the mythology of the Teutons, and become thoroughly localized. The hero is not merely what a modern song makes him, "a Scotchman born;" he announces himself definitely to be a son of " Randolph, Earl Murray; while "Dunbar, Earl March," is named as the father of the maiden whose daring love achieves his recovery from the world of the fairies. The locality also in which the adventure of the ballad takes place, is assigned to Carterhaugh, at the confluence of the Ettrick and the Yarrow above Selkirk. This spot, though naturally pitched upon by the collector of the Border Minstrelsy as the native home of the legend, is evidently, like Chaster's Wood, Charter Woods, and Kerton Ha', which occur in other versions, merely a local adaptation and corruption of some original common to all these names. Tamlane of our ballad has been kidnapped by the fairies; and the manner of his spiriting away is well described, and worth quoting as a type of such adventures: "When I was a boy just turned of nine, To hunt, and hawk, and ride with him, "There came a wind out of the north, "The Queen of Fairies keppit me, In this serene land Tamlane would never tire of his new friends, were it not for the dread that his fair and plump appearance may tempt them to use him as a "kane-bairn" for the purpose of paying the next instalment of their tribute to the king of hell. Fortunately, however, he has won at Carterhaugh the dearest tokens of love1 from an earthly maid, fair Janet, who undertakes, at his instruction, the bold feat of rescuing him from the elfin world. "This night is Hallowe'en, Janet, The morn is Hallowday; And, gin ye dare your true-love win, "The night it is good Hallowe'en, And they that wad their true-love win, Janet, who is brave enough to undertake the "winning" of her lover, is yet doubtful whether she will be able to recognize him "among so many unearthly knights." Tamlane, accordingly, describes the order of the fairy procession which she must watch, the place which he will occupy in it, the distinctive marks by which he may be recognized; and he warns her against what it seems impossible for mortal nerve to avoid-quailing before the appalling artifices by which the fairies will endeavour 1 There is probably a connection between this part of The Young Tamlane and the ballad of Broomfield Hill ("Border Minstrelsy," vol. iii. p. 28), as well as the fragment beginning I'll wager, I'll wager, I'll wager with you, preserved in Herd's "Scottish Songs." See "Border Minstrelsy," vol. ii. p. 334, and vol. iii. p. 28. to frighten her from her resolution. The emotion of eeriness could scarcely be worked up with greater power than by this collocation of the "elritch appearances which are to test the courage of fair Janet. The work of the ballad-singer here recalls the mixture of dread ingredients in the hell-broth of Macbeth's witches; or, more appropriately, the frightfully suggestive objects which Tam o' Shanter passed on his road from Ayr; or, perhaps more appropriately still, the combination of horrors ranged before his eyes in Alloway Kirk. "The first company that passes by, Say na, and let them gae; Then I'll be ane o' thae. "First let pass the black, Janet, And syne let pass the brown; "For I ride on the milk-white steed, "My right hand will be gloved, Janet, "They'll turn me in your arms, Janet, But haud me fast, let me not pass, 'They'll turn me in your arms, Janet, They'll turn me in your arms, Janet, "They'll turn me in your arms, Janet, But haud me fast, let me not pass, "First dip me in a stand o' milk, "And, next, they'll shape me in your arms But haud me fast, nor let me gang, "They'll shape me in your arms, Janet, A dove, but and a swan ; And last they'll shape me in your arms A mother-naked man: Cast your green mantle over me— Stories are related of others who attempted the achievement of fair Janet, but whose hearts quailed at the first sight of the unearthly procession; so that the whole fairy troop was allowed to pass, and vanish amid shouts of exultant laughter, mingled with the lamentations of the unrecovered mortal.1 Happily, however, for Tamlane, the courage of his mistress was stout enough to conquer the elfin terrors by which it was assailed. "Gloomy, gloomy was the night, As fair Janet, in her green mantle, "Betwixt the hours of twelve and one And straight she heard strange elritch sounds "About the dead hour o' the night She heard the bridles ring; "Will o' the Wisp before them went, "And first gaed by the black, black steed, But fast she gript the milk-white steed, "She pu'd him frae the milk-white steed, And up there raise an erlish cry— 'He's won amang us a'!'" 1 See "Border Minstrelsy," vol. ii. p. 327. Compare No. 7 of the Notes to "Rob Roy." |