Tibbie Fowler (II)

DESCRIPTION: "Tibbie Fowler [or Robie Stobie] in the glen" stole her mother's hen and got the blame. Whether roasted or raw, Tibbie ate her all.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1910 (Greig/Duncan8)
KEYWORDS: theft food parody chickens
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #159, p. 2, ("Robie Stobie doon the glen") (1 text)
Greig/Duncan8 1691, "Tibbie Fowler" (2 texts)
Roud #5504
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Tibbie Fowler (I)" (tune, lyrics)
NOTES [306 words]: The current song seems a parody of another song with at least two major versions [i.e. "Tibbie Fowler (I)"] - RBW . See
David Herd, editor, Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc. (Edinburgh, 1870 (reprint of 1776)), Vol II, pp. 104-105, "Tibby Fowler of the Glen"
Hans Hecht, editor, Songs From David Herd's Manuscripts (Edinburgh, 1904), #554 pp. 174-175,304-305, "Tibbie Fowler" [Not the same song as in Herd, above.]
Robert Chambers, The Scottish Songs (Edinburgh, 1829), Vol II, pp. 378-379, "Tibbie Fowler" is close to Herd.
James Kinsley, editor, Burns: Complete Poems and Songs (shorter edition, Oxford, 1969) #569, p. 673, "Tibbie Fowler" (1 text, 1 tune) is close to Hecht-Herd.
And with the usual reservations about this book, R. H. Cromek, Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, (Paisley, 1880 reissue of 1810 edition ("Digitized by Google")), pp. 83-87, "Variations of 'Tibbie Fowler'." Of this set, Hecht-Herd says, on p. 304: "worthless stuff."
In any case, none of these has a verse that is a clear base for what I assume is a parody, though the first line of the Herd version and the form of Hecht-Herd is suggestive. On the other hand, none have a good word for the subject. The chorus of Hecht-Herd: "Wooing at her, pu'in at her, Courtin at her, cannae get her: Filthy elf, it's for her pelf That a' the lads are wooin at her"
Whitelaw, writing about the Herd/Chambers text: "In the Tea Table Miscellany, Ramsay has a song 'to the tune of Tibble fowler in the Glen,' which proves that the air, at least is old.... The authorship has been ascribed to a 'Rev. Dr. Strachan late minister of Carnwath; but David Laing says that there has been no minister of Carnevath of that name for at least the last three hundred years" (source: Whitelaw-BookOfScottishSong, pp. 61-62, "Tibbie Fowler") - BS
Last updated in version 6.6
File: GrD81691

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