The Two Sisters
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1964.160.A3
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this ballad, two sisters are courted by a young man, with the younger sister winning his favour. The jealous older sister invites the younger to walk and view the birds flying down by the river's edge, and there pushes her into the water. The younger sister pleads to be saved; even promising to yield her houses and land, but the elder sister leaves her to drown. The young girl's body is washed downstream where it is trapped behind a miller's dam. The miller retrieves her body and robs it of five gold rings, before dumping it back in the water. The miller is later hung [it is implied that he is found guilty of the murder].
The contributor learned the song from a record by American singer Ed McCurdy; the song itself is a New England version. The contributor is originally from Gloucestershire, but has been living in St Andrews for a few years, where he studies Zoology.
Item Notes
Recorded at Sandy Bell's, Forest Road, Edinburgh. 11 verses of 4 lines, with an interlinear refrain at the end of lines 1, 2 and 4. Company joins in with refrain.
In many versions from the same area (cf. Sharp) the miller is killed for robbing the girl's body, and the older sister is hung for the murder.
See:
'Ozark Folk Songs' vol. 1 (V. Randolph, 1949) pp. 50-63
'Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians' (J. Ritchie, 1965) p. 63
'English Folk-Songs Southern Appalachians' vol. 1 (C. Sharp, 1917) pp. 26-35
'Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads' vol. 1 (B. H. Bronson & F. J. Child, 1959) pp. 143-184
'Ancient Ballads Traditionally Sung in New England' vol. 1 (H. H. Flanders, 1960-1965) pp. 150-170
Recording Location
County - Midlothian
Parish - Edinburgh
Village/Place - Edinburgh
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair