King Henry (song)

This article is about Child 32, a "loathly lady" variant. For Child 164, the historical ballad, see King Henry Fifth's Conquest of France.
English Wikisource has original text related to this article:

"King Henry" (Child 32, Roud 3967) is an English-language folk song.[1][2] It is a version of the tale of the loathly lady. This form of the tale appears in Hrólfr Kraki's saga and also in the Scottish tale "The Daughter Of King Under-Waves".[3] A similar bride is found in "The Marriage of Sir Gawain".[4]

The Vaughan Williams catalogue has an entry with Mrs Anna Brown of Fifeshire as the source singer, collected 1792 - 94. [5] There is version of the ballad in Walter Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, derived from a manuscript held by Mrs. Brown.[6]

Rupert Ferguson has suggested that the character King Henrie may take inspiration from Ynyr Gwent (b. c.430), a Welsh prince who married Madryn, the daughter of Gwrthefyr fab Gwrtheyrn, to claim the Gwentish throne, and/or Prince Henry of Scotland (1114 - 1152), the son and heir apparent of David I, King of Scots.[7]

Recordings

Steeleye Span included a version on the 1972 album Below the Salt.

Martin Carthy also recorded a version, on both Shearwater and The Carthy Chronicles: A Journey Through the Folk Revival disk 4 'Child:Carthy'.

Alexander James Adams, at the time recording as Heather Alexander, included "King Henry-Black Nag" on the 2003 album Festival Wind.

Faun translated the song into German as "Herr Heinerich" for their album Buch der Balladen.

The Furrow Collective recorded this on the album At Our Next Meeting (2014).[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, "King Henry"
  2. ^ "King Henry (Roud 3967; Child 32)". mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  3. ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 297, Dover Publications, New York 1965
  4. ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 298, Dover Publications, New York 1965
  5. ^ Vaughan Williams, Ralph. "Mr". Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. Cecil Sharp House. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ^ Henderson, T.F. (ed.) (1902), Sir Walter Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh
  7. ^ Ferguson, Rupert (2002), The Lay of the Last Minstrel: Sir Walter Scott and the Border Minstrel Tradition, Capall Bann Publishing, Buckinghamshire, pp. 301 - 307, ISBN 9781861631183
  8. ^ Portman, Emily. "Ms". Open Spotify. Spotify. Retrieved 2 November 2022.


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