Lake of Cool Finn, The (Willie Leonard) [Laws Q33]

DESCRIPTION: Willie Leonard and a friend visit Lake Cool Finn. Willie dives in first, and swims to an island, but warns his friend not to follow, warning of "deep and false water...." When Willie tries to swim back, he vanishes (to fairyland?). He is mourned by many
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1873
KEYWORDS: death drowning
FOUND IN: US(MA,NE,S) Ireland Britain(England(West),Scotland) Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (18 citations):
Laws Q33, "The Lake of Cool Finn"
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #114, p. 1, "The Loch o' Shilin" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan2 228, "The Loch o' Shilin" (3 texts, 3 tunes)
Leach-TheBalladBook, pp. 732-733, "Willie Leonard or the Lake of Cool Finn" (1 text)
Cazden/Haufrecht/Studer-FolkSongsOfTheCatskills 72, "The Lakes of Col Flynn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Flanders/Ballard/Brown/Barry-NewGreenMountainSongster, pp. 32-34, "The Lakes of Cool Fin" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morris-FolksongsOfFlorida, #230, "The Lake of Coalfin" (1 text)
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 324, "The Lakes of Shallin" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Ox 295, "Lakes of Cold Finn" (1 text)
Roud/Bishop-NewPenguinBookOfEnglishFolkSongs #120, "The Lakes of Cold Finn" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H176, p. 146, "Willie Lennox" (1 text, 1 tune)
OCroinin/Cronin-TheSongsOfElizabethCronin 168, "The Lakes of Coolfin" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Munnelly/Deasy-TheMountCallanGarland-Tom-Lenihan 35, "The Lake of Coolfin" (1 text, 1 tune)
McBride-FlowerOfDunaffHillAndMoreTradSongsInnishowen 44, "Johnny Bathin" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, pp. 15-16, "Lakes of Cold Finn" (1 text)
Hylands-Mammoth-Hibernian-Songster, p. 185, "'Twas Early One Morning" (1 text)
cf. Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan, p. 480, "The Lakes of Cold Finn" (source notes only)
DT 541, LKCOLFIN* LKCOLFI2*
Roud #189
RECORDINGS:
Amy Birch, "Royal Comrade" (on Voice11)
Din Dobbin, "Lake of Coll Finn" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Patsy Flynn, "Willie Leonard" (on IRHardySons)
Tom Lenihan, "The Lake of Coolfin" (on IRTLenihan01)
Mary Reynolds, "The Lakes of Shallin" (on FSB7)
Cathie Stewart, "The Lakes of Shillin" (on SCStewartsBlair01)
Scan Tester, "The Lakes of Coalflin" (on Voice03)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 b.11(260), "The Lakes of Cold Finn," H. Such (London), 1863-1885; also Harding B 20(88), "The Lakes of Cold Finn"; 2806 b.11(31), Firth b.26(168), Harding B 11(1376), "Willie Leonard"
LOCSinging, as107400, "The Lakes of Cold Finn," unknown, 19C
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Billy Henry
NOTES [31 words]: The Loch o' Shilin versions expand on the mother "tearing her hair" by adding father and sweetheart. Greig comments that his version was sung to the tune of "Villikens and his Dinah." - BS
Last updated in version 6.1
File: LQ33

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