Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe

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Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe

12 Mar 99 - 09:05 AM (#62605)
Subject: Ballad of Glencoe
From: doc2ppr@aol.com

My pipe band is playing a slow aire entitled "The Ballad of Glencoe"
I looking for the words to this ballad in an attempt to better understand how it should played

any info would be gratefully accepted
thanks
Joe K

Search for "glencoe" threads

Glencoe in the Digital Tradition.

12 Mar 99 - 09:32 AM (#62613)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: MMario

If you enter "glencoe" in the box in the upper right corner you will find a version. don't know if this is what you are looking for.

MMario

12 Mar 99 - 09:38 AM (#62614)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Ralph Butts

Joe.....

If that's the one you want, I have a wonderful version by John McDermott. It's a pretty tune and he sings it sweetly, not as a dirge, despite the content. Very moving!

.....Tiger

21 Nov 99 - 01:52 PM (#139199)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE
From: Reiver 2

I wonder if it could be

THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE

CHO: Oh, cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe,
And covers the grave o' Donald.
And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe,
And murdered the house o' MacDonald.

They came from Fort William With murder in mind;
The Campbell had orders King William had signed,
"Put all to the sword!” these words underlined --
And leave none alive o' MacDonald.

They came in a blizzard; We offered them heat,
A roof o'er their heads, Dry shoes for their feet;
We wined them and dined them; They ate of our meat,
And they slept in the house o' MacDonald.

They arose in the night While the men were asleep,
This band of Argyles, Through snow soft and deep;
Like murdering foxes Among helpless sheep,
They slaughtered the house o' MacDonald.

Some died in their beds At the hands of the foe;
Some fled in the night, Were lost in the snow;
Some lived to accuse him Who struck the first blow --
But, gone was the house o' MacDonald.

*************

King William had offered a pardon to all "rebellious" Highland clans -- those who supported James II -- provided they swore an oath of allegiance to him by Jan. 1, 1691. But plans were secretly made to punish some of the clans with "fire and sword" and the MacDonalds were one of those clans.

The victims chosen to be made example of were not the large and formidable MacDonald clans of Keppoch or Glengarry, but a small branch living in a narrow valley called Glencoe. Cattle thieving, especially from their neighbors and hereditary enemies, the Campbells, was a way of life for the MacDonalds of Glencoe whose chief was an old white-haired giant of a man called MacIain.

Delayed by a blizzard, old MacIain did not arrive at the spot prescribed for the taking of the oath of loyalty until Jan. 6, 1692. This lateness was used as an excuse and orders were issued, signed by William, for the "extirpation" of the little clan. The task of carrying out the order was given to Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon. He and the troops under him had a deep hatred of the MacDonalds of Glencoe who frequently looted and pillaged Campbell lands.

The troops arrived in Glencoe at the beginning of February asking to be quartered there in the homes of the people as was the custom in those days. Suspecting nothing, the MacDonalds welcomed them agreeably and generously, for Highland hospitality was inviolable for guests no matter what bitterness might exist between them and their hosts.

The troops enjoyed the hospitality for nearly two weeks. Then before dawn on Feb. 13 the troops struck their sleeping hosts. Thirty-six were slaughtered, many in their beds, including old MacIain, including several women and children. The orders had been to kill all the people under 70 years of age, but the assault was bungled. The majority of the clan, about 400 people, fled into the high braes where the bitterly cold weather and snow continued the work of the Argyll pikes and bayonets, and the number who died has never been reliably figured.

There had been more brutal massacres in the Highlands, in some of which the Glencoe men themselves had participated, but at a subsequent inquiry this was considered as "murder under trust", planned and ordered by the King's officials, and a deliberate attempt at genocide. King William's guilt was ignored but some of his officials were punished by being forced to resign their posts! Ironically, survivors of Glencoe would fight alongside Glenlyon men a few years later in helping to put down the 1715 "Rising" by some of the other Highland clans in an effort to restore James II to the throne.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 7-Mar-02.

Note: these lyrics are almost the same as those of the Jim McLean song that appears in the Digital Tradition (click). I'll paste those lyrics below for comparison, and to give Jim a chance to correct them and offer comment.
The 2002 version of the Digital Tradition attributes the song to Jim McLean.
-Joe Offer-

GLENCOE

Oh, cruel was the snow that sweeps Glencoe
And covers the grave o' Donald
Oh, cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house of MacDonald

They came in a blizzard, we offered them heat
A roof for their heads, dry shoes for their feet
We wined them and dined them, they ate of our meat
And they slept in the house of MacDonald

They came from Fort William with murder in mind
The Campbell had orders King William had signed
"Put all to the sword"- these words underlined
"And leave none alive called MacDonald"

They came in the night when the men were asleep
This band of Argyles, through snow soft and deep
Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep
They slaughtered the house of MacDonald

Some died in their beds at the hand of the foe
Some fled in the night and were lost in the snow
Some lived to accuse him who struck the first blow
But gone was the house of MacDonald

incident occurred Feb 13, 1692
@Scots @murder @history
filename[ GLENCOMA
RG

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the volunteer nature of The Digital Tradition, it is difficult to ensure proper attribution and copyright information for every song included. Please assume that any song which lists a composer is copyrighted ©. You MUST aquire proper license before using these songs for ANY commercial purpose. If you have any additional information or corrections to the credit or copyright information included, please e-mail those additions or corrections to us (along with the song title as indexed) so that we can update the database as soon as possible. Thank You.

McLean published the song in about 1960. The registered title of the song is "The Massacre of Glencoe," but it is also known as "The Ballad of Glencoe."

21 Nov 99 - 02:12 PM (#139205)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Reiver 2

I posted this earlier in connection with another thread entirely, but it belongs here.

Probably the stupidest and most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my life was to play a tape of "The Massacre of Glencoe" for a neighbor up in British Columbia, who invited me to visit and play some of my collection of Scottish songs. Unthinkingly, I played that song after my host had plied me with a glass of Scotch whisky and a beer "chaser". The family's name was Campbell! I was fortunate to get out of there alive! I wish my host could realize how much I've regretted my stupidity, discourtesy and disrespect ever since. I still feel an acute embarrassment whenever I think of it.

21 Nov 99 - 02:41 PM (#139209)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: wildlone

Old hatreds die hard.
Mc Neil of Barra

21 Nov 99 - 02:51 PM (#139211)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Liz the Squeak

Ah, but MacDonalds are getting their revenge all over the world......

LTS

21 Nov 99 - 04:23 PM (#139238)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: kendall

I was married to a Campbell, and she didnt change her name. but, when we visited Scotland, she travelled under my name. She always hated Norman Kennedys mothers statement.. The Campbells.."Aye, they come from a dirty nest!" And, she would raise hell if I tried to sing that song. I wonder why no one remembers that the Mac Donalds massacred some McLeods while they were in church? Could it be that the reason was that the McLeods were not real Scots?

21 Nov 99 - 04:47 PM (#139246)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Lesley N.

The MacDonalds and Campbells had a feud going back to 1500 - an neither side was lily-white (that is a term which only steeds can claim). Here's some more information.

The massacre had roots in the Campbell-MacDonald feud, which dated back to 1500. The Campbells were prosperous and ambitious - with friends in high places. The MacDonalds were notorious, particularly for their ability to make cattle "disappear".

In 1501 the Glen Coe MacDonalds (with others) captured the Campbell fortress on Loch Awe, rescuing Donald Dhu - the last Lord of the Isles. Donald Dhu had been imprisoned for more than 40 years by his Campbell grandfather.

For years skirmishes and raids took place around Glen Lyon. In the early years of the conflict 36 Glen Coe MacDonalds were hanged by Mad Colin Campbell of Glen Lyon. In 1646 the MacDonalds attacked the Campbells after a wedding, killing 36. In 1685, when the Campbells' power was at low ebb (two Earls of Argyll had been executed), the MacDonalds pillaged Campbell land and effectively ruined many families. Scottish leaders often took advantage of the longstanding feud as well. The Campbells fought with Cromwell and the MacDonalds fought with Montrose during the Civil War.

21 Nov 99 - 06:26 PM (#139270)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Micca

I think (speaking as a quasi impartial, my clan the McLaines of Lochbuidhefought both sides at different times)that what offended most and why this event is so long remembered was purely for the violation of hospitality. All sides in the Highlands killed their enemies with equal savagery, but crucially they didn'twhile guests in the house. Even now in the Highlands you will be offered a lift on the road if you are walking or offered a "strupach" ( a cup of tea and a scone (rhymes with cone not skon you damned sassenachs) without your name being asked

21 Nov 99 - 10:00 PM (#139340)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Stewie

Here's an extract from a fine 19th century poem on the subject. It may be of interest to some:

THE WIDOW OF GLENCOE (extract)

Do not lift him from the bracken,
Leave him lying where he fell -
Better bier ye cannot fashion:
None beseems him half so well
As the bare and broken heather,
And the hard and trampled sod,
Whence his angry soul ascended
To the judgment seat of God!

……………

Tremblingly we scooped the covering
From each kindred victim's head,
And the living lips were burning
On the cold ones of the dead.
And I left them with their dearest –
Dearest charge had every one –
Left the maiden with her lover,
Left the mother with her son.
I alone of all was mateless –
Far more wretched I than they,
For the snow would not discover
Where my Lord and husband lay.
But I wandered up the valley,
Till I found him lying low,
With the gash upon his bosom
And the frown upon his brow –
Till I found him lying murdered,
Where he wooed me long ago!

Women's weakness shall not shame me
Why should I have tears to shed?
Could I rain them down like water,
O my hero, on thy head –
Could the cry of lamentation
Wake thee from thy silent sleep,
Could it set thy heart a-throbbing,
It were mine to wail and weep!
But I will not waste my sorrow,
Lest the Campbell women say
That the daughters of Clanranald
Are as weak and frail as they.

………………..

Other eyes than mine shall glisten, Other hearts be rent in twain, Ere the heathbells on thy hillock Wither in the autumn rain. Then I'll seek thee where thou sleepest, And I'll veil my weary head, Praying for a place beside thee, Dearer than my bridal bed; And I'll give thee tears, my husband! If tears remain to me, When the widows of the foeman Cry the coronach for thee!

(William Aytoun 1813-65)

21 Nov 99 - 11:41 PM (#139374)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Bruce O.

Aytoun's is good sentimental poetry, but I much prefer the ballad of "The Border Widow's Lament", much closer to traditional style. It seems to be no later than 1715. It's in the Scarce Songs 1 file on my website with ABCs of Scots and Irish tunes for it, also.

Click For comparison, Laurence Price's earlier ballad "The Famous Flower of Serving Men" is in the Laurence Price file.

22 Nov 99 - 03:02 AM (#139420)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Jeremiah McCaw

Precisely as Micca said. Cattle stealing, raids and clan feuds were practically a league sport back then (or so my reading seems to suggest). What made the Glencoe incident so infamous was the base violation of the rules of hospitality. I'm told that even today there are highland pubs that still have signs up saying, "No Campbells Allowed".

On a lighter note, one performer I saw said that he could never quite get it all straight. Was it the Campbells whp made soup out of the MacDonalds or did the MacDonalds make hamburger out of the Campbells?

22 Nov 99 - 04:32 PM (#139648)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: kendall

I can attest to the truth of that sign thing. I was in Glencoe, and there was such a sign on the lawn of a Bed & Breakfast..NO DOGS OR CAMPBELLS ALLOWED.

22 Nov 99 - 04:47 PM (#139653)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: InOBU

Im an Uilleann piper, I had to give up the warpipes or highland pipes, after a run in with a large cist in my throat, which made playing the warpipes very painfull. The last time I played the warpipes, was at the funeral of a dear dear friend, a Campbell, who owned a Celtic bookstore in New York. The one thing about her which was not dear, though the way she did it was, was her cocktail party, each year on the aniversery of the rape of Glencoe. She kept a list in her desk drawer, of all the things the McDonnalds had done, leading up to that night, just in case any McDs might happen by the shop, I suppose, but on the night of the aniversery the list would come out, and she would pour a glass of sherry for all her friends. Then she would read the list, and after each item, offer the toast, they had it coming. Campbells have long, long memories. The other old debt she carried in her heart was Alister Crowely died oweing her father ten pounds. Any time his name was mentioned, she say, that wicked - wicked man. Most people assumed it was because the church had declaired him to be the anti-Christ. In fact, it was the ten pounds he owed her dad. All the best and niether a Campbell or MacDonnald Larry Otway

22 Nov 99 - 07:51 PM (#139733)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Susanne (skw)

In the book by 1930s travel writer H. V. Morton, 'In Search of Scotland', he relates a story an old man told me who, as a young man, had been invited by a friend to his parents' home in the Highlands. On the way, the friend asked him earnestly NOT to let on that his name was Campbell, because his parents wouldn't like it. Well, of yourse the father questioned him about his ancestry, and finally the young man thought, Why not?, and told the old man his name was Campbell. The old man got up and asked him very quietly to leave, as no Campbell was ever allowed to sit at his hearthstone (or something to that effect). Morton was duly impressed but thought such things couldn't happen in his time.

Another story is in the notes to one of the McCalmans' CDs. It is about this American woman wandering around Glen Coe and getting hungry. Finally she meets an old man and asks him: 'Is there a McDonald's somewhere?' The old man looks at her for a while and finally says: 'Not any more, no.' Talk about a clash of cultures! - Susanne

07 Jun 00 - 06:39 AM (#239285)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: GUEST,Philippa

Who wrote the massacre of Glencoe? The answer given at the other thread is John MacLean, circa 1960. The song is also in the database, without any attribution.

22 Jul 02 - 05:41 PM (#752644)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: GUEST,Jim McLean

I wrote The Ballad of Glencoe, better known as The Massacre of Glencoe in 1963 although it was first recorded in 1969. My email address is JawMac@aol.co if anyone is interested in the details. Slainte, Jim McLean

22 Jul 02 - 07:07 PM (#752698)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Gareth

25 years ago, as a young broker in Lloyd's my gaffer a Breese from the Highlands ( Related to the MacDonalds ) was involved in some heavey and conveluted negotiations about a claim. I went along as bag and file carrier.

Unusaually for Lloyd's in those day the particular syndicate claims manager went back on his word.

As we walked out in quiet fury my boss sed in all serousness " What the Hell can you expect from a man named McDonald !"

Gareth

22 Jul 02 - 08:33 PM (#752740)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: michaelr

Has anyone noticed? As with Pat Cooksey recently, another song's author has joined our discussion!

I, for one, will e-mail him for the details. Thank you, Jim McLean, for posting here!

Cheers,
Michael

23 Jul 02 - 05:52 PM (#753325)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: Susanne (skw)

Yes, Jim, welcome to the Mudcat! Hope you'll consider signing on as a member. There are so many songs we'd like to pick your brains about! :-) I'd also be interested to hear whether you still write songs.

26 Jul 02 - 01:28 PM (#755036)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: GUEST

Hi Susanne, I've tried signing on as a member and I'm I am a member but I can't login! Frustrating. Jim Mclean

26 Jul 02 - 01:33 PM (#755040)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: MMario

Jim - post a message on the help forum click here - and Joe or Pene should be able to get you straightened out!

27 Jul 02 - 07:39 AM (#755425)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe
From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar

Jim,
Glad to cross your path here. People looking for info on your songs contact me now and then. I look in to Mudcat occasionally these days. My email address is ewanmcvicar@compuserve.com.
Best regards to all, Ewan

05 Sep 02 - 01:29 PM (#777567)
Subject: ADD: FLORA AND DONALD, OR, THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE
From: Joe Offer

Pavane provided a link to the broadside in another thread, and Calach typed a similar version. I used Calach's typing, and corrected according to what was printed on the broadside. This is the version I will submit to the Digital Tradition. Is there a tune available?
-Joe Offer-

FLORA AND DONALD, OR, THE MASSACRE OF GLENCOE

O, dark lowered (loured) the night on the wild distant heather
And the wild raven croaked out the bodings of death
While the moon hid her beams in the clouds out of woe
Disdaining to gaze on the fields of Glencoe

While deep balmy sleep closed each eye in rest
And the chieftan he slumbered with peace in his breast
Ne'er dreaming that hour that fate seemed to show
That bloody and pale, he should lie in Glencoe

But a flash soon denoted - the signal was given
And the thunders of death waked the meteors of heaven
While Flora, poor Flora, she wandered in woe
To seek for her Donald, the pride of Glencoe

O! Sudden a flash on her vision did glare
While a cannon's loud thunder pealed through the air
Awakened ten thousand brave heroes below
And roared through the caverns of mighty Glencoe

The smoke now arose from my dear native glen
With the shrieks of the women, and cries of the men
Naked mothers were shot with their babes as they ran
For the English had risen to murder the clan

O many a warrior that evening was slain
While the blaze of the village gleamed far o'er the plain
A hundred MacDonalds that night were laid low
And their blood stained the heath of their native Glencoe

Then Flora she shrieked while loose hung her hair
O where is my Donald, O tell me, O where?
But the tempest's loud torrent o'er the mountains did blow
And stretched and bloody, he lies in Glencoe

When a sigh of despair then arose from her breast,
And memory soon told her he slumbered at rest,
He slumbers forever, now free from his woe
And left his love, Flora, the pride of Glencoe

Her dark rolling eyes then they kindled in fire,
She fell on his body and then did expire,
No more lovely Flora again felt her woe,
But in death found her Donald, the pride of Glencoe

And now over their heads the green grass it does wave,
And the wild flowers nod over their desolate graves,
And the strangers that pass shed a tear as they go,
For Flora and Donald, the pride of Glencoe.

Source: a broadside on file at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford
Printed between 1840 and 1866 by J. Harkness, Printer, 121, Church Street, Preston. [2806 c.14(26)]

Note: this should not be confused with a modern (1963) song by Jim McLean, also called "The Massacre of Glencoe."

@Scots @murder @history
filename[ GLENCOM2
NHJ IH MD JRO

Jim McLean, I wondered if you could look at the lyrics above (toward the top of this thread) and give us the correct lyrics to your song.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

05 Sep 02 - 03:21 PM (#777643)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Malcolm Douglas

The rather undistinguished broadside text has rarely been found in tradition (hardly surprising); Roud lists two examples only at present, both in the Greig-Duncan collection. One has a tune, which I'll sort out for you.

05 Sep 02 - 04:33 PM (#777684)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: euclid

Jim McLean

`Is there anyway I can get a recording of "The Glencoe Massacre"?

05 Sep 02 - 04:58 PM (#777700)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Joe, a stray S at the beginning of verse 8.
"Loured" is preferable to "lowered" in the first line. The pronunciation becomes clear, and if you check the Oxford Dictionary, it is given preference to lowered for that meaning.
Odd that there isn't a better poem. "Awakened ten thousand brave heroes below? My, my, my!

05 Sep 02 - 05:58 PM (#777729)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Jim McLean

Hi Joe, I entered Glencoe in the DigiTrad Lyric Search and found a correct version of my lyrics. Hi Euclid, there seems to be dozens of recordings of my song called The Massacre of Glencoe, The Ballad of Glencoe, Glencoe, etc..
I like Alastair McDonald's version on a Lochshore cassette. (I recorded and produced his first recording of the song on a NEVIS LP called Scotland in Song which is out of print but he has since duplicated it on different recordings many times. Cheers, Jim Mclean

07 Sep 02 - 05:54 PM (#778809)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Susanne (skw)

The Corries version should be easy to get. It's on their 'Live from Scotland, Volume 3' album, and the four in the series have recently been reissued as two double CDs. Try www.corries.com.

08 Sep 02 - 03:54 PM (#779198)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Malcolm Douglas

Here is the Massacre of Glencoe tune from Greig-Duncan. I can't for the life of me find a comfortable way of fitting the text without extensive modification; see what you think.

08 Sep 02 - 05:45 PM (#779249)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Jim McLean

The tune to my song, The massacre of Glencoe, written in 1963, can be found here, a 3/4 slow air. It is not exactly as I wrote it but gives a fair approximation.
http://www.contemplator.com/folk3/glen_coe.html,
The one Malcolm refers to, if it was noted in 1905 is obviously a different set of lyrics to mine.
Cheers, Jim Mclean

08 Sep 02 - 08:36 PM (#779344)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Malcolm Douglas

Yes, obviously. See Joe Offer's post above, to which mine was an answer; there should be no possibility of confusion between your modern song and the rather ghastly 19th century broadside effort on more-or-less the same subject.

09 Sep 02 - 05:18 AM (#779516)
Subject: RE: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Jim McLean

Thanks Malcolm. Jim McLean

19 Nov 05 - 02:37 AM (#1608709)
Subject: Lyr Req: Massacre Of Glencoe
From: GUEST,ChS

In spite of the many threads dedicated to the Massacre of Glencoe, I still have questions to ask:

1° Are the (Gaelic?) lyrics to the tune published in Fraser's Collection #57 (Mort Ghlinne-Comhainn /The Massacre of Glencoe) to be found somewhere? The tune I mean is http://chrsouchon.free.fr/glencoep.mid

2° Is this tune somehow related to a pipe tune found in the "White Thistle Music Page" site entitled "Great is the Cause of my Sorrow".
Is this sentence part of the (translated) lyrics of the song?

3° Is there a tune fitting into the broadside text "Flora and Donald / The Pride of Glencoe". Neither of the tunes above does apparently.

All I know concerning this topic is here:
http://chrsouchon.free.fr/glencoe.htm
and
http://chrsouchon.free.fr/widglenc.htm

I moved this message here from another thread on the same topic.
-Joe Offer-

19 Nov 05 - 08:36 AM (#1608845)
Subject: RE: Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glenc
From: Joe Offer

refresh

19 Nov 05 - 09:39 AM (#1608884)
Subject: RE: Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glenc
From: Rapparee

"Father, Son and Friends" have also recorded the song on their "Blue Bonnets and White Cockades" album.

19 Nov 05 - 05:20 PM (#1609112)
Subject: RE: Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: Malcolm Douglas

1. So far as I know, Fraser included no texts with the tunes he published; but you will have to check for yourself in order to be sure.

3. The tune I quoted earlier was found with a traditional version of the Glencoe Massacre (details above), but it can be made to fit the broadside text with a little manipulation. Whether the broadside was also sung to other tunes I wouldn't know. I'm not aware of any other tune ever found with it.

19 Nov 05 - 06:40 PM (#1609160)
Subject: RE: Origins: Ballad of Glencoe / Massacre of Glencoe
From: ChS

Thanks so much, Malcolm. I think the tune you mention is the answer to my question even if it does not fit the text perfectly. The oral tradition and the time interval between the publication of the broadside (ca 1850) and the recording of the tune (1905) may explain these distortions.

As to Fraser, he gives no lyrics just an explanatory note to each of his tunes. In the present case, he sums up the text: an owl is supposed to tell the story of the massacre. He gives for each tune a Gaelic and an English title and it is not always obvious if the song concerned has lyrics and in which language.