes from Traditional Ballad Airs ... Volume 1, edited by William Christie (Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, 1876), page 276. There is also sheet music on that page:

The Editor arranged this Air from two sets,—one sung by his paternal grandmother to “The bonny Lass o’ Fyvie,"—the other sung to “Barbara Allan" by his maternal grandmother. The Ballad is given from the recitation of a native of Monquhitter, with some alterations from a native of Banffshire, who knows many of the traditional Ballad Airs and Ballads sung in the three north-eastern Counties of Scotland. He was of opinion that the Ballad was composed after a company of Dragoons had escorted the O’Connors to Fort-George, who had been engaged in the Irish rebellion in 1798. If so, this would account for the “Irish Dragoons" in the Ballad. The Dragoons may have been at “Lewes of Fyvie" on their way to, or from Fort-George. The Ballad and Air are still known in different forms in the Counties of Aberdeen and Banff. Eight lines of the ballad are omitted.

THE BONNY LASS O' FYVIE

Green, green grows the birks on sweet Ythan side,
And low lies the bonny Lewes o' Fyvie;
In Fyvie there's bonny, in Fyvie there's braw,
In Fyvie there's bonny lasses mony.
There cam' a troop o' Irish Dragoons,
And they were quarter'd in Fyvie;
Their captain has fa'en in love wi' a lass,
That by a' was ca'd pretty Peggy.

"Come down the stair, pretty Peggy," he said,
"Come down the stair, pretty Peggy;
"Come down the stair, comb back your yellow hair,
Tak' fareweel o' your mammy and your daddie.
What would your mammy think to hear the guineas clink,
And the hautboys playing before you?"
"Little would my mammy think to hear the guineas clink,
If I follow'd a soldier laddie."

"A single soldier's wife you shall never be,
For you'll be the captain's lady;
I'll make my men stand with their hats in their hand,
In the presence of you, pretty Peggy."
But the colonel he cried, "Come, mount, boys, mount,"
The captain he cried, "Let us tarry;
Oh, gangna awa' this day yet or twa,
Till we see gin the bonny lass will marry."

"I've gi'en you my answer, kind sir," she said,
"And you needna ask me nae farther;
I do not intend to go to a foreign land,
And I'd scorn to follow a soldier."
Then out did speak the drum-major's wife:
"Oh dear, but ye are saucy.
There's mony a bonnier lassie than you,
Has follow'd a soldier laddie.

"But gin I were on my high horse set,
And riding on to old England,
I would ne'er turn my horse's head about,
For a' your Fyvie women."
Then the pipes play'd on by Ythan side,
Awa' frae the bonny Lewes o' Fyvie;
And every man on horseback did ride,
But behind them they left pretty Peggy.

And ere they cam' to the brig o' Dyce,
They got their captain to carry;
And when they cam' to bonny Aberdeen,
They got their captain to bury.
He was ca'd Captain Ward, and he died on the guard.
He died for love of pretty Peggy;
And said, "When I am gone, you'll let it be known,
That I died for the bonny lass o' Fyvie."

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: leeneia
Date: 06 Jul 18 - 11:40 AM

Thanks for the link, Jim. It's so good to see the words and the music.

Subject: RE: Origin: Fyvio / Fenario / The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Jul 18 - 04:28 PM

The song first appears in Peter Buchan's manuscripts, undated, but I would hazard a guess at c1825-45. It is highly typical of Peter's adaptations of earlier songs and is unquestionably based on the English broadside ballad of Pretty Peggy of Derby, therefore it is highly unlikely that it refers to anything real that might have happened in or near Fyvie. Irish Dragoons like many regiments took the rout i.e., moved around the country a lot in the 18th century, particularly during the Napoleonic War.