Origins: Brian O'Linn

Subject: RE: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: Lighter
Date: 10 Jan 19 - 08:29 PM

The earliest text yet discovered:

From "The Siege of Gibralter. To which is added, II. Sailor Jack III. The Newry Rangers IV. The Flowers of Edinburgh. V. Bryan O'Lynn. VI. Molly's Courtship to the Jolly Sailor [Edinburgh? Ca1785?], pp. 7-8   


                                   BRYAN O’LYNN.

When Bryan O’Lynn would a wooing ride,
He’d a good Scotch woola [sic] hung by his side;
Its sheath it was made of a good Elk’s skin,
I’m a huffring [sic] young fellow, says Bryan O’Lynn.

When Bryan he went to the church to be married,
And when he came there he was forced to tarry;
The church door was shut and he could not get in,
He’s a fool of a parson, says Bryan O’Lynn.

When Bryan was married and into bed tumbled,
The neighbours they all came flocking in;
He lift up his thigh, and swore by the by,
That he was the famous young Bryan O’Lynn.

The priest that married us he was to blame,
By faith he had neither grace nor shame;
With a ring made of straw contrary to law,
It was with that he married poor Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan’s wife and his wife’s mother,
They both went over the bridge together;
The bridge it broke and they both fell in,
The devil go with them, says Bryan O’Lynn.


Except for the bridge business (see Tom Bolynn thread), not much like any other version,

Do "woola" and "huffring" mean anything to anybody?

Subject: RE: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 30 Apr 16 - 08:00 AM

I think "medieval" is pushing it.

The "Tom a Lin" name began to be replaced by "Brian O'Linn" in the eighteenth century. (See discussion on other threads, above.)

The well-known form of the song, with "no breeches to wear," etc., seems to come from nineteenth-century broadsides. To judge from printed references, it seems to have been exceptionally popular in Britain, Ireland, and America.

The popular Irish jig tune called "Brian O'Linn" seems never to have been used for the song; perhaps the jig was elaborated from something simpler, or perhaps it was once associated with some stage routine about B O'L.

W. H. Maxwell's comic novel, "Brian O'Linn; Or, Luck is Everything" appeared in 1848 and went through many editions. The American Samuel D. Johnson's one-act play of "Brian O'Linn" appeared soon after.

Bawdy versions also exist, and one is said to have been recorded in Stan Hugill's lost manuscript collection of chanteys.

So if anybody knows one, they should post it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: GUEST,medievallassie
Date: 30 Apr 16 - 12:18 AM

This is incredible information! Thank you so much. I had no idea that the song has such a long and continental history. It will definitely be one that I will add to my list of Fleadh possibilities but also to my list of possible medieval ones. wow....

Subject: RE: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Apr 16 - 04:52 AM

The "Complaynt of Scotland" description mentions it among a whole lot of dances with weird names which are almost all unknown today:

I SAL REHERS SA MONY AS MY INGYNE CAN PUT
IN MEMORIE IN THE FYRST THAI DANCIT AL CRISTYN MENNIS
DANCE THE NORTHT OF SCOTLAND HUNTIS VP THE COMOUNT
ENTRAY LANG PLAT FUT OF GARIAU ROBENE HUDE THOM OF
LYN FRERIS AL ENNYRNES THE LOCH OF SLENE THE GOSSEPS
DANCE LEUIS GRENE MAKKY THE SPEYDE THE FLAIL THE
LAMMES VYNDE SOUTRA CUM KYTTIL ME NAYKYT VANTOUNLY
SCHAYKE LEG FUT BEFOR GOSSEP RANK AT THE RUTE BAGLAP
AND AL IHONNE ERMISTRANGIS DANCE THE ALMAN HAYE THE
BACE OF VORAGON DANGEIR THE BEYE THE DEDE DANCE THE
DANCE OF KYLRYNNE THE VOD AND THE VAL SCHAIK A TROT

There is an interesting allusion a few lines later:

I SAU ANE ERB CALLIT BARBA AARON QUHILK VAS
GUDE REMEID FOR EMOROYADES OF THE FUNDAMENT

Barbara Allen was a medication for a painful disease of the arsehole?

Subject: RE: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Apr 16 - 02:07 AM

Hi, Lassie -
I've crosslinked you to all the threads we have on this song. That should answer your question.

The Traditional Ballad Index has quite a lengthy entry on the song:

Brian O'Lynn (Tom Boleyn)

DESCRIPTION: Vignettes about Brian/Tom. Each describes a situation he finds himself in and ends with his comment, e.g., "Tom Bolyn found a hollow tree / And very contented seemed to be / The wind did blow and the rain beat in / 'Better than no house,' said Tom Bolyn."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1849 (Halliwell, citing a book printed c. 1560; reputedly mentioned in The Complaynt of Scotland, 1549); Jonathan Lighter notes a mention of a bawdy song called Brian O'Lynn in Hugh Henry Brackenridge's 1793 _Modern Chivalry_, volume III, p. 214
KEYWORDS: poverty talltale humorous clothes
FOUND IN: Ireland Britain(England(All),Scotland) US(Ap,NE,Ro,So) Canada(Newf) Australia
REFERENCES (31 citations):
Randolph 471, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph-Legman I, pp. 155-157, "Brian O'Lynn" (2 fragmentary bawdy texts, 2 tunes)
Belden, pp. 501-502, "Tom Bo-lin" (1 text)
High, p. 11, "Bryno-o-Lynn" (1 text)
Flanders/Brown, pp. 178-179, "Old Tombolin" (1 text, 1 tune)
SharpAp 151, "Tom Bolynn" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Wells, p. 167, "Brian O'Lyn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hubbard, #171, "Brian O'Linn" (1 fragment)
Lyle-Crawfurd2 169, "Rise Up Gudewife"; Lyle-Crawfurd2 170, "Arise Gudewife" (2 texts)
Williams-Thames, pp. 181-182, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text) (also Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 113)
Reeves-Circle 16, "Bryan-a-Lynn" (2 texts)
Kennedy 290, "Brian-O-Linn" (1 text, 1 tune)
SHenry H480a+b, pp. 52-53, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text, 2 tunes)
OLochlainn 15, "Brian O Linn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hodgart, p. 199, "Brian O Linn" (1 text)
BrownII 189, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text)
Owens-2ed, p. 110, "Brynie O'Linn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-Singing, pp. 117-118, "Tom Boleyn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Leach-Labrador 109, "Brian O'Linn" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor, p. 64, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text)
Graham/Holmes 9, "Brian O'Lynn" (1 text plus assorted additional verses, 1 tune)
Opie-Oxford2 513, "Tommy o'Lin, and his wife, and wife's mother" (5 texts)
Baring-Gould-MotherGoose, p. 149, note 34, "(Tommy O'Lin, and his wife, and his wife's mother)"; compare #228, p. 150, ("The two grey kits") (this mentions Tom Boleyn, and is the right form, but doesn't feel like it originated with the piece somehow)
Montgomerie-ScottishNR 174, "(Tam o the linn came up to the gate)" (1 text)
Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 35, "O'Brien O'Lin" (1 text)
WolfAmericanSongSheets, #2356, p. 158, "Tom Bowling" (2 references)
Behan, #12, "Brian O'Lynn" (1 text, 1 tune, modified)
DSB2, p. 27, "Bryan O'Lynn" (1 text)
DT, TOMBOLYN* TOMBOLY2* JONBOLYN
ADDITIONAL: Robert Chambers, The Popular Rhymes of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1870 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 33, "Tam o' the Linn"
Kathleen Hoagland, editor, One Thousand Years of Irish Poetry (New York, 1947), pp. 252-254, "Brian O'Linn" (1 text)
Roud #294
RECORDINGS:
Thomas Moran, "Brian-O-Linn" (on FSB10)
Tony Wales, "Bryan O'Lynn" (on TWales1)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(307), "Bryan O'Lynn," Stephenson (Gateshead), 1821-1850; also 2806 b.11(217), Harding B 15(36a), Harding B 11(480), Firth c.26(41), Firth c.20(135), 2806 b.11(106), Harding B 26(80), "Bryan O'Lynn"; Harding B 11(445), "Brian O'Lynn"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Old John Wallis" (style)
SAME TUNE:
Widow Mulroony's Ball ("Listen a while, and I'll sing you a ditty") (WolfAmericanSongSheets, p. 179)
Down Trodden Maryland ("Down-trodden, despised see brave Maryland") (WolfAmericanSongSheets, p. 188)
NOTES: Sam Henry claims that Bryan O'Lynn (fl. 1770-1793) was an "apprizer" and grand juror in Cashel during the years specified. - RBW
Randolph-Legman offers good notes on sources to this ballad. - EC
A variant of the melody to this song is a popular fiddle tune in Ireland.
I'm wary of the "Complaynt of Scotland" (1549) citation until I see it. The title given, "Thom of Lyn," and the title "Ballet of Thomalyn," licensed 1558, are both perilously close to "Tam Lin," which is not only the name of a ballad (Child 39) but also a fiddle tune. And in our indexing of "Tam Lin", we note a reference from 1549 -- is that "Complaynt of Scotland"? The plot's getting thicker, says Brian O'Lynn. - PJS
Indeed, Dixon (notes to "Tam a Line," his version of "Tam Lin") cites the references from the Complaynt of Scotland; they are to the dance "thom of lyn" and the "tayl of the yong tamlene."
This obviously sounds more like "Tam Lin," but the tunes I've heard for "Tam Lin" are not very danceable. (Bronson's #1, from Ireland, might work as a dance tune, but it is nothing like any of the others.) "Brian O'Lynn" seems much more suitable for dancing.
To make the confusion worse, there are versions of this song beginning "Tom o' the Linn was a Scotsman born."
The Opies, after mentioning the Complaynt of Scotland reference, note a "ballett of Thomalyn" licenced c. 1557. The first absolutely clear reference is from a play, "The longer thou livest, the more foole thou art," registered 1569; it has the lyric
Tom a lin and his wife, and his wives mother
They went ouer a bridge all three together,
The bridge was broken, and they fell in,
The Deuil go with all quoth Tom a lin.
Thus it seems sate to say the song goes back at least to the sixteenth century.
But not, perhaps, without contamination. There is the report that Charles Dibdin wrote a piece, "[Poor] Tom Bowling." Could this have given rise to the "Tom Boleyn" version?
Just in case you wanted more to worry about, Sing Out, Volume 35, #3 (1990), p. 76, prints a piece which it calls "Tumble O'Lynn's Farewell." There is only one stanza, so it's hard to be sure it's based on this piece, but it looks as if it is -- and the notes say "The composer is supposed to have been one Thomas Paginton, the court musician who presumably ghostwrote most of the music credited to Henry VIII." - RBW
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File: R471

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Subject: Origins: Brian O'Linn
From: GUEST,medieval lassie
Date: 29 Apr 16 - 01:47 AM

Hi everyone. Though I've been an avid searcher and reader, this is actually my very first post! Someone mentioned the song Brian O'Linn as a possible Fleadh song and I was stunned. I assumed it was possibly listed as trad but much later than the time period generally accepted by the adjudicators. (75+-ish old) Does anyone have any info on the history of this one? I learned it from a Brendan Nolan cd called Tempus Fugitive and he does a GREAT version!