The Twa Sisters
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1969.52
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this version of 'Binnorie', two sisters are courted by a miller, with the younger winning his favour. The jealous older sister invites the younger to walk by the miller's dam, and there pushes her into the water, where she drowns. The miller's servant discovers the body and alerts the miller, saying it's either a drowned lady, or a swan. The miller recognises the young sister by her silken gown, and grieves for her.
Ethel Findlater learned this tragic ballad from her cousin Bella fifty-five years previously.
Item Notes
12 verses of 4 lines (second line is refrain).
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 76-92, no. 213
'Scottish Ballads' (E. Lyle, 1994) pp. 113-115
'Bothy Songs & Ballads' (J. Ord, 1930) pp. 430-432
'Singing Island' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1960) p. 85
'Scottish Tragic Ballads' (J. Pinkerton, 1781) pp. 72-74
'Book of Scottish Ballads' (A. Whitelaw, 1845) pp. 260-261
'Vagabond Songs & Ballads' vol. 2 (R. Ford, 1901) pp. 189-194
'Ballads of Scotland' vol. 1 (W. E. Aytoun, 1858) pp. 194-199
'Ancient Ballads and Songs' vol. 2 (P. Buchan, 1828) pp. 122-125
'Everyman's Book of British Ballads' (R. Palmer, 1980) pp. 91-92
'The Scottish Folksinger' (N. Buchan and P. Hall, 1973) pp. 84-85
'A Collection of Scots Songs' (A. Munro & H. Henderson, 1972) p. 36
'Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads' (A. Keith & G. Greig, 1925) pp. 9-13
'Ancient & Modern Scottish Songs' vol. 2 (D. Herd, 1869, 1973) pp. 306-307
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 51-53
'Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads' vol. 1 (B. H. Bronson & F. J. Child, 1959) pp. 143-184
'Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads & Songs' vol. 2 (E. Lyle, 1996) pp. 48-49, 103-105
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good