Well, there's nothing I like better than to see a flurry of mondegreens
on jmdl! (I liked the one about the nuns!) It took me a wile to post a
response due to email changes and subscription woes...
Anyway, since the last mondegreen flap I discovered that I had in my
library a book of ballads containing the original 'mondegreen' source,
which caused Sylvia Wright to coin the term back in the 50's. (I have also
found Ms. Wright's original essay, collected in her book 'Get Away From Me
With Those Christmas Gifts')
Anyway, here's the entire source, with some edits for the modern reader:
THE BONNY EARL OF MURRAY
Ye Highlands, and ye Lawlands,
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And layd him on the green. [hence: 'Lady Mondegreen']
"Now woe be to thee, Huntly!
And wherefore did you say?
I bade you bring him wi you,
But forbade you him to slay."
He was a braw gallant, [brave]
and he rid at the ring; [rode]
And the bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh he might have been a king!
He was a braw gallant,
and he played at the ball;
and the bonny earl of Murray
Was the flower amang them all.
He was a braw gallant,
and he played at the glove;
and the Bonny Earl of Murray,
Oh he was the Queen's love! [I think this got him killed!]
Oh lang wll his lady,
look o'er the castle Down,
Eer she see the Earl of Murray
Come sounding thro the town!
Further, in the notes to this collection by MacEdward Leach,
these details:
"Huntly, with a warrant from the King went to Donibristle,
where Murray (James Stuart) was staying with his mother. Murray
refused to surrender; Huntly fired the house and all inside were
forced out. Murray, waiting until the last moment, slipped out
unnoticed and was making good his escape when someone noticed him
because the top of his helmet was on fire. He was caught and killed.
Huntly was forced by his men to stab the corpse so that later he would not
be able to disclaim responsibility. The body of Murray was kept lying in
state for months to remind all that his murderers remained unpunished."
a sad tale...
ChuckE
note new email address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
