Bluegrass Messengers

23. Judas

No. 23: Judas

[Niles three "collected" versions are cataloged by him as Child 23 because they are ballads about Judas. They are not necessary related to Child A or B from Trinity College in 1200s. Niles A text is the closest to Child A. Since Niles has admitted recreating ballads (Wilgus) and members of the folk community (including Bronson) have questioned the authenticity of Niles collected works, these version are presented here under US/Canada version as so noted.

McCabe's thesis, A Critical Study of Some Traditional Religious Ballads covers this ballad (Chapter Two: Judas) and this chapter appears (unedited for now) attached to the Recordings & Info page.

R. Matteson 2014]

CONTENTS:

1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (added at the end of Child's Narration)
3. Brief by Kittredge
4. Child's Ballad Text A and B which was added later from the same collection
5. Endnotes
6. "Additions and Corrections"

ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):

1. Recordings & Info: Judas
A. Roud number 3964; Judas (5 Listings)
  B. The English Ballad of Judas Iscariot- Paul Franklin Baum, PMLA, vol. 31 (1916), pp. 181-189.
C. The Middle English Judas: An Interpretation- Donald G. Schuler, PMLA, vol. 91 (1976), pp. 840-844.
  D. The Mediæval Legend of Judas Iscariot- Paul Franklin Baum, PMLA, vol. 31 (1916), pp. 481-632.
E. A Reading of the Middle English "Judas"- Mary-Ann Stouck, Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol. 80 (1981), pp. 188-198.

2. Sheet Music: Judas (Bronson's texts and some music examples)

3. US & Canadian Versions [The US versions are from Niles]

4. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A and B with additional notes)]

Child's Narrative

A. Manuscript B. 14, 39, of the thirteenth century, library of Trinity College, Cambridge, as printed in Wright & Halliwell's Reliquiae Antiquae, I, 144.

B. Trinity College MS. B, 14, 39, has been recovered, and Professor Skeat has had the kindness to furnish a copy of the ballad. Wright’s text proves to be in all essentials accurate; but, on account of the age and great interest of the poem, Professor Skeat’s copy is here reproduced. The ballad has no title in the MS.

This legend, which has not been heretofore recognized as a ballad, is, so far as is known, unique in several particulars. The common tradition gives Judas an extraordinary domes tic history,^[1] but does not endow him with a sister as perfidious as himself. Neither is his selling his Master for thirty pieces accounted for elsewhere as it is here, if it may be strictly said to be accounted for here.

A popular explanation, founded upon John xii, 3-6, and current for six centuries and more, is that Judas, bearing the bag, was accustomed to take tithes of all moneys that came into his hands, and that he considered he had lost thirty pence on the precious ointment which had not been sold for three hundred pence, and took this way of indemnifying himself.

A Wendish ballad, Haupt und Schmaler, I, 276, No 284, has the following story. Jesus besought hospitality for himself and his disciples of a poor widow. She could give a lodging, but had no bread. Jesus said he would care for that, and asked which of his disciples would go and buy bread for thirty pieces of silver. Judas offered himself eagerly, and went to the Jews' street to do his errand. Jews were gaining, under a tub, and they challenged Judas to play. The first time he won the stake, and the second. The third time he lost everything. "Why so sad, Judas?" they say: "go sell your Master for thirty pieces." We are to suppose Judas to have rejoined his company. Jesus then asks who has sold him. John says, Is it I? and Peter, and then Judas, to whom Jesus replies, Thou knowest best. Judas, in remorse, runs to hang himself. The Lord bids him turn, for his sin is forgiven. But Judas keeps on till he comes to a fir: "Soft wood, thou fir, thou wilt not bear me." Further on, till he comes to an aspen. "Hard wood, thou aspen, thou wilt bear me." So he hanged himself on the aspen; and still the aspen shakes and trembles for fear of the judgment day.

According to the ballads, then, Judas lost the thirty pieces at play, or was robbed of them, with collusion of his sister. But his passionate behavior in the English ballad, st. 9, goes beyond all apparent occasion. Surely it was not for his tithe of the thirty pieces.

And why does he insist to Pilate on the very thirty pieces he had lost, rejecting every other form of payment? The ballad-singer might answer, So it was, and rest contented. Or perhaps he might have heard, and might tell us by way of comment, that these pieces had for long ages been destined to be " the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; " had been coined by Abraham's father for Ninus, and been given by Terah to his son; had passed through various hands to the Ishmaelites, had been paid by them as the price of Joseph, and been repaid to Joseph by his brethren for corn in Egypt; thence were transferred to Sheba, and in the course of events were brought by the Queen of the South as an offering to Solomon's temple; when the temple was despoiled by Nebuchadnezzar, were given by him to the king of Godolia, and after the kingdom of Godolia had been fused in that of Nubia, were brought as his tribute to the infant Jesus by Melchior, king of the same, etc.^[2]

It is much to be regretted that the manuscript from which this piece was taken has been for some years lost from Trinity College Library, so that a collation of Wright's text has not been possible.

Footnotes:

1. Legenda Áurea, Grässe, 2d ed., p. 184 ff; Mone's Anzeiger, vn, col. 532 f, and du Me'ril, Poesies populaires latines du Moyen Age, p. 326 ff; Furnivall, Early English Poems and Lives of Saints, p. 107 ff; Douhet, Dictionnaire des Légendes, col. 714 ff; Das alte Passional, ed. K. A. Hahn, p. 312 ff; Bäckström, Svenska Folkbocker, II, 198 ff; etc.

2. See Fabricius, Codex Pseudepigraphus Veteris Testament!, ii, 79; Godfrey of Viterbo (who derives his information from a lost writing of the apostle Bartholomew) in his Pantheon, Pistorius, German, Script., ed. Struve, II, 243, or E. du Me'ril, Poe'sies pop. latines du Moyen Age, p. 321; Genesi de Scriptura, Biblioteca Catalana, p. 20, etc.<;/p>

Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge

This legend, which was first printed (in 1845) in Wright and Halliwell's Reliquiae Antiquae, I, 144, is, so far as is known, unique in several particulars. The common tradition gives Judas an extraordinary domestic history, but does not endow him with a sister as perfidious as himself. Neither is his selling his Master for thirty pieces accounted for elsewhere as it is here, if it may be strictly said to be accounted for here. A popular explanation, founded upon John, xii, 3-6, and current for six centuries and more, is that Judas, bearing the bag, was accustomed to take tithes of all moneys that came into his hands, and that he considered he had lost thirty pieces on the precious ointment which had not been sold for three hundred pence, and took this way of indemnifying himself. There is a Wendish ballad (Haupt and Schmaler, I, 276) in which Judas receives from Jesus thirty pieces of silver to buy bread, and loses them while gambling with the Jews. At their suggestion he then sells his Master for thirty pieces.

Child's Ballad Text A and B

Judas- Version A; Child 23; Manuscript B. 14, 39, of the thirteenth century, library of Trinity College, Cambridge, as printed in Wright & Halliwell's Reliquiae Antiquae, I, 144.

1    Hit wes upon a Scere-thorsday that ure loverd aros;
Ful milde were the wordes he spec to Judas.

2    'Judas, thou most to Jurselem, oure mete for to bugge;
Thritti platen of selver thou bere up othi rugge.

3    'Thou comest fer ithe brode stret, fer ithe brode strete;
Summe of thine tunesmen ther thou meiht imete.'

4    . . . . .
Immette wid is soster, the swikele wimon.

5    'Judas, thou were wrthe me stende the wid ston,
For the false prophete that tou bilevest upon.'

6    'Be stille, leve soster, thin herte the tobreke!
Wiste min loverd Crist, ful wel he wolde be wreke.'

7    'Judas, go thou on the roc, heie upon the ston;
Lei thin heved imy barm, slep thou the anon.'

8    Sone so Judas of slepe was awake,
Thritti platen of selver from hym weren itake.

9    He drou hymselve bi the cop, that al it lavede a blode;
The Jewes out of Jurselem awenden he were wode.

10    Foret hym com the riche Jeu that heihte Pilatus:
'Wolte sulle thi loverd, that hette Jesus?'

11    'I nul sulle my loverd [for] nones cunnes eihte,
Bote hit be for the thritti platen that he me bitaihte.'

12    'Wolte sulle thi lord Crist for enes cunnes golde?'
'Nay, bote hit be for the platen that he habben wolde.'

13    In him com ur lord Crist gon, as is postles seten at mete:
'Wou sitte ye, postles, ant wi nule ye ete?

14    ['Wou sitte ye, postles, ant wi nule ye ete?]
Ic am ibouht ant isold today for oure mete.'

15    Up stod him Judas: 'Lord, am I that . . .?
'I nas never othe stude ther me the evel spec.'

16    Up him stod Peter, and spec wid al is mihte,
. . . . . .

17    'Thau Pilatus him come wid ten hundred cnihtes,
Yet ic wolde, loverd, for thi love fihte.'

18    'Still thou be, Peter, wel I the icnowe;
Thou wolt fursake me thrien ar the coc him crowe.'
----------------

'Judas'- Version B; Child 23
Trinity College Manuscript B, 14, 39, has been recovered, and Professor Skeat has had the kindness to furnish a copy of the ballad. Wright's text proves to be in all essentials accurate; but, on account of the age and great interest of the poem, Professor Skeat's copy is here reproduced. The ballad has no title in the Manuscript.

Hit wes upon a scere þorsday þat vre louerd aros.
ful milde were þe wordes he spec to iudas.

iudas þou most to iurselem oure mete for to bugge.
þritti platen of seluer þou bere up oþi rugge.

þou comest fer iþe brode stret fer iþe brode strete.
summe of þine tunesmen þer þou meist i mete,

imette wid is soster þe swikele wimon.
iudas þou were wrþe me stende the wid ston.
for the false prophete þat tou bileuest upon.

Be stille leue soster þin herte þe to breke.
wiste min louerd crist ful wel he wolde be wreke.

Iudas go þou on þe roc heie up on þe ston.
lei þin heued i my barm slep þou þe anon.

Sone so iudas of slepe was awake.
þritti platen of seluer from hym weren itake.

He drou hym selue bi þe cop þat al it lauede ablode.
þe iewes out of iurselem awenden he were wode.

Foret hym com þe riche ieu þat heiste pilatus.
wolte sulle þi louerd þat hette iesus.

I nul sulle my louerd for nones cunnes eiste.
bote hit be for þe þritti platen, þat he me bi taiste.

Wolte snlle þi lord crist for enes cunnes golde.
Nay bote hit be for þe platen, þat he habben wolde.

In him com ur lord * gon as is postles seten at mete.
Wou sitte ye postles ant wi nule ye ete.
ic am iboust ant isold to day for oure mete.

Vp stod him iudas lord am i þat
I nas neuer oþe stude þer me þe euel spec.

Vp him stod peter ant spec wid al is miste.
þau pilatus him come wid ten hundred cnistes.
yet ic wolde louerd for þi loue fiste.

Still þou be peter, wel i þe i cnowe.
þou wolt fur sake me þrien. ar þe coc him crowe.

End-Notes

Not divided into stanzas in Reliquice Antiques.
3². meist.
10¹. heiste.
11¹. eiste.
11². bitaiste.
14². i-boust.
16¹. miste.
17¹. cnistes.
17². fiste.

In the absence of the original manuscript, I have thought it better to change Wright's s in the above instances (3-17) to h. In this substitution I follow Matzner's Altenglische Sprachproben, I, 114.

Additions and Corrections

[P. 243 b. Trinity College Manuscript B, 14, 39, has been recovered, and Professor Skeat has had the kindness to furnish a copy of the ballad. Wright's text proves to be in all essentials accurate; but, on account of the age and great interest of the poem, Professor Skeat's copy is here reproduced. The ballad has no title in the Manuscript.

V. 24, *. The word c'st; has here been erased, and should not be inserted. Skeat.

V. 27. Blank space. Read 'frek' (= man). Skeat.

The Manuscript has íí at end of ll. 8, 25, 30. This means that there are here two second lines, i.e., that three lines rime together. Skeat. The long f's of the Manuscript are printed s.]