My Son David

Contributors

Robertson, Jeannie, 1908-1975 (525)

Fieldworkers

Henderson, Hamish, 1919-2002 (10) Folkarde, A. (3090)

Date August 1959

Track ID 45764

Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1959.82.A6

Original Tape ID

SA1959.082

Summary

The mother asks her son to explain the blood on his sword. He says it's his hound's, then his mare's, then his hunting hawk's, then confesses that he has killed his brother John. He will go away in a bottomless boat and will never return.

Item Notes

10 verses. Fratricide ballad.

See:
'Scotish (sic) Songs' vol. 2 (J. Ritson, 1794, 1869) pp. 480-482
'The Scottish Ballads' (R. Chambers, 1829) pp. 326-328
'Ballads of Scotland' vol. 2 (W. E. Aytoun, 1858) pp. 18-20

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Kirknewton

Village/Place - Linburn

Language

English, Scots

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good