[What is that on your Sword?] Edward- Moncure (Virginia) 1917 Davis D
[My title, replacing Stone's generic Edward. From Davis, Traditional Ballad of Virginia, 1929. His notes follow, The title with nearly all ballads collected by Stone is the Child title, not a local title. Stone comments, "I imagine the song has come down from old Colonial days," which implies a date prior to the Revolutionary War in 1776. This would predate of the publication of Child B in Percy's Reliques (1765). The Colonel William Byrd (March 28, 1674 – August 26, 1744) Stone referred to was a planter, slave-owner and author from Charles City County, Virginia, who was educated in England. He is known as the founder of Richmond, Virginia.
"Gilleon" in stanza 1 is probably derived from "greyhound." The exact derivation is "grey guinea" hen - it may also be hound as in 'houn' " no D sounded.
Archer Taylor in "Edward and Sven i Rosengard," 1931, prints a version "As heard in Virginia by Mrs. T. P. Cross from her aunt, Mrs. B. D. Moncure. The ballad has been sung in the family for several generations." This is certainly the same version from a different collector- Mrs. Cross. It has an additional stanza- I'm including it below for comparison.
What do we know about Mrs. Moncure? According to Whittaker's Churchman's "Protestant Episcopal Almanac and Parochial List"; 1905 for the Diocese of Southern Virginia, Mrs. B. D. Moncure was Principal starting in 1894 of Cownes Girls' High School, Aylett, Va. The Times, Volume 17, Number 110, 15 June 1902 reports that Mrs. B. D. Moncure, was president of the King William Monument Association.
Apparently her husband's father was Francese D Moncure [also named Travers D Moncure, he was born about 1810 in Stafford, Virginia] and his wife was Susan. The informant's husband would be Travers D. Moncure [Jr.] born circa 1839 and her name was Bessie Douglas Moncure [daughter of Major Beverley B. Douglas, commander of the Lee Rangers during Civil War, member of the Confederate Senate and congressman from Virginia after the war in 1874 and his wife, daughter of Rollin Pollard] born circa 1850. By the time this was collected in 1917 Mrs. Moncure would be in her late 60s. Her grandfather on her father's side was William Douglas (born in the 1700s) who married Elizabeth Christian (b. 1795).
R. Matteson 2014]
D. ["What is that on your Sword?"] also titled "Edward." Collected by Mr. John Stone. From Mrs. Travers D. Moncure [Bessie D. Moncure], of Aylett, Va. King William County. September 13, 1917, with music. "Mrs. Moncure learned the song from her mother, who learned it from her mother. She has never heard it outside of her family. She is a direct descendant of Col. William Byrd, of Westover. I imagine that the song has come down directly from old Colonial days" (Mr. Stone).
1. "What is that on your sword so red?
Dear son, pray tell unto me."
" 'T is the blood of a gay gilleon[1]
Dear mother pity me.
'T is the blood of a gay gilleon,
Dear mother pity me."
2 "No gilleon's blood was e'er so red,
Dear son, pray tell unto me
"'T is the blood of my dear brother,
O mother, pity me,
'T is the blood of my dear brother,
O mother, pity me."
3. "What will you do when your father comes home?
Dear son, tell unto me.
"I'll get aboard of yonder ship,
And sail away to sea.
I'll get aboard of yonder ship
And sail away to sea."
4. "When will you return, my son?
Dear son, pray tell unto me.''
"When the sun and the moon set on yonder hill
And that will never be.
When the sun and the moon set on yonder hill
And that will never be."
1. Neither of us knew what a gay gilleon was; so we spelt it as two words. It may be Gergilleon. (John Stone) ["grey guinea" hen]
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[From Taylor, "Edward and Sven i Rosengard" 1931. I've edited the text so it is consistent.
R. Matteson 2014]
[What is that on your Sword?] As heard in Virginia by Mrs. T. P. Cross from her aunt, Mrs. B. D. Moncure. The ballad has been sung in the family for several generations.
1 "What is that on your sword so red,
Dear son, pray tell unto me?
'Tis the blood of a gagillion,[1]
Dear mother, pity me!
'Tis the blood of a gagillion,
Dear mother, pity me!
2 "No gillion's blood was e'er so red,
Dear son, [pray tell unto me]."
" 'Tis the blood of my dear brother,
Dear mother, [pity me!]
'Tis the blood of my dear brother,
Dear mother, [pity me!]."
3 "What did you and your brother fall out about,
Dear son, pray tell unto me?"
"For cutting down a hazel-nut bush
That might have grown a tree,
For cutting down a hazel-nut bush
That might have grown a tree."
4 "What will you do when your father comes home
Dear son, pray tell unto me?"
"I'll get aboard of yonder ship
And sail away to sea.
I'll get aboard of yonder ship
And sail away to sea."
5. "And when will you return, my son
Dear son, pray tell unto me?"
"When the sun and the moon set on yonder hill,
And that will never be,
When the sun and the moon set on yonder hill,
And that will never be."
1. "grey guinea" hen