Joseph Watt

DESCRIPTION: At Christmas Joseph Watt shoots and wounds a moor hen; she becomes pregnant. At the poacher's court in a church he defends himself for only shooting one hen. The chick is born and killed. He pays fifteen shillings for the funeral.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (Greig/Duncan7)
KEYWORDS: sex poaching punishment childbirth bird
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #7, p. 2, ("Jamie Riddel is my name)" (1 fragment)
Greig/Duncan7 1426, "The Bonnie Muirhen" (5 texts, 2 tunes, excluding 1426Ab which is a fragment of "The Muir Hen")
Roud #2944
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Muir Hen" (muir hen as sex symbol)
NOTES [44 words]: The story of the poacher is a thin disguise for a story of seduction or rape and pregnancy. Note that at the "poacher's court" he stand's "before the holy band" and the minister, with ten elders, says, "Young man ye may think shame For meddlin wi forbidden game." - BS
Last updated in version 2.6
File: GrD71426

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