Part 2 — 18 SIR LIONEL.
Reading edition
A. 'Sir Lionell,' Percy MS., p. 32, Hales and Furnivall, I, 75.
B. 'Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Græme,' Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 110.
C. a. 'The Jovial Hunter of Bromsgrove,' Allies, The British, Roman and Saxon Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire, 2d ed., p. 116. b. Bell's Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 124.
D. Allies, as above, p. 118.
E. a. 'The Old Man and his Three Sons,' Bell, as above, p. 250. b. Mr Robert White's papers.
F. Allies, as above, p. 120.
B can be traced in Banffshire, according to Christie, for more than a hundred years, through the old woman that sang it, and her forbears. C a, D were originally published by Allies in the year 1845, in a pamphlet bearing the title The Jovial Hunter of Bromsgrove, Horne the Hunter, and Robin Hood. No intimation as to the source of his copy, C b, is given by Bell, i. e., Dixon. Apparently all the variations from Allies, C a, are of the nature of editorial improvements. E a is said (1857) to be current in the north of England as a nursery song.
One half of A, the oldest and fullest copy of this ballad (the second and fourth quarters), is wanting in the Percy MS. What we can gather of the story is this. A knight finds a lady sitting in a tree, A, C, D [under a tree, E], who tells him that a wild boar has slain Sir Broning, A [killed her lord and thirty of his men, C; worried her lord and wounded thirty, E]. The knight kills the boar, B-D, and seems to have received bad wounds in the process, A, B; the boar belonged to a giant, B; or a wild woman, C, D. The knight is required to forfeit his hawks and leash, and the little finger of his right hand, A [his horse, his hound, and his lady, C]. He refuses to submit to such disgrace, though in no condition to resist, A; the giant allows him time to heal his wounds, forty days, A; thirty-three, B; and he is to leave his lady as security for his return, A. At the end of this time the knight comes back sound and well, A, B, and kills the giant as he had killed the boar, B. C and D say nothing of the knight having been wounded. The wild woman, to revenge her "pretty spotted pig," flies fiercely at him, and he cleaves her in two. The last quarter of the Percy copy would, no doubt, reveal what became of the lady who was sitting in the tree, as to which the traditional copies give no light.
Our ballad has much in common with the romance of 'Sir Eglamour of Artois,' Percy MS., Hales and Furnivall, II, 338; Thornton Romances, Camden Society, ed. Halliwell, p. 121; Ellis, Metrical Romances, from an early printed copy, Bohn's ed., p. 527. Eglamour, simple knight, loving Christabel, an earl's daughter, is required by the father, who does not wish him well, to do three deeds of arms, the second being to kill a boar in the kingdom of Sattin or Sydon, which had been known to slay forty armed knights in one day (Percy, st. 37). This Eglamour does, after a very severe fight. The boar belonged to a giant, who had kept him fifteen years to slay Christian men (Thornton, st. 42, Percy, 40). This giant had demanded the king of Sydon's daughter's hand, and comes to carry her off, by force, if necessary, the day following the boar-fight. Eglamour, who had been found by the king in the forest, in a state of exhaustion, after a contest which had lasted to the third or fourth day, and had been taken home by him and kindly cared for, is now ready for action again. He goes to the castle walls with a squire, who carries the boar's head on a spear. The giant, seeing the head, exclaims,
'Alas, art thou dead! My trust was all in thee! Now by the law that I lieve in, My little speckled hoglin, Dear bought shall thy death be.'
Percy, st. 44.
Eglamour kills the giant, and returns to Artois with both heads. The earl has another adventure ready for him, and hopes the third chance may quit all. Eglamour asks for twelve weeks to rest his weary body.
B comes nearest the romance, and possibly even the wood of Tore is a reminiscence of Artois. The colloquy with the giant in B is also, perhaps, suggested by one which had previously taken place between Eglamour and another giant, brother of this, after the knight had killed one of his harts (Percy, st. 25). C 11, D 9 strikingly resemble the passage of the romance cited above (Percy, 44, Thornton, 47).
The ballad has also taken up something from the romance of 'Eger and Grime,' Percy MS., Hales and Furnivall, I, 341; Laing, Early Metrical Tales, p. 1; 'Sir Eger, Sir Grahame, and Sir Gray-Steel,' Ellis's Specimens, p. 546. Sir Egrabell (Rackabello, Isaac-a-Bell), Lionel's father, recalls Sir Eger, and Hugh the Græme in B is of course the Grahame or Grime of the romance, the Hugh being derived from a later ballad. Gray-Steel, a man of proof, although not quite a giant, cuts off the little finger of Eger's right hand, as the giant proposes to do to Lionel in A 21.
The friar in E 13, 41, may be a corruption of Ryalas, or some like name, as the first line of the burden of E, 'Wind well, Lion, good hunter,' seems to be a perversion of 'Wind well thy horn, good hunter,' in C, D.[180] This part of the burden, especially as it occurs in A, is found, nearly, in a fragment of a song of the time of Henry VIII, given by Mr Chappell in his Popular Music of the Olden Time, I, 58, as copied from "MSS Reg., Append. 58."
'Blow thy horne, hunter, Cum, blow thy horne on hye! In yonder wode there lyeth a doo, In fayth she woll not dye. Cum, blow thy horne, hunter, Cum, blow thy horne, joly hunter!'
A terrible swine is a somewhat favorite figure in romantic tales. A worthy peer of the boar of Sydon is killed by King Arthur in 'The Avowynge of King Arthur,' etc., Robson, Three Early English Metrical Romances (see st. xii). But both of these, and even the Erymanthian, must lower their bristles before the boar in 'Kilhwch and Olwen,' Mabinogion, Part iv, pp. 309-16. Compared with any of these, the "felon sow" presented by Ralph Rokeby to the friars of Richmond (Evans, Old Ballads, II, 270, ed. 1810, Scott, Appendix to Rokeby, note M) is a tame villatic pig: the old mettle is bred out.
Professor Grundtvig has communicated to me a curious Danish ballad of this class, 'Limgrises Vise,' from a manuscript of the latter part of the 16th century. A very intractable damsel, after rejecting a multitude of aspirants, at last marries, with the boast that her progeny shall be fairer than Christ in heaven. She has a litter of nine pups, a pig, and a boy. The pig grows to be a monster, and a scourge to the whole region.
He drank up the water from dike and from dam, And ate up, besides, both goose, gris and lamb.
The beast is at last disposed of by baiting him with the nine congenerate dogs, who jump down his throat, rend liver and lights, and find their death there, too. This ballad smacks of the broadside, and is assigned to the 16th century. A fragment of a Swedish swine-ballad, in the popular tone, is given by Dybeck, Runa, 1845, p. 23; another, very similar, in Axelson's Vesterdalarne, p. 179, 'Koloregris,' and Professor Sophus Bugge has recovered some Norwegian verses. The Danish story of the monstrous birth of the pig has become localized: the Liimfiord is related to have been made by the grubbing of the Limgris: Thiele, Danmarks Folkesagn, II. 19, two forms.
There can hardly be anything but the name in common between the Lionel of this ballad and Lancelot's cousin-german.
A.
Percy MS., p. 32, Hales and Furnivall, I, 75.
1 Sir Egrabell had sonnes three, Blow thy horne, good hunter Sir Lyonell was one of these. As I am a gentle hunter 2 Sir Lyonell wold on hunting ryde, Vntill the forrest him beside. 3 And as he rode thorrow the wood, Where trees and harts and all were good, 4 And as he rode over the plaine, There he saw a knight lay slaine. 5 And as he rode still on the plaine, He saw a lady sitt in a graine. 6 'Say thou, lady, and tell thou me, What blood shedd heere has bee.' 7 'Of this blood shedd we may all rew, Both wife and childe and man alsoe. 8 'For it is not past 3 days right Since Sir Broninge was mad a knight. 9 'Nor it is not more than 3 dayes agoe Since the wild bore did him sloe.' 10 'Say thou, lady, and tell thou mee, How long thou wilt sitt in that tree.' 11 She said, 'I will sitt in this tree Till my friends doe feitch me.' 12 'Tell me, lady, and doe not misse, Where that your friends dwellings is.' 13 'Downe,' shee said, 'in yonder towne, There dwells my freinds of great renowne.' 14 Says, 'Lady, Ile ryde into yonder towne And see wether your friends beene bowne. 15 'I my self wilbe the formost man That shall come, lady, to feitch you home.' 16 But as he rode then by the way, He thought it shame to goe away; 17 And vmbethought him of a wile, How he might that wilde bore beguile. 18 'Sir Egrabell,' he said, 'my father was; He neuer left lady in such a case; 19 'Noe more will I' ... . . . . . . . 20 'And a[fter] that thou shalt doe mee Thy hawkes and thy lease alsoe. 21 'Soe shalt thou doe at my command The litle fingar on thy right hand.' 22 'Ere I wold leaue all this with thee, Vpoon this ground I rather dyee.' 23 The gyant gaue Sir Lyonell such a blow, The fyer out of his eyen did throw. 24 He said then, 'if I were saffe and sound, As with-in this hower I was in this ground, 25 'It shold be in the next towne told How deare thy buffett it was sold; 26 'And it shold haue beene in the next towne said How well thy buffett it were paid.' 27 'Take 40 daies into spite, To heale thy wounds that beene soe wide. 28 'When 40 dayes beene at an end, Heere meete thou me both safe and sound. 29 'And till thou come to me againe, With me thoust leaue thy lady alone. 30 When 40 dayes was at an end, Sir Lyonell of his wounds was healed sound. 31 He tooke with him a litle page, He gaue to him good yeomans wage. 32 And as he rode by one hawthorne, Even there did hang his hunting horne. 33 He sett his bugle to his mouth, And blew his bugle still full south. 34 He blew his bugle lowde and shrill; The lady heard, and came him till. 35 Sayes, 'the gyant lyes vnder yond low, And well he heares your bugle blow. 36 'And bidds me of good cheere be, This night heele supp with you and me.' 37 Hee sett that lady vppon a steede, And a litle boy before her yeede. 38 And said, 'lady, if you see that I must dye, As euer you loued me, from me flye. 39 'But, lady, if you see that I must liue,' . . . . . . .
B.
Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 110. From the singing of an old woman in Buckie, Enzie, Banffshire.
1 A knicht had two sons o sma fame, Hey nien nanny Isaac-a-Bell and Hugh the Graeme. And the norlan flowers spring bonny 2 And to the youngest he did say, 'What occupation will you hae? When the, etc. 3 'Will you gae fee to pick a mill? Or will you keep hogs on yon hill?' While the, etc. 4 'I winna fee to pick a mill, Nor will I keep hogs on yon hill. While the, etc. 5 'But it is said, as I do hear, That war will last for seven year, And the, etc. 6 'With a giant and a boar That range into the wood o Tore. And the, etc. 7 'You'll horse and armour to me provide, That through Tore wood I may safely ride.' When the, etc. 8 The knicht did horse and armour provide, That through Tore wood Graeme micht safely ride. When the, etc. 9 Then he rode through the wood o Tore, And up it started the grisly boar. When the, etc. 10 The firsten bout that he did ride, The boar he wounded in the left side. When the, etc. 11 The nexten bout at the boar he gaed, He from the boar took aff his head. And the, etc. 12 As he rode back through the wood o Tore, Up started the giant him before. And the, etc. 13 'O cam you through the wood o Tore, Or did you see my good wild boar?' And the, etc. 14 'I cam now through the wood o Tore, But woe be to your grisly boar. And the, etc. 15 'The firsten bout that I did ride, I wounded your wild boar in the side. And the, etc. 16 'The nexten bout at him I gaed, From your wild boar I took aff his head.' And the, etc. 17 'Gin you have cut aff the head o my boar, It's your head shall be taen therfore. And the, etc. 18 'I'll gie you thirty days and three, To heal your wounds, then come to me.' While the, etc. 19 'It's after thirty days and three, When my wounds heal, I'll come to thee.' When the, etc. 20 So Graeme is back to the wood o Tore, And he's killd the giant, as he killd the boar. And the, etc.
C.
a. Allies, The British, Roman, and Saxon Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire, 2d ed., p. 116. From the recitation of Benjamin Brown, of Upper Wick, about 1845. b. Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, edited by Robert Bell, p. 124.
1 Sir Robert Bolton had three sons, Wind well thy horn, good hunter And one of them was called Sir Ryalas. For he was a jovial hunter 2 He rang'd all round down by the woodside, Till up in the top of a tree a gay lady he spy'd. For he was, etc. 3 'O what dost thou mean, fair lady?' said he; 'O the wild boar has killed my lord and his men thirty.' As thou beest, etc. 4 'O what shall I do this wild boar to see?' 'O thee blow a blast, and he'll come unto thee.' As thou beest, etc. 5 [Then he put his horn unto his mouth], Then he blowd a blast full north, east, west and south. As he was, etc. 6 And the wild boar heard him full into his den; Then he made the best of his speed unto him. To Sir Ryalas, etc. 7 Then the wild boar, being so stout and so strong, He thrashd down the trees as he came along. To Sir Ryalas, etc. 8 'O what dost thou want of me?' the wild boar said he; 'O I think in my heart I can do enough for thee.' For I am, etc. 9 Then they fought four hours in a long summer's day, Till the wild boar fain would have gotten away. From Sir Ryalas, etc. 10 Then Sir Ryalas drawd his broad sword with might, And he fairly cut his head off quite. For he was, etc. 11 Then out of the wood the wild woman flew: 'Oh thou hast killed my pretty spotted pig! As thou beest, etc. 12 'There are three things I do demand of thee, It's thy horn, and thy hound, and thy gay lady.' As thou beest, etc. 13 'If these three things thou dost demand of me, It's just as my sword and thy neck can agree.' For I am, etc. 14 Then into his locks the wild woman flew, Till she thought in her heart she had torn him through. As he was, etc. 15 Then Sir Ryalas drawd his broad sword again, And he fairly split her head in twain. For he was, etc. 16 In Bromsgrove church they both do lie; There the wild boar's head is picturd by Sir Ryalas, etc.
D.
Allies, Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire, p. 118. From the recitation of —— Oseman, Hartlebury.
1 As I went up one brook, one brook, Well wind the horn, good hunter I saw a fair maiden sit on a tree top. As thou art the jovial hunter 2 I said, 'Fair maiden, what brings you here?' 'It is the wild boar that has drove me here.' As thou art, etc. 3 'I wish I could that wild boar see;' Well wind the horn, good hunter, And the wild boar soon will come to thee.' As thou art, etc. 4 Then he put his horn unto his mouth, And he blowd both east, west, north and south. As he was, etc. 5 The wild boar hearing it into his den, [Then he made the best of his speed unto him]. 6 He whetted his tusks for to make them strong, And he cut down the oak and the ash as he came along. For to meet with, etc. 7 They fought five hours one long summer's day, Till the wild boar he yelld, and he'd fain run away. And away from, etc. 8 O then he cut his head clean off, . . . . . . . 9 Then there came an old lady running out of the wood, Saying, 'You have killed my pretty, my pretty spotted pig.' As thou art, etc. 10 Then at him this old lady she did go, And he clove her from the top of her head to her toe. As he was, etc. 11 In Bromsgrove churchyard this old lady lies, And the face of the boar's head there is drawn by, That was killed by, etc.
E.
a. Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, edited by Robert Bell, p. 250. b. Mr Robert White's papers.
1 There was an old man and sons he had three; Wind well, Lion, good hunter A friar he being one of the three, With pleasure he ranged the north country. For he was a jovial hunter 2 As he went to the woods some pastime to see, He spied a fair lady under a tree, Sighing and moaning mournfully. He was, etc. 3 'What are you doing, my fair lady?' 'I'm frightened the wild boar he will kill me; He has worried my lord and wounded thirty.' As thou art, etc. 4 Then the friar he put his horn to his mouth, And he blew a blast, east, west, north and south, And the wild boar from his den he came forth. Unto the, etc. * * * * *
F.
Allies, Antiquities of Worcestershire, p. 120.
1 Sir Rackabello had three sons, Wind well your horn, brave hunter Sir Ryalash was one of these. And he was a jovial hunter
A.
31. MS. And as thé.
62. MS. had bee.
111. MS. I wilt.
121. MS. miste.
162. MS. awaw.
171. MS. vnbethought ... while.
19. Between 19 and 20 half a page of the MS. is wanting.
201. a[fter]: MS. blotted.
361. MS. bidds eue.
39. Half a page of the MS. is wanting.
B.
The stanzas are doubled in Christie, to suit the air.
C.
a. 31, 42, 72. D. 21, 32, 6. John Cole, who had heard an old man sing the ballad fifty years before (Allies, p. 115), could recollect only so much:
'Oh! lady, Oh! lady, what bringst thou here?' Wind went his horn, as a hunter 'Thee blow another blast, and he'll soon come to thee.' As thou art a jovial hunter He whetted his tusks as he came along, Wind went his horn, as a hunter
a 5, 6 stand thus in Allies:
v Then he blowd a blast full north, east, west and south, For he was, etc. And the wild boar heard him full into his den, As he was, etc. vi Then he made the best of his speed unto him. (Two lines wrongly supplied from another source.) To Sir Ryalas, etc.
5 has been completed from the corresponding stanza in D, and the two verses of 6, separated above, are put together.
b.
11. Old Sir Robert.
12. was Sir Ryalas.
22. Till in a tree-top.
31. dost thee.
32. The wild boar's killed my lord and has thirty men gored.
Burden2. And thou beest.
41. for to see.
51. As in Allies (see above), except full in his den.
52. then heard him full in his den.
61. As in Allies (see above), but 62 supplied by Bell.
72. Thrashed down the trees as he ramped him along.
81. 'Oh, what dost thee want of me, wild boar.'
Burden2. the jovial.
91. summer.
92. have got him.
102. cut the boar's head off quite.
112. Oh, my pretty spotted pig thou hast slew.
Burden2. for thou beest.
121. I demand them of thee.
131. dost ask.
141. long locks.
142. to tear him through.
Burden2. Though he was.
152. into twain.
161. the knight he doth lie.
162. And the wild boar's head is pictured thereby.
D.
5, 6. In Allies thus:
v The wild boar hearing it into his den, Well wind, etc. He whetted his tusks, for to make them strong, And he cut down the oak and the ash as he came along. For to meet with, etc.
Stanza 5 has been completed from stanza vi of Allies' other ballad, and 6 duly separated from the first line of 5.
82, 9. In Allies' copy thus:
vii Oh! then he cut his head clean off! Well wind, etc. Then there came an old lady running out of the wood Saying, 'You have killed my pretty, my pretty spotted pig.' As thou art, etc.
What stanza 8 should be is easily seen from C 10.
C 16, D 11. As imperfectly remembered by Allies (p. 114):
In Bromsgrove church his corpse doth lie, Why winded his horn the hunter? Because there was a wild boar nigh, And as he was a jovial hunter.
E.
b. "Fragment found on the fly-leaf of an old book." Mr R. White's papers.
12, one of these three.
13. wide countrie.
Burden2. He was.
21. was in woods.
23. With a bloody river running near she.
31. He said, 'Fair lady what are you doing there?'
33. killed my lord.
4. wanting.