Babbity Bowster

DESCRIPTION: Game: "Wha learned you to dance, Babbity Bowster, Babbity Bowster? Wha learned you to dance, Babbity Bowster, brawly." "My minie learned me to dance." "Wha gae you the keys to keep?" "My minne gae me the keys to keep."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1828 (Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume2)
KEYWORDS: dancing nonballad mother
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord,High))
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Greig/Duncan8 1717, "Bob at His Bowster" (1 text)
Lyle-Andrew-CrawfurdsCollectionVolume2 157, "Babitie Bowster" (1 text)
Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame 42, "Bumpkin Brawly" (5 texts)
Montgomerie/Montgomerie-ScottishNurseryRhymes 89, "(Who learned you to dance)" (1 text)
DT, BABOWSTR
ADDITIONAL: Robert Chambers, The Popular Rhymes of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1870 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 36, "Babbity Bowster"
Robert Chambers (Edited by Norah and William Montgomerie), Traditional Scottish Nursery Rhymes (1990 selected from Popular Rhymes) #58, p.40, "Babbity-Bowster")
Robert Ford, Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (Paisley, 1904 (2nd edition, "Digitized by Google")), pp. 61-63, "Bab at the Bowster"
A. Nimmo, Songs and Ballads of Clydesdale (Edinburgh, 1882 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 194, "Babity Bowster"
Robert Craig Maclagan, The Games and Diversions of Argyleshire (London, 1901 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 136, "Babbity Bowster" (1 text)
Roud #8722
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Bee Baw Babbity" (derivative, per Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame)
File: MSNR089

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography