Difference between revisions of "Francis J Child"

Revision as of 00:16, 17 January 2009

The Child Ballads

The main thrust of this section of Folkopedia is to engender long overdue dialogue on what for the last century and more have come to be known as Child Ballads, i.e, the compilation, analysis and publication of ‘The English and Scottish Popular Ballads’ by Professor F J Child between the years 1882 and 1898. I am convinced in publishing this work he intended it to be a guide for students, and to open a debate on the ballads. Unfortunately what followed was that it rapidly became revered and was given biblical status amongst scholars, particularly in the United States, almost as if it was set in stone, despite the fact that Child himself had serious misgivings about the veracity of many of the ballads. In Britain where most of the ballads originated they continued to be treated like any other ballads, i.e., British collectors post Child published these ballads randomly amongst the many broadside ballads they were finding without giving them any special status. However when Cecil Sharp started collecting songs in America the results were published in 1917 with the Child ballads given prominence at the beginning of the collection and for the next half century this set the standard for most American ballad anthologies, the eventual format which evolved being in 3 sections, Child ballads, British broadside ballads and native American ballads.

Child was well aware that a large slice of what he published had at best been interfered with by literary hands, and at worst some, he had suspicions, were blatant forgeries. He strove to minimize this by, where possible, going back to manuscripts rather than published versions, but even then he was aware that even some of the manuscripts were also suspect, some of them being little more than prepared proofs prior to publication.

Therefore what we propose here is a separate online discussion document on each ballad where scarce, early and seminal versions can be posted, where interested parties can enter into dialogue giving fact and opinion on the veracity of individual ballads and indeed individual versions. Obviously much information unavailable to or missed by Child has come to light in the last century and new discoveries are being made even today. For instance Child never got to see the Peter Buchan manuscripts now housed at Harvard which arrived there shortly after his death. Had he seen them it would have probably hardened his views against these versions as all the extensive manuscripts consist of is the hand-written proof ready for publication plus those ballads and songs deemed unsuitable for final publication in Ancient Ballads of the North. In fact nothing resembling any field collection notes of any sort, if they ever existed, have survived from Buchan’s prestigious output.

Apart from separate pages for each ballad we propose to include sections where debate can take place on the interference of the collectors/antiquarians and other issues as they arise on the ballads in general. For instance there have often been other ballads suggested, such as ‘Craigieston’ (The Trees They Do Grow High) that Child might have included had he been aware of them, and these can be debated here.

It has also been proposed that we include space to examine more modern interpretations of the ballads. During what is known in Britain as the Second Revival (1950s onwards) there have been many interesting attempts to re-interpret and adapt the Child Ballads, notably by Ewan MacColl and Bert Lloyd. I here suggest separate pages for these discussions as the two issues of literary intervention and modern interpretation are separate issues and it could be confusing to debate these at the same time.

To get things off the ground, and with so many ballads to go at, I am suggesting we look at a number of ballads with which there are more obvious interesting and contentious issues such as 20 The Cruel Mother, 264 The White Fisher, 293 John of Hazelgreen and 295 The Brown Girl. A useful starting point for debate on many of the ballads is Child’s own comments and at the earliest opportunity I will enter these.

Steve Gardham

Volume I: 1-53

1: Riddles Wisely Expounded
2: The Elfin Knight
3: The Fause Knight on the Road
4: Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
5: Gil Brenton
6: Willie's Lady
7: Earl Brand
8: Erlinton
9: The Fair Flower of Northumberland
10: The Twa Sisters
11: The Cruel Brother
12: Lord Rendal
13: Edward
14: Babylon or The Bonnie Banks o Fordie
15: Leesom Brand ** Editorial
16: Sheath and Knife ** Editorial
17: Hind Horn
18: Sir Lionel
19: King Orfeo
20: The Cruel Mother ** Editorial
21: The Maid and the Palmer
22: St. Stephen and Herod
23: Judas
24: Bonnie Annie
25: Willie's Lyke-Wake
26: The Three Ravens
27: The Whummil Bore
28: Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane
29: The Boy and the Mantle
30: King Arthur and King Cornwall
31: The Marriage of Sir Gawain
32: King Henry
33: Kempy Kay
34: Kemp Owyne
35: Allison Gross
36: The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea
37: Thomas Rymer
39: Tam Lin
40: The Queen of Elfan's Nourice
41: Hind Etin
42: Clerk Colvill
43: The Broomfield Hill
44: The Two Magicians
45: King John and the Bishop
46: Captain Wedderburn's Courtship
47: Proud Lady Margaret
48: Young Andrew
49: The Twa Brothers
50: The Bonny Hind
51: Lizie Wan
52: The King's Dochter Lady Jean
53: Young Beichan

Volume II: 54-113

54: The Cherry-Tree Carol
55: The Carnal and the Crane
56: Dives and Lazarus
57: Brown Robyn's Confession
58: Sir Patrick Spens
59: Sir Aldingar
60: King Estmere
61: Sir Cawline
62: Fair Annie
63: Child Waters
64: Fair Janet
65: Lady Maisry
66: Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet
67: Glasgerion
68: Young Hunting
69: Clerk Sanders
70: Willie and Lady Maisry
71: The Bent Sae Brown
72: The Clerk's Twa Sons o Owensford
73: Lord Thomas and Annet
74: Fair Margaret and Sweet William
75: Lord Lovel
76: The Lass of Roch Royal
77: Sweet William's Ghost
78: The Unquiet Grave
79: The Wife of Usher's Well
80: Old Robin of Portingale
81: Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
82: The Bonny Birdy
83: Child Maurice
84: Bonny Barbara Allen
85: Lady Alice
86: Young Benjie
87: Prince Robert
88: Young Johnstone
89: Fause Foodrage
90: Jellon Grame
91: Fair Mary of Wallington
92: Bonny Bee Hom
93: Lamkin
94: Young Waters
95: The Maid Freed From the Gallows
96: The Gay Goshawk
97: Brown Robin
98: Brown Adam
99: Johnie Scott
100: Willie o Winesberry
101: Willie o Couglas Dale
102: Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter
103: Rose the Red and White LIly
104: Prince Heathen
105: The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington
106: The Famous Flower of Serving Men
107: Will Steward and John
108: Christopher White
109: Tom Potts
110: The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter
111: Crow and Pie
112: Blow Away the Morning Dew
113: The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry

Volume III: 114-188

114: Johnie Cock
115: Robyn and Gandeleyn
116: Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough and William of Cloudesly

Introduction to the Robin Hood Ballads

155: Sir Hugh, or the Jew's Daughter
156: Queen Eleanor's Confession
157: Gude Wallace
158: High Spencer's Feats in France
159: Durham Field
160: The Knight of Liddesdale
161: The Battle of Otterburn
162: The Hunting of the Cheviot
163: The Battle of Harlaw
164: King Henry Fifth's Conquest of France
165: Sir John Butler
166: The Rose of England
167: Andrew Bartin
168: Flodden Field
169: Johnie Armstrong
170: The Death of Queen Jane
171: Thomas Cromwell
172: Musselburgh Field
173: Mary Hamilton
174: Earl Bothwell
175: The Rising in the North
176: Northumberland Betrayed by Douglas
177: The Earl of Westmoreland
178: Captain Car, or, Edom o Gordon
179: Rookhope Ryde
180: King James and Brown
181: The Bonnie Earl o' Moray
182: The Laird o Logie
183: Willie Macintosh
184: The Lads of Wamphray
185: Dick o the Cow
186: Kinmont Willie
187: Jock o the Side
188: Archie o Cawfield

Volume IV: 189-265

189: Hobie Noble
190: Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead
191: Hughie Graham
192: The Lochmaben Harper
193: The Death of Parcy Reed
194: The Laird of Wariston
195: Lord Maxwell's Last Goodnight
196: The Fire of Frendraught
197: James Grant
198: Bonny John Seton
199: Bonnie House o' Airlie
200: The Gypsy Laddie
201: Bessy Bell and Mary Gray
202: The Battle of Philiphaugh
203: The Baron of Brackley
204: Jamie Douglas
205: Loudon Hill, or Dromclog
206: Bothwell Bridge
207: Lord Delamere
208: Lord Dernwentwater
209: Geordie
210: Bonnie James Campbell
211: Bewick and Graham
212: The Duke of Athole's Nurse
213: Sir James the Rose
214: The Braes o Yarrow
215: Rare Willie Drowned in Yarrow, or, The Water o Gamrie
216: The Mother's Malison, or, Clyde's Water
217: The Broom of Cowdenknows
218: The False Lover Won Back
219: The Gardener
220: The Bonny Lass of Anglesey
221: Katherine Jafray
222: Bonny Baby Livingston
223: Epie Morrie
224: The Lady of Arngosk
225: Rob Roy
226: Lizie Lindsay
227: Bonny Lizie Baillie
228: Glasgow Peggie
229: Earl Crawford
230: The Slaughter of the Laird of Mellerstain
231: The Earl of Errol
232: Richie Story
233: Andrew Lammie
234: Charlie MacPherson
235: The Earl of Aboyne
236: The Laird o Drum
237: The Duke of Gordon's Daughter
238: Glenlogie or Jean o Bethalnie
239: Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie
240: The Rantin Laddie
241: The Baron o Leys
242: The Coble o Cargin
243: James Harris, (The Daemon Lover)
244: James Hatley
245: Young Allan
246: Redesdale and Wise William
247: Lady Elspat
248: The Grey Cock, or, Saw You My Father
249: Auld Matrons
250: Henry Martyn
251: Lang Johnny More
252: The Kitchie-Boy
253: Thomas o Yonderdale
254: Lord William, or Lord Lundy
255: Willie's Fatal Visit
256: Alison and Willie
257: Burd Isabel and Earl Patrick
258: Broughty Wa's
259: Lord Thomas Stuart
260: Lord Thomas and Lady Margaret
261: Lady Isabel
262: Lord Livingston
263: The New-Slain Knight
264: The White Fisher
265: The Knight's Ghost

Volume V: 266-305

266: John Thomson and the Turk
267: The Heir of Linne
268: The Twa Knights
269: Lady Diamond
270: The Earl of Mar's Daughter
271: The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward
272: The Suffolk Miracle
273: King Edward the Fourth and a Tanner of Tamworth
274: Our Goodman
275: Get Up and Bar the Door
276: TheFriar in the Well
277: The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin
278: The Farmer's Curst Wife
279: The Jolly Beggar
280: The Beggar-Laddie
281: The Keach I the Creel
282: Jock the Leg and the Merry Merchant
283: The Crafty Farmer
284: John Dory
285: The George Aloe and the Sweepstake
286: The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)
287: Captain Ward and the Rainbow
288: The Young Earl of Essex's Victory Over the Emperor of Germany
289: The Mermaid
290: The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie
291: Child Owlet
292: The West-Country Damosel's Complaint
293: John of Hazelgreen**Editorial
294: Dugal Quin
295: The Brown Girl**Editorial
296: Walter Lesly
297: Earl Rothes
298: Young Peggy
299: Trooper and Maid
300: Blancheflour and Jellyflorice
301: The Queen of Scotland
302: Young Bearwell
303: The Holy Nunnery
304: Young Ronald
305: The Outlaw Murray

@@ Line 157: / Line 157: @@
 * [[126: Robin Hood and the Tanner]]
 * [[127: Robin Hood and the Tinker]]
-* [[128: Robin Hood and the Newly Revived]]
+* [[128: Robin Hood Newly Revived]]
 * [[129: Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon]]
 * [[130: Robin Hood and the Scotchman]]