Maid of Sweet Gurteen, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer tells the praises of the beautiful Maid of Gorteen. His father opposes the match; she is only a serving girl. The father locks her up; when the singer still professes his love, he has the girl sent away. The ending is confused
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1863 (broadside, Harding B 11(2292))
KEYWORDS: love separation father beauty
FOUND IN: Ireland Canada(Mar,Newf,Ont)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H594, p. 430, "The Maid of Sweet Gorteen" (1 text, 1 tune)
OLochlainn-IrishStreetBallads 22, "The Maid of Sweet Gurteen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Peacock, pp. 375-376, "The Maid of Sweet Gartheen" (1 text, 1 tune)
Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi 85, "The Maid of Sweet Gartine" (1 text, 1 tune)
Vikár/Panagapka-SongsNorthWoodsSungByOJAbbott 20, "The Maid of Sweet Gurteen" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, p. 31, "The Maid of Sweet Gorteen" (1 text)
ST HHH594 (Partial)
Roud #3025
RECORDINGS:
Mrs. Mary Ann Galpin, "The Maid of Sweet Gartheen" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
John Kehoe, "Maid of Sweet Kartine" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Will O'Brien, "Sweet Gertie" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(2292), "Maid of Sweet Gortein," H. Such (London), 1849-1862; also 2806 b.11(146), "Maid of Sweet Gortein"; 2806 b.11(271), Harding B 11(2721), "The Maid of Sweet Gorteen"; 2806 c.8(263), Harding B 11(2290), Harding B 11(2291), 2806 c.15(200)[many illegible words], 2806 b.9(277), 2806 b.9(234), Harding B 19(39), "The Maid of Sweet Gurteen"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Suffolk Miracle" [Child 272] (theme)
NOTES [99 words]: Child would have liked this; the plot is "The Suffolk Miracle" ("The Holland Handkerchief"), minus that ghost he so despised. It's not clear how this song is supposed to end; the Sam Henry texts gives hints that the lovers would reunite, but they never do.
Peacock's version has a clear stopping point ("So now my song is ended"), but again, no resolution; it leaves the singer wandering, seemingly between England and Ireland, still coming back to where he found her. Similarly Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi, save that he is in Florida. And O. J. Abbott's version has him in Flower Hill. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.1
File: HHH594

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