Child Noryce in Kornog 2000

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 04:37 PM

In my short discussion I analyzed Child Maurice / Gil Morrice / Bill Norrie
Child Maurice: Gil Morrice, the role of the Page
Ewan MacColl in The Long Harvest - Vol. 11 (Ballads resident and migrant) 2019
Child Maurice: the role of Lady Barnard
Child Noryce
Kornog Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
Child Maurice: the role of Lord Barnard
Bill Norrie
Lucy Ward in Pretty Warnings 2018
Child Morris Child # 83 D
John Spiers & Jon Boden in Songs 2005

https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/child-maurice-gil-morrice-bill-norrie/

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 01:21 PM

Bravo Mick
I am finishing the arrangement of the post on Child Maurice - with translations in Italian - for my Terre Celtiche blog - and I will not fail to write here all my difficulties

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 12:05 PM

Cattia

Thanks for the last verses from Percy. Kornog do use them almost as they are. As far as I can tell the last verses from Kornog are:

Awa, Awa, ye wild woman
Woe tae ye, ill death may ye dee
Gin I had kent he's your son
It's true ye've never been straight with me

O blame me not, O Lord Barnard
Enough of the blame, enough of the shame
With that same brand pierce my heart
Ease me, ease me o' my pain.


I think that just leaves 2 incomplete verses in my transcription.

If a mudelf wants to amend my transcription above that would be nice!

Mick

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 01:41 PM

There are two version
Ewan MacColl in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume III 1956 e inThe Long Harvest - Vol?.?11 (Ballads resident and migrant) 2019
I don't know about the first one but the text in The Long Harvest - Vol. 11 (Ballads resident and migrant) 2019 is quite long

https://ewanmaccoll.bandcamp.com/track/gil-morice
Here is (some ... lines that don't match)

Gil Morrice was an erles son,
His name it waxed wide;
It was nae for his great riches,
Nor yet his mickle pride,
His face was fair, lang was his hair,
In the wild wood whaur he stayed
Bot it was for a lady gay,
That livd on Carron side.

'Whair sall I get a bonny boy,
That will win hose and shoen,
That will gae to Lord Barnard's ha,
And bid his lady cum?
And ye maun rin errand, Willie,
And ye may rin wi pride;
When other boys gae on their foot,
On horseback ye sall ride."

'O no! Oh no! my master dear,
I dare nae for my life;
I'll no gae to the bauld baron's,
For to triest furth his wife.'
'My bird Willie, my boy Willie,
My dear Willie,' he sayd,
'How can ye strive against the stream?
For I sall be obeyd.'

'Bot, O my master dear,' he cry'd,
'In grene-wod ye're your lain;
Gi owre sic thochts, I walde ye rede,
For fear ye should be tain.'
'Haste, haste, I say, gae to the ha,
Bid hir cum here wi speid;
If ye refuse my heigh command,
I'll gar your body bleid.

'Gae bid hir take this gay mantel,
'Tis a' gowd but the hem;
Bid hir cum to the gude grene-wode,
And bring nane bot hir lain.
And there it is, a silken sarke,
Hir ain hand sewd the sleive;
And bid her cum to Gill Morice,
Speir nae bauld baron's leave.'

'The baron he's a man of might,
He neir could bide to taunt;
As ye will see, before it's nicht,
How sma ye hae to vaunt.
'And sen I maun your errand rin,
Sae sair against my will,
I'se mak a vow, and keip it trow,
It sall be done for ill.'

And when he came to broken brigue,
He bent his bow and swam;
And when [he] came to grass growing,
Set down his feet and ran.
And when he came to Lord Barnard's ha,
Would neither chap nor ca,
Bot set his bent bow to his breist,
And lichtly lap the wa.

He wauld nae tell the man his errand,
Though he stude at the gait;
Bot straiht into the ha he cam,
Whair they were set at meit.
'Hail! hail! my gentle sire and dame,
My message winna waite;
Dame, ye maun to the gude grene-wod,
Before that it be late.

'Ye're bidden tak this gay mantel,
'Tis a' gowd bot the hem;
You maun gae to the gude grene-wode,
Evn by your sel alane.
'And there it is, a silken sarke,
Your ain hand sewd the sleive;
Ye maun gae speik to Gill Morice,
Speir nae bauld baron's leave.'

The lady stamped wi hir foot,
And winked wi hir ee;
But a' that she coud say or do,
Forbidden he wad nae bee.
...
...
'It's surely to my bowr-woman;
It neir could be to me'

Then up and spack the wylie nurse,
The bairn upon hir knee:
'If it be cum frae Gill Morice,
It's deir welcum to mee.'
'Ye leid, ye leid, ye filthy nurse,
Sae loud's I heire ye lee;
I brocht it to Lord Barnard's lady;
I trow ye be nae shee.'

Then up and spack the bauld baron,
An angry man was hee;
He's tain the table wi his foot,
Sae has he wi his knee,
Till siller cup and ezar dish
In flinders he gard flee.
'Gae bring a robe of your cliding,
That hings upon the pin,
And I'll gae to the gude grene-wode,
And speik wi your lemman.'

'O bide at hame, now, Lord Barnard,
I warde ye bide at hame;
Neir wyte a man for violence
That neir wate ye wi nane.'
Gil Morice sate in gude grene-wode,
He whistled and he sang:
'O what mean a' the folk coming?
My mother tarries lang.'

The baron came to the grene-wode,
Wi mickle dule and care,
And there he first spied Gill Morice,
Kameing his yellow hair.
'Nae wonder, nae wonder, Gill Morice,
My lady loed thee weel;
The fairest part of my body
Is blacker than thy heel.

Yet neir the less now, Gill Morice,
For a' thy great bewty,
Ye's rew the day ye eir was born;
That head sall gae wi me.'
Now he has drawn his trusty brand,
And slaited on the strae,
And thro Gill Morice fair body
He's gard cauld iron gae.

And he has tain Gill Morice head,
And set it on a speir;
The meanest man in a' his train
Has gotten that head to bear.
And he has tain Gill Morice up,
Laid him across his steid,
And brocht him to his painted bowr,
And laid him on a bed.

The lady sat on castil-wa,
Beheld baith dale and doun,
And there she saw Gill Morice head
Cum trailing to the toun.
'Far better I loe that bluidy head,
Bot and that yellow hair,
Than Lord Barnard, and a' his lands,
As they lig here and thair.'

And she has tain hir Gill Morice,
And kissd baith mouth and chin:
'I was once as fow of Gill Morice
As the hip is o the stean.
'I got ye in my father's house,
Wi mickle sin and shame;
I brocht thee up in gude green-wode,
Under the heavy rain.

'Oft have I by thy cradle sitten,
And fondly seen thee sleip;
Bot now I gae about thy grave,
The saut tears for to weip.'
And syne she kissd his bluidy cheik,
And syne his bluidy chin:
'O better I loe my Gill Morice
Than a' my kith and kin!'

'Away, away, ye ill woman,
And an il deith mait ye dee!
Gin I had kend he'd bin your son,
He'd neir bin slain for mee.'
'Obraid me not, my Lord Barnard,
Obraid me not for shame!
With that saim speir O pierce my heart,
And put me out o pain.

'Since nothing bot Gill Morice head
Thy jelous rage could quell,
Let that saim hand now tak hir life
That neir to thee did ill.
Enouch of blood by me 's bin spilt,
Seek not your death frae mee;
I rather lourd it had been my sel
Than eather him or thee.

'With waefo wae I hear your plaint;
Sair, sair I rew the deid,
That eir this cursed hand of mine
Had gard his body bleid.
'Dry up your tears, my winsom dame,
Ye neir can heal the wound;
Ye see his head upon the speir,
His heart's blude on the ground.

'I curse the hand that did the deid,
The heart that thocht the ill,
The feet that bore me wi sik speid
The comely youth to kill.
'I'll ay lament for Gill Morice,
As gin he were my ain;
I'll neir forget the dreiry day
On which the youth was slain.'

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 11:26 AM

very similar to the version Ewan MacColl recorded - though my memory is that Ewan had 43 verses? There were more verses about how the boy got to the castle ... I remember for instance
ye maun rin for me Willie ye maun rin re speed/pride
when ither boys rin at their feet on horseback ye maun ride

[he couldn't ride over the river as the bridge was down]

when he cam tae the broken brig he bent his bow and swam
when he cam tae the other side, took up his feet and ran

I daresay that version is on mudcat somewhere; I'm just saying the versions here are not so different. I would love to see or even read the play that was based on the ballad. And I always liked the baron's remorse when he learned that Gil Morice was actually his lady's son (not that I would agree with murdering a wife's lover)

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 11:01 AM

last stanza (in the edition reprinted by Percy) it could be

Awa, Awa, ye wild woman
Woe tae ye, ill death may ye dee
Gin I had kend he'd bin your son,
It's true ye've never been straight with me
O blame me not, O Lord Barnard
Enough of the blame, enough of the shame
With that saim brand pierce my heart
Ease me, ease me o' my pain.

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 10:45 AM

grazie Mick!

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 10:02 AM

Here's my attempt at a transcription. There are a few places I can't make out at all, but it may give someone else a start.

Mick

---

CHILD NORYCE


Child Noryce he is fain the fairest,
His face was fair and yellow his hair
He is tae the greenwood gaen
All for to see a lady fair.

Haste ye to the Barnard's Ha'
And bids his lady come to me
Haste ye there my wee boy Willie,
For I mun hae her company.

Here tak tae her his gay goud ring
That's aye gauden in a' but the stane
That she shall come to yon green wood
And she mun ask the leave of nane.

The wee boy came to Lord Barnard's Castle
To go within he tirled at the pin
And who but the Lady Barnard was there
To let the wee boy Willie in.

Here's a gay goud ring to you
It's aye gouden in a' but the stane
And ye must gan to yon green wood
And ye mun ask your leave o' nane.

Lord Barnard he was standing by,
Deceived, an angry man was he.
Who can I ken in all of my land
To love my lady more than me.

Lord Barnard's to and listened again (??)
And busk again ?? away
I will gae to the greenwood gay
To see the man who loves her sae.

Now out aloud Child Noryce brave
My liege genteel, she loves ye sae weel
The fairest ??
??

And he has ta'en his trusty brand
And through the young man ??
And he has severed Child Nouryce's heid
And sheared it off by the hair sae lang

He's taken the bloody head in his hands
By hair an all, to his lady's hall
He's flung it into his lady's lap
Sayin' here's your bonny?, here's your ball.

And she has kissed the bloody lips,
The cheeks sae thin, the bloody chin
And never was bloody grief
Than Lord Barnard an all his kin

I got ye in my faither's house
In mickle pain and mickle shame
I brought ye up to the greenwood gay
Where nobody kenned but myself alane. (??)

Awa, Awa, ye wild woman
Woe tae ye, ill death may ye dee
??
It's true ye've never been straight with me

O blame me not, O Lord Barnard
Enough of the blame, enough of the shame
With that sure? brand pierce my heart
Ease me, ease me o' my pain.



Source: Kornog, youtube: Child Noryce

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 03:12 AM

Jamie McMenemy sings with a scottish accent and in Scots which I cannot follow well without having a comparison text. Vour reference is for two versions that don't match
I think theirs is a version B and C rewrite

'Child Noryce'- Version B; Child 83 Child Maurice
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 255; Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 282.
1    Child Noryce is a clever young man,
He wavers wi the wind;
His horse was silver-shod before,
With the beaten gold behind.

2    He called to his little man John,
Saying, You don't see what I see;
For O yonder I see the very first woman
That ever loved me.

3    'Here is a glove, a glove,' he said,
'Lined with the silver grey;
You may tell her to come to the merry greenwood,
To speak to Child Nory.

4    'Here is a ring, a ring,' he says,
'It's all gold but the stane;
You may tell her to come to the merry greenwood,
And ask the leave o nane.'

5    'So well do I love your errand, my master,
But far better do I love my life;
O would ye have me go to Lord Barnard's castle,
To betray away his wife?'

6    'O don't I give you meat,' he says,
'And don't I pay you fee?
How dare you stop my errand?' he says;
'My orders you must obey.'

7    O when he came to Lord Bernard's castle,
He tinkled at the ring;
Who was as ready as Lord Barnard himself
To let this little boy in?

8    'Here is a glove, a glove,' he says,
'Lined with the silver grey;
You are bidden to come to the merry greenwood,
To speak to Child Nory.

9    'Here is a ring, a ring,' he says,
'It's all gold but the stane;
You are bidden to come to the merry greenwood,
And ask the leave o nane.'

10    Lord Barnard he was standing by,
And an angry man was he:
'O little did I think there was a lord in the world
My lady loved but me!'

11    O he dressed himself in the holland smock,
And garments that was gay,
And he is away to the merry green-wood,
To speak to Child Nory.

12    Child Noryce sits on yonder tree,
He whistles and he sings:
'O wae be to me,' says Child Noryce,
'Yonder my mother comes!'

13    Child Noryce he came off the tree,
His mother to take off the horse:
'Och alace, alace,' says Child Noryce,
'My mother was neer so gross!'

14    Lord Barnard he had a little small sword,
That hung low down by his knee;
He cut the head off Child Noryce,
And put the body on a tree.

15    And when he came home to his castell,
And to his ladie's hall,
He threw the head into her lap,
Saying, Lady, there's a ball!

16    She turned up the bloody head,
She kissed it frae cheek to chin:
'Far better do I love this bloody head
Than all my royal kin.

17    'When I was in my father's castel,
In my virginity,
There came a lord into the North,
Gat Child Noryce with me.'

18    'O wae be to thee, Lady Margaret,' he sayd,
'And an ill death may you die;
For if you had told me he was your son,
He had neer been slain by me.'

'Bob Norice'- Version C; Child 83 Child Maurice
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 510
1    Bob Norice is to the grein-wud gane,
He is awa wi the wind;
His horse is siller-shod afore,
In the shynand gowd ahind.

2    He said unto his wee boy John,
I sie what ye dinna sie;
I see the [first] woman that I eer luvit,
Or ever luvit me.

3    'Gae tak to hir this pair o gluvis,
They're o the siller-gray,
And tell her to cum to the merrie grein-wud
An speik to Bob Norice.

4    'Gae tak to her this gay gowd ring,
And it's aw gowd but the stane,
And tell her to cum to the merrie grein-wud,
And ask the leive o nane.

5    'Gae tak to her this braw manteil,
It's a' silk but the sleive,
And tell her to cum to the merrie green-wud,
And ax nae bauld Barnet's leive.'

6    'I daurna gang to Lord Barnet's castel,
I daurna gang for my lyfe;
I daurna gang to Lord Barnet's castell,
To twyne him o his wife.'

7    'Do I nae pay you gowd?' he said,
'Do I nae pay you fee?
How daur you stand my bidding, Sir,
Whan I bid you to flee?'

8    'Gif I maun gang to Lord Barnet's castel,
Sae sair agane my will,
I vow a vow, and I do protest,
It sall be dune for ill.'

9    But whan he came to Lord Barnet's castel
He tinklet at the ring;
Tha war nane sae ready as Lord Barnet himsell
To let the wee calland in.

10    'What news, what news, my bonnie wee boy?
What news hae ye to me?'
'Nae news, nae news, Lord Barnet,' he said,
'But you ladie I fain would see.

11    'Here is a pair o gluves to her,
Thay'r o the silver gray;
And tell her to cum to the merrie green-wud,
And speik to Bob Norice.

12    'Here is a gay gowd ring to her,
It's aw gowd but the stane;
And she maun cum to the merrie green-wud,
And speir the leive o nane.

13    'Here is a gay manteil to her,
It's aw silk but the sleive;
And she maun cum to the merrie grein-wud,
And ask not bauld Barnet's leive.'

14    Then out bespack the yellow nurse,
Wi the babie on her knee,
Sayand, Gif thay be cum frae Bob Norice,
They are welcum to me.

15    'O haud your tung, ye yellow nurse,
Aloud an I heir ye lie;
For they're to Lord Barnet's lady,
I trew that this be she.'

16    Lord Barnet's to a dressing-room,
And buskt him in woman's array,
And he's awa to the merrie green-wud,
To speik to Bob Norrice.

17    Bob Norrice he sits on a tree,
He is whissland and singand;
Says, Merrie, merrie may my hert be,
I see my mither cumand.

18    Bob Norice he cam doun frae the trie,
To help his mother to licht fra her horss;
'Och alace, alace,' says Bob Norice,
'My mither was neer sae gross!'

19    Lord Barnet had a not-brown sword,
That hung down by his knee,
And he has cut Bob Norice heid
Aff frae his fair bodie.

20    He tuke the bluidy head in his hand,
And he brocht it to the ha,
And flang it into his lady's lap,
Sayand, Lady, there is a ba!

21    She took the bluidy heid in her hand,
And kisst it frae cheik to chin,
Sayand, Better I lyke that weil faurit face
Nor aw my royal kin.

22    'Whan I was in my father's bour,
A' in my dignity,
An Englis lord a visit came,
Gat Bob Norice wi me.'

23    Then out bespak Lord Barnet syne,
And a wae, wae man was he,
Sayand, Gif I had kent he was your son,
He wuld neer been killit be me.

But it's too hard a task for me!!

Subject: RE: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Thompson
Date: 23 Aug 20 - 01:52 AM

If you set the speed down to 50 or 75 per cent you might have more luck. The first line is something like

Child Noryce he was xx fair and yellow his hair…

Is it a version of this?

Subject: Child Noryce in Kornog 2000
From: Cattia
Date: 22 Aug 20 - 05:17 PM

who knows the lyrics?
Kornog https://youtu.be/RXJbZLAzJBo

the only stanza I understand is
“Go take to her this gay gowd ring.
It's a' gowd but the stane.
And tell her to come to the merry green wood
And ask the leave o' nane."

I have compared with Child # 83 versions and it could be a rework of version B and C
I have already found the lyrics of the version
Ewan MacColl,
Lucy Ward - Bill Norrie in Pretty Warnings 2018 (my favorite)
Jon Boden
Grazie