Lord Lovat

Contributors

Higgins, Lizzie Ann, 1929-1993 (2900)

Fieldworkers

Munro, Ailie Edmunds, 1919-2002 (2887) Cooke, Peter Rich (3279) (1930-2020)

Date 04 May 1970

Track ID 66023

Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1970.79.A3

Original Tape ID

SA1970.079

Summary

In this ballad, Lord Lovat leaves on a long voyage, leaving behind his lover Lady Nancybell. After years of journeying, he has a foreboding dream one night, causing him to return at once. When he arrives, he finds ladies weeping, and learns that his beloved has died out of love for him. Weeping, he holds her body one last time.

Item Notes

6 verses of 4 lines. In other versions of this ballad, Nancy pleads with her lover not to leave; he sometimes dies at the end of the song out of grief.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 6, pp. 442-447, no. 1232
'Scottish Studies' 14 (A. Munro, 1970) pp. 159-161
'Ancient Scottish Ballads' (G. R. Kinloch, 1827) pp. 31-35
'Jeannie Robertson' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 255-257
'Scottish Studies' 14 (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1970) pp. 45-46
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 57-58
'Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads & Songs' vol. 1 (E. Lyle, 1975) pp. 54-55
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 70-72
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein, A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. CLIX

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Edinburgh

Village/Place - Edinburgh

Language

English

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good