Braes of Yarrow (I), The

DESCRIPTION: A man tells his bride-to-be to forget Yarrow where he killed her lover. She had warned her lover against the fight. Now her brother Douglas wants her to marry. She thinks of the dead body and won't marry. The groom tells her: "dry thy useless sorrow"
AUTHOR: William Hamilton (1704-1754)
EARLIEST DATE: 1794 (Ritson, _Scotish Songs_, Greig/Duncan2 refers to the 1869 reprint of the 1794 publication)
KEYWORDS: wedding fight death brother
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Chambers-ScottishBallads, pp. 148-152, "The Braes of Yarrow" (1 text, apparently Hamilton's original)
Greig/Duncan2 216, "The Braes of Yarrow" (1 fragment)
Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume2 195, "The Braes o Yarrow" (1 fragment)
ADDITIONAL: Charles W. Eliot, editor, English Poetry Vol II From Collins to Fitzgerald (New York, 1910), #341, pp. 572-576, "The Braes of Yarrow" (William Hamilton of Bangour)
Roud #5838
BROADSIDES:
NLScotland, RB.m.143(003), "Braes of Yarrow," The Poet's box (Glasgow), 1870
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Busk Ye
NOTES [129 words]: Child notes to 214, "The Braes o Yarrow": "'The Braes of Yarrow' ('Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny, bonny bride'), by William Hamilton of Bangour, was suggested by the present ballad."
Greig/Duncan2 is a fragment; Eliot is the basis for the description.
Broadside Bodleian, 2806 c.11(203), "Braes of Yarrow" ("Busk ye, busk ye, my bonnie, bonnie bride!"), The Poet's box (Glasgow), 1870 could not be downloaded and verified. It appears to be the same as NLScotland RB.m.143(003).
This is not to be confused with Broadside Bodleian, Johnson Ballads fol. 28, "The Braes of Yarrow" ("Busk ye, busk ye, my bony [sic] bride"), J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838 by Allan Ramsay. That song ends with the man saying "O Queen of smiles, I ask nae mair, Since now my bony Bell's consenting." - BS
Last updated in version 4.0
File: GrD2216

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