Blaeberry Courtship, The [Laws N19]

DESCRIPTION: A Lowland girl is induced to follow a Highland lad home "to pick blueberries" (and get married). The girl is worn out by the time they reach his home -- only to discover that his poverty is a sham and he is a great lord whom she knew in childhood
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1835 (broadside, Bodleian Johnson Ballads 1570)
KEYWORDS: courting poverty money harvest
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar) Britain(England(North),Scotland(Aber)) Ireland
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Laws N19, "The Blaeberry Courtship"
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H193, pp. 487-488, "The Hielan's o' Scotland" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #43, pp. 1-2, "The Blaeberry Courtship" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan4 852, "The Blaeberry Courtship" (16 texts plus a single verse on p. 561, 11 tunes)
Ord-BothySongsAndBallads, pp. 190-191, "The Blaeberry Courtship" (1 text)
Stokoe/Reay-SongsAndBalladsOfNorthernEngland, pp. 62-63, "The Blaeberries" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie-BalladsAndSeaSongsFromNovaScotia 18, "The Blaeberry Courtship" (2 texts)
Whitelaw-BookOfScottishBallads, pp. 276-278, "The Blaeberries" (1 text)
DT 450, BLAEBRRY BLAEBRR2
ADDITIONAL: Robert Ford, Vagabond Songs and Ballads (Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1901 ("Digitized by Google")) second series, pp. 77-82, "The Blaeberry Courtship" (1 text)
Roud #1888
RECORDINGS:
Howard Morry, "The Pride of Glencoe" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 1570, "The Blaeberries" or "Highland Laird's Courtship," G Walker (Durham), 1797-1834
NLScotland, RB.m.143(004), "The Blaeberry Courtship," Pos Box (sic.), i.e. Poet's Box (Glasgow), c. 1880
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Lizie Lindsay" [Child 226] (plot)
cf. "Glasgow Peggy" [Child 228] (plot)
cf. "Erin-go-bragh" (tune, per Greig/Duncan4)
NOTES [130 words]: Laws calls this a "modernization of the story" told in "Lizie Lindsay" (Child #226). It is possible that this is technically true -- that is, that "The Blaeberry Courtship" was inspired by the Child Ballad. Certainly a number of scholars (far too many!) have lumped them together. But they are clearly and obviously separate songs, and should be treated as such. In terms of plot, "The Blaeberry Courtship" is nearly as close to "Glasgow Peggy" as to "Lizie Lindsay"; note that the suitor reveals his wealth only *after* the lady comes away with him. - RBW
Ford comments on Whitelaw-BookOfScottishBallads: "In Whitelaw's Book of British Ballads there is a modern and verbally improved version given, but I prefer to print here the old chapman's copy in all its rude simplicity." - BS
Last updated in version 3.2
File: LN19

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