Beauty of the Braid, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer has wandered far, but his "intellect is consummated By the charming beauty lives in the Braid." He asks how she came there; she was rescuing a lost lamb. He asks her name; she answers in riddles and bids him seek more education
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1937 (Sam Henry collection)
KEYWORDS: love courting beauty wordplay riddle
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H723, p. 240-241, "The Beauty of the Braid" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #9477
NOTES [61 words]: Sam Henry believes this song to be many centuries old, as it mentions wolves, long extinct in Ireland. And yet, the lady wants the young man to know Latin, and encourages him to improve his education to solve her riddle. This implies a much more recent date, when learning was widespread.
I think we must regard this song as a mystery, probably of broadside origin. - RBW
File: HHH273

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