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Yowie wi the Crookit Horn

Date December 1959
Track ID 46975
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1960.138.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1960.138

Summary

In this song, a man owns a much-appreciated illicit still (the 'yowie wi the crookit horn') until it is stolen by a 'nicken' [rascal]. He vows that if he had the lad that did it he would give his neck a twist.

Item Notes

3 verses of 4 lines with chorus at start and after each verse; false start.

Despite the popular re-write by Rev. John Skinner (1721-1807), pastor of Longside in Aberdeenshire, which appeared in Johnson's 'Scots Musical Museum', and which implies that the 'ewie' in the song is an actual sheep, older traditional versions of this song, such as those preserved by the Traveller community, tell us clearly that the 'ewie wi the crookit horn' is an illicit still.

See:
'Tocher' 23 (1976) pp. 264-265
'Folksongs of Britain & Ireland' (P. Kennedy, 1975) p. 603
'Vagabond Songs & Ballads' vol. 1 (R. Ford, 1899) pp. 87-90
'Jeannie Robertson' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 143-144
'The Scots Musical Museum' vol. 3 (J. Johnson & R. Burns, 1853 edition) no. 293

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Old Deer

Village/Place - Fetterangus

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R2140

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good