Origins: The Maid of Livingston

Subject: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST,Sue
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 04:12 PM

Wondering if anyone else has seen or heard this song anywhere? I found it contained as part of a tale called The Maid of Livingstone, in an 1843 book of old Scottish tales. The writer explains that they are stanzas of an old ballad, of which he "has heard much more in his youth" and "seems in all probability to allude to the heroine of the story" (which is a tragedy about a betrothal, a witch's prophecy and a river drowning of 4 brothers, inc the bridegroom).

And it was my bridal morn, my love,
And the sun rose bright and fair,
Twas the last sun of joy that rose on my sight,
For lang lang ere he had sunk in night,
There was joy to me nae mair, my love,
There was joy to me nae mair!

Now the Livingstone bowers are green, my love
And green its birken shaw:
And the wild rose blooms in Fininess dell,
And the heath flower is red on Duchrae fell,
But joy is far awa, my love,
But joy is far awa!

Here's a tear to our broken hopes, my love,
The last that shall lea' my ee;
For lo! secure from all rude alarms
Sound sound I will sleep in my William's arms,
In the deep and the faithless Dee, my love,
In the deep and the faithless Dee!


Very interested if anyone knows anything more, or where I might look further. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 04:25 PM

https://books.google.ca/books?id=6oipBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96&dq=%22And+the+wild+rose+blooms+in+Fininess+dell,+And+the+heath+fl

There seems to be a 'chapter' about it at that link. It wasn't paginated that I could see so you'll have to scroll down about a third of the way.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST,#
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 04:27 PM

The chapter title is 'Maid of Livingston'.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 05:44 PM

Thanks, yes, I know about this book - The Maid of Livingstone is the same tale I mentioned, though updated from the book I first found it in. It's where I found the written-down song. I'm wanting to know if anyone's heard of it as a song. Thanks though.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 06:39 PM

There was a bawdy song of the 18th century (reworked by Burns) called "The Lass of Livingston". No connection, but it's odd that anyone would use "The Maid of Livingston" as a title at a time when the older song was still remembered.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 07:18 PM

I think the tale (and song perhaps) goes back further than Burns.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 21 - 07:20 PM

....the tale describes the events happening in the 15th/16th century.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Apr 21 - 12:50 AM

I can't follow links like that on my phone - was the book Aytoun's Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers?

The style is derivative from Walter Scott - it may be about an event of centuries before, but it can't have been written before the 19th century.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST,Sue
Date: 20 Apr 21 - 05:55 PM

The tale of The Maid of Livingstone, by William McLellan, appears on pages 207-221 of the book Historical and traditional tales in prose and verse, connected with the south of Scotland (1843, pub. John Nicholson).

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Apr 21 - 05:34 AM

This doesn’t really shed any more light on the song, but wondered if it might be relevant to the story?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Livingston

Subject: RE: Origins: The Maid of Livingston
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 21 - 06:34 PM

Thank you. That's very interesting. Who knows? I've done a fair bit of research now, to see if I could connect history with the tale. Nothing matches exactly - sometimes the dates or names or marriages don't match, so I guess over the decades and centuries, things have shifted and changed with the telling, and now it's a new tale.