Bolamkin- Rena Hicks (NC) 1978 Burton
[Thomas Burton, Some Ballad Folks pp. 16-18, 1978. His conversation with her follows.
Although there are some differences this is probably the Hicks/Harmon version from Watauga County, NC in the 1800s. See Jane Hicks Gentry (Sharp A); Frank Proffitt (Nathan Hicks son-in-law) and Miss Laura Harmon (Sam Harmon's daughter?)
See also Nathan and Rena's recording by Halpert for LOC.
R. Matteson 2015]
Hicks: "That's cruel each way there. He's cruel for him not to pay him for his work, look like; and then he's cruel for him to come in and do what he done. More than one person was wrong there. Her husband before he left knowed that; he told them beware of Bolamkin when he was gone. Seems like there he thought he'd done a wrong deal there, felt bad fer it."
Not only was Mrs. Rena aware of the ethical conflicts, she went further, sensing the hopelessness, the loss. "And then when he comes, she offers him ail, but it didn't mean no difference. I believe Bolamkin orta took the money, in a way; and then, in a w&y, looked a'ter he killed the baby, it wasn't no use." She senses the same despair in Lord Thomas. "He just didn't love her one bit, is the way I see it, not the Brown girl-not as a real human a'ter she killed Fair Eleanor. I feel he did love her as a human bein' until she done that; and then a'ter she killed her, I feel he didn't have no love for hisself nor either for her, either way."
Mrs. Rena had once sung the bloody ballads, but there didn't seem to be any inordinate fascination with morbidity that caused her interest in them; that they were "true," however, and that they were old had much to do with their interest for her. "I heard some people say they didn't even want to hear that sung; it's too cruel. But it is a' old, old song." Neither would she make changes in the texts to soften the cruelty. "I leave it all like it is in the song-don't take any of it out; it wouldn't be a song. I don't feel to take none of it out." To Mrs. Rena, details like killing a baby with pins were "to make it plain, just to be plainer with a human being so people can understand what he did it fer."
Bolamkins- As recited and written down by Rena Hicks (wife of Nathan Hicks and mother-in-law of Frank Proffitt)- from her "ballet box".
Bolamkin was a very fine mason as ever laid a stone.
He built a fine castle and the pay he got none.
He swore by his maker he'd kill them unknown.
["And they's some in there I don,t remember."]
Bolamkin rode up to the castle door; he knocked til it rung.
There was no one so ready as the falseress[1]; she arose and let him come in.
"Where is the landlord, or is he at home?"
"No, he's gone to merry England to visit his son."
"Where is the landlord lady, or did she go with him?"
"Oh, no," said the falseress, "she's upstairs in her bed asleep."
"How will we get her downstairs such a dark night as this?"
"Stick pins and needles in the little baby
"Till the floor is covered with water and blood
Tears from its eyes and blood from its body."
The lady coming downstairs not thinking any harm,
Bolamkin stood ready and caught her his arms.
"Bolamkin, Bolamkin, spare my life one day
And you can have all the gay gold your horse can take away."
And he said, "Keep all your gold."
["And I don't know there how that goes, but keep all your gold."]
"Bolamkin, Bolamkin, spare my life one hour
And you can have my daughter Betsy, my own blooming flower.
"You keep your daughter Betsy to go through the flood
To scour out the silver basin that catches your own heart's blood."
Daughter Betsy was a-sitting in the parlor so high;
She seen her dear father come riding hard by.
"Oh, Father, dear Father, don't blame me for what is done:
Bolamkin has been here and killed your dear son;
"Old Bolamkin has been here and killed your dear lady;
Old Bolamkin has been here and killed your dear baby."
Old Bolamkin was hanged to the scaffold so high,
And the falseress was burned to the stake standing by.
1. for --false nurse