Cooper of Fife- Monson (VT) 1885 Flanders M
[This version uses the Nickety refrain found in the related "Slattern Wife/Rissety" songs (see Appendix 277A). Flanders' extensive notes are below. She refers to the "Dandee" refrain which is almost always "Dandoo" in the South, not "Dandee."
R. Matteson Jr. 2013]
The Wife Wrapped in Wether's Skin (Child 277)
This ballad derives from an old tale which Child, v, 104, cites under the title "The Wife Lapped in Morrel's Skin" and is related to a whole host of stories on similar themes. See Aarne-Thompson, Mt. 1370*.
The ballad is still popular in America, where the basic outline of the story remains constant, but where the minor details vary greatly. william H. Jansen has made a careful study (HFQ IV, #3,41) of the ballad and its developments in America [see article attached to Recordings & Info page], and from his remarks two groupings of the American texts emerge: songs with the "dandee, clish maclinge" refrains, popular in the South and Midwest; and songs with the "juniper, gentian, and rosemary" refrains, popular in the South and Northeast. The plant refrains of the latter group have caused some comment. Phillips Barry, British Ballads from Maine, 324-5, suggests, on the authority of Lucy Broadwood (JFSS, II, 12-15), that the wife originally was beaten to exorcise the evil spirits that infested her and that "juniper, gentian, and rosemary" were regarded as charms against the demons. Later the names of the plants were forgotten and confused with the names of girls, June, Jenny, and Rose Mary.
The Flanders texts are highly representative of the American forms of the ballad. A-I, with the plant refrain, relate to Child F (from Massachusetts) and are normal Northeastern versions. J-L illustrate the "dandee" refrain and the common "old man who lived in the West" opening.
M-N (see also Child c) are from the Scottish tradition. Text L, which concerns "Riddleson's daughter Dinah," is the only unusual version in the group. See Coffin, 146-8 (American); Belden, 92-94 (English); and Greig and Keith, 218-20 (Scottish) for bibliographical material and discussion.
All of the tunes for child 277 except the Richards tune are members of the same tune family. Within this group, the Prevost and Baldwin tunes are especially close, as are the Hayward and Hall tunes. The Monson tune is slightly outside the group.
M. Cooper of Fife- Recorded by George Brown from the singing of Mass Stella E. Monson of North Wardsboro, Vermont. Learned in New Haven, Connecticut, by Miss Monson in 1885 from, the singing of the Patterson family, who had first come over from Aberdeen, Scotland. Printed in Vermont Folk-Songs & Ballads, 222. George Brown, Collector- August 23, 1930
Structure: A B C D E (2,2,2,2,2) ; Rhythm A; Contour: arc; For mel. rel. see BP, 41 (not too close).
There was a wee cooper who lived in Fife,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
And he is gotten a gentie' wife.
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushity,
Ru, ru, ru.
She wadna' bake an' she wadna' brew,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
For fear of spoiling her comely hue.
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushity,
Ru, ru, ru.
And she wadna' wash and she wadna' wring,
Nickerty, nackert/, nu, nu, nu,
For the fear of spoiling her braw gold ring.
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushity,
Ru, ru, ru.
She wadna' card and she wadna' spin,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
With the fear of offending her high-bred kin.
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushity,
Ru, ru, ru.
The cooper has gone to his wool pack,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
An' has laid a sheepskin on his ain wife's back,
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushiry,
Ru, ru, ru.
"I didna' thrash thee for your proud kin,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
But I'm sure I may thrash me own sheepskin."
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushity,
Ru, ru, ru.
Now all you have gotten a gentie' wife,
Nickerty, nackerty, nu, nu, nu,
Take example by the cooper of Fife,
High willy, waliky,
How duck doodle a,
Lain a rushiry,
Ru, ru, ru.