Willie's Fatal Visit [Child 255]

DESCRIPTION: Willie, having spent the night with Margaret, leaves before dawn because the cock crowed too soon. On the road he meets a ghost. Since he is a sinner and has not said a prayer for the road, the ghost tears him to shreds
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE:
KEYWORDS: sex separation ghost death bird nightvisit
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Child 255, "Willie's Fatal Visit" (1 text)
Bronson 255, "Willie's Fatal Visit" (2 versions)
Porter/Gower-Jeannie-Robertson-EmergentSingerTransformativeVoice #75, p. 251-252, "Willie's Fate (Willie's Fatal Visit (Child 255)" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #2}
Leach-TheBalladBook, pp. 623-625, "Willie's Fatal Visit" (1 text)
Roud #244
RECORDINGS:
Jeannie Robertson, "Willie's Fatal Visit (Willie's Fate)" (on FSB5, FSBBAL2) {Bronson's #2}
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Grey Cock, or, Saw You My Father" [Child 248] (plot)
NOTES [74 words]: This sounds almost like an "alternate ending" for "The Grey Cock, or, Saw You My Father" [Child 248]. Hugh Shields conjectured that that was an "alba song" (see the entry on Child 248 for explanation). This, however, seems to me almost closer to the form Shields describes. - RBW
Also collected and sung by Ellen Mitchell, "Willy's Fatal Visit" (on Kevin and Ellen Mitchell, "Have a Drop Mair," Musical Tradition Records MTCD315-6 CD (2001)) - BS
Last updated in version 5.3
File: C255

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