Sir Lionel
Sir Lionel
A knight had two sons o sma fame,
Hey nien nanny
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme.
And the norlan flowers spring bonnyChild has 6 (A-F) versions of Sir Lionel
[ A | B | C | D | E | F ]
Version A
[ HOME ] [ Numbered List ]Sir Lionell
Percy MS., p. 32, Hales and Furnivall, I, 75.
1 SIR EGRABELL had sonnes three,
Blow thy home, good hunter
Sir Lyonell was one of these.
As I am a gentle hunter
2 Sir Lyonell wold on hunting ryde,
Vntill the forrest him beside.
3 And as he rode thorrow the wood,
Where trees and harts and all were good,
4 And as he rode over the plaine,
There he saw a knight lay slaine.
5 And as he rode still on the plaine,
He saw a lady sitt in a graine.
6 'Say thou, lady, and tell thou me,
What blood shedd heere has bee.'
7 'Of this blood shedd we may all rew,
Both wife and childe and man alsoe.
8 'For it is not past 3 days right
Since Sir Broninge was mad a knight.
9 'Nor it is not more than 3 dayes agoe
Since the wild bore did him sloe.'
10 'Say thou, lady, and tell thou mee,
How long thou wilt sitt in that tree.'
11 She said, 'I will sitt in this tree
Till my friends doe feitch me.'
12 'Tell me, lady, and doe not misse,
Where that your friends dwellings is.'
13 'Downe,' shee said, 'in yonder towne,
There dwells my freinds of great renowne.'
14 Says, 'Lady, Ile ryde into yonder towne
And see wether your friends beene bowne.
15 'I my self wilbe the formost man
That shall come, lady, to feitch you home.'
16 But as he rode then by the way,
He thought it shame to goe away;
17 And vmbethought him of a wile,
How he might that wilde bore beguile.
18 'Sir Egrabell,' he said, 'my father was;
He neuer left lady in such a ease;
19 'Noe more will I'
* * * *
20 'And a[fter] that thou shalt doe mee
Thy hawkes and thy lease alsoe.
21 'Soe shalt thou doe at my command
The litle fingar on thy right hand.'
22 'Ere I wold leaue all this with thee,
Vpoon this ground I rather dyee.'
23 The grant gaue Sir Lyonell such a blow,
The fyer out of his eyen did throw.
24 He said then, 'if I were saffe and sound,
As with-in this bower I was in this ground,
25 'It shold be in the next towne told
How deare thy buff ett it was sold;
26 'And it shold bane beene in the next towne said
How well thy buffett it were paid.'
27 'Take 40 daies into spite,
To heale thy wounds that beene soc wide.
28 'When 40 dayes beene at an end,
Heere meete thou me both safe and sound.
29 'And till thou come to me againe,
With me thoust leaue thy lady alone.'
30 When 40 dayes was at an end,
Sir Lyonell of his wounds was healed sound.
31 He tooke with him a litle page,
He gaue to him good yeomans wage.
32 And as he rode by one hawthorne,
Even there did bang his bunting borne.
33 He sett his bugle to his month,
And blew his bugle still full south.
34 He blew his bugle lowde and shrill;
The lady heard, and came him till.
35 Sayes, 'the gyant lyes vnder yond low,
And well be heares your bugle blow.
36 'And bidds me of good cheere be,
This night heele supp with you and me.'
37 Hee sett that lady vppon a steede,
And a litle boy before her yeede.
38 And said, 'lady, if you see that I must dye,
As euer you loued me, from me flye.
39 'But, lady, if you see that I must line,'
* * * *
Version B
[ TOP ]
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme
Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 110. From the singing of an old woman in Buckie, Enzie, Banffshire.
1 A KNIGHT had two sons o sma fame,
Hey nien nanny
Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme.
And the norlan flowers spring bonny
2 And to the youngest he did say,
'What occupation will you hae?
When the, etc.
3 'Will you gae fee to pick a mill?
Or will you keep hogs on yon hill?
4 'I winna fee to pick a mill,
Nor will I keep hogs on yon hill.
While the, etc.
5 'But it is said, as I do bear,
That war will last for seven year,
And the, etc.
6 'With a giant and a boar
That range into the wood o Tore.
And the, etc.
7 'You'll horse and armour to me provide,
That through Tore wood I may safely ride.'
When the, etc.
8 The kniebt did horse and armour provide,
That through Tore wood Graeme micht safely ride.
When the, etc.
9 Then he rode through the wood o Tore,
And up it started the grisly boar.
When the, etc.
10 The firsten bout that he did ride,
The boar be wounded in the left side.
When the, etc.
11 The nexten bout at the boar he gaed,
He from the boar took all his head.
And the, etc.
12 As he rode back through the wood o Tore,
Up started the giant him before.
And the, etc
13 'O cam you through the wood o Tore,
Or did you see my good wild boar?'
And the, etc.
14 'I cam now through the wood o Tore,
But woe be to your grisly boar.
And the, etc.
15 'The firsten bout that I did ride,
I wounded your wild boar in the side.
And the, etc.
16 'The nexten bout at him I gaed,
From your wild boar I took all his head.'
And the, etc.
17 'Gin you have cut all the head o my boar,
It 's your head shall be taen therfore.
And the, etc.
18 'I'll gie you thirty days and three,
To heal your wounds, then come to me.'
While the, etc.
19 'It's after thirty days and three,
When my wounds heal, I'll come to thee.'
When the, etc.
20 So Graeme is back to the wood o Tore,
And he's killd the giant, as he killd the boar.
And the, etc.
Version C
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The Jovial Hunter of Bromsgrove
a. Allies, The British, Roman, and Saxon Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire, 2d ed., p. 116. From the recitation of Benjamin Brown, of Upper Wick, abont 1845. b. Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, edited by Robert Bell, p. 124.
1 SIR ROBERT BOLTON had three sons,
Wind well thy horn, good hunter
And one of them was called Sir Ryalas.
For he was a jovial hunter
2 He rang'd all round down by the woodside,
Till up in the top of a tree a gay lady he spy'd.
For he was, etc.
3 'O what dost thou mean, fair lady?' said he;
'O the wild boar has killed my lord and hismen thirty.'
As thou beest, etc.
4 'O what shall I do this wild boar to see?'
'O thee blow a blast, and he'll come unto thee.'
As thou beest, etc.
5 [Then he put his horn unto his mouth],
Then lie blowed a blast full north, east, west and south.
As he was, etc.
6 And the wild boar heard him full into his den;
Then be made the best of his speed unto him.
To Sir Ryalas, etc.
7 Then the wild boar, being so stout and so strong,
He thrashd down the trees as he came along
To Sir Ryalas, etc.
8 'O what dost thou want of me? 'the wild boar said he;
'O I think in my heart I can do enough for thee.'
For I am, etc.
9 Then they fought four hours in a long summer's day,
Till the wild boar fain would have gotten away.
From Sir Ryalas, etc.
10 Then Sir Ryalas drawd his broad sword with might,
And he fairly cut his head off quite.
For he was, etc.
11 Then out of the wood the wild woman flew:
'Oh thou hast killed my pretty spotted pig!
As thou beest, etc.
12 'There are three things I do demand of thee,
It's thy horn, and thy hound, and thy gay lady.'
As thou beest, etc.
13 'If these three things thou dost demand of me,
It's just as my sword and thy neck can agree.'
For I am, etc.
14 Then into his locks the wild woman flew,
Till she thought in her heart she had torn him through.
As he was, etc.
15 Then Sir Ryalas drawd his broad sword again,
And he fairly spllt her head in twain.
For he was, etc.
16 In Bromsgrove church they both do lie;
There the wild boar's head is picturd by
Sir Ryalas, etc.
Version D
[ TOP ]
Allies, Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire, p. l18. From the recitation of ---- Oseman, Hartlebury.
1 As I went up one brook, one brook,
Well wind the horn, good hunter
I saw a fair maiden sit on a tree top.
As thou art the jovial hunter
2 I said, 'Fair maiden, what brings you here?'
'It is the wild boar that has drove me here.'
As thou art, etc.
3 'I wish I could that wild boar see;'
Well wind the horn, good hunter,
And the wild boar soon will come to thee-'
As thou art, etc.
4 Then he put his horn unto his mouth,
And he blowd both east, west, north and south.
As he was, etc.
5 The wild boar hearing it into his den,
[Then he made the best of his speed unto him].
6 He whetted his tusks for to make them strong,
And he cut down the oak and the ash as he came along.
For to meet with, etc.
7 They fought five hours one long summer's day,
Till the wild boar he yelld, and be'd fain run away.
And away from, etc.
8 O then be cut his head clean off,
* * * *
9 Then there came an old lady running out of the wood,
Saying, 'You have killed my pretty, my pretty spotted pig.'
As thou art, etc.
10 Then at him this old lady she did go,
And he clove her from the top of her head to her toe.
As be was, etc.
11 In Bromsgrove churchyard this old lady lies,
And the face of the boar's head there is drawn by,
That was killed by. etc.
Version E
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The Old Man and his Three Sons
a. Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, edited by Robert Bell, p. 250. b. Mr Robert White's papers.
1 THERE was an old man and sons he had three;
Wind well, Lion, good hunter
A friar he being one of the three,
With pleasure he ranged the north country.
For he was a jovial hunter
2 As he went to the woods some pastime to see,
He spied a fair lady under a tree,
Wind well your horn, brave hunter
Sighing and moaning mournfully.
He was, etc.
3 'What are you doing, my fair lady?'
'I'm frightened the wild boar he will kill me;
He has worried my lord and wounded thirty
As thou art, etc.
4 Then the friar he put his horn to his mouth,
And he blew a blast, east, west, north south,
And the wild boar from his den he came forth
Unto the, etc.
* * * * *
Version F
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Allies, Antiquities of Worcestershire, p. 120,
1 Sir RACKABELLO had three sons,
Sir Ryalash was one of these.
And he was a jovial hunter
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