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The Dowie Dens o Yarrow

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1971.190.4

Original Tape ID

SA1971.190

Summary

A lady in the north is courted by nine noblemen and a Yarrow ploughboy, whom she prefers. He has to fight all nine; he kills three, three run away and three are badly wounded, but her brother comes up and stabs him in the back. The ploughboy tells him to go and confess his treachery to his sister. He is on his way home when he meets her. She tells him she has had a dream that he has shed blood and he tells her her true love is dead. She wraps her hair round the ploughboy and carries his body home. Her father says he will find her a noble bridegroom but she says no one can match her ploughboy.

Hamish Henderson says that the song was first written down by Sir Walter Scott but Willie Scott has a different version, older than the one in the 'Minstrelsy'. As a shepherd Willie has a great knowledge of Yarrow and all the Border lands.

Item Notes

10 verses.

See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 99-113
Ord pp. 426-427

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Edinburgh

Village/Place - Edinburgh

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R13 GD215 C214

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good