Fair Ellender- Cas Wallin (NC) 1980 Yates REC
[From Far in the Mountains Vol. 3 & 4, collected by Mike Yates circa 1980. Doug Wallin, Cas' nephew also sang a version which is abbreviated with a different opening. Yates' notes appear at the bottom.
R. Matteson 2014]
16. Fair Ellender and Lord Thomas (Child 73, Roud 4)- (Sung by Cas Wallin at his home in Sodom Laurel, Madison County, NC. 27.8.80)
Spoken: I'm a gonna sing Fair Ellender and Lord Thomas. His mother wanted him to marry; marry that brown girl, but she didn't want to do that. Sometimes they make a mistake in trying to choose for their children way back then.
'Oh mother, oh mother, come riddle or sport,
Come riddle us both as one.
Must I marry Fair Ellender,
Or bring the Brown Girl home?
Or bring the Brown Girl home?'
'The Brown Girl she has land and home,
Fair Ellender she has none.
And if you want your mother's consent,
You'd bring the Brown Girl home.' (x2)
'Oh mother, oh mother, go catch out my horse,
And saddle him up for me.
I'm going to invite Fair Ellender
Unto my wedding day.' (x2)
He dresses in his scarlet red,
And a vest he wore was green.
And every town that he went through,
They took him to be some king. (x2)
He rode up to Fair Ellender's hall,
He jingled, he jingled the bell.
And none was so ready as Fair Ellender,
To arise and let him come in. (x2)
'Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas,' she says,
'What news have you brought to me?'
'I've come to invite you, my dear,
Unto my wedding day.' (x2)
'Oh mother, oh mother, come riddle or sport,
Come riddle us both as one.
Must I go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or stay at home and mourn?' (x2)
'There may be many of your friends there,
And many more of your foes.
But if you want your mother's consent,
Today you'd tarry at home.' (x2)
'There may be many of my friends there,
And many more of my foes.
Bit I'm going to Lord Thomas's wedding,
If I never return any more. (x2)
She dressed in her yellow robe,
Most glorious to behold.
And every town that she went through,
They took her to be some queen. (x2)
She rode up to Lord Thomas's hall,
She jingled, she jingled the bell.
And none was so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To arise and let her come in.
He took her by her lily white hands,
He led her through the hall.
He placed her in a golden chair,
That leant against the wall. (x2)
'Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas,' she says,
'Is this the Brown Girl you're going to marry?
She looks mighty thin and pale,
You could have been married to a finer, young lady,
As ever the sun shined around.' (x2)
The Brown Girl she had a point pen-knife,
It cost her deep in pearl.
She stuck Fair Ellender to the heart,
And the blood come twinkling down. (x2)
'Fair Ellender, Fair Ellender,' Lord Thomas he says,
'What's made you turn so pale?'
'Are you a fool, or cannot you see,
The blood come twinkling down?' (x2)
He took the Brown Girl by the hand
And he led her across the hall.
He took his sword and cut off her head
And he kicked it against the wall. (x2)
He put the handle against the wall
And the point against his breast.
Says, 'Here ends the life of three true-lovers,
Lord, take their souls to rest.' (x2)
'Oh mother, oh mother, go dig my grave,
Dig it wide and deep.
Bury Fair Ellender in my arms
And the Brown Girl at my feet.' (x2)
Although quite an old ballad, Fair Ellender and Lord Thomas has remained popular with ballad singers over the years. This may be partly to do with the story, with its dramatic ending, and partly because it was frequently printed on broadsides. In America it appeared in the popular Forget Me Not Songster. The earliest known text can be dated from between 1663 to 1685, and there are several eighteenth century broadsides. In Norway and Denmark the ballad is known by the title Sir Peter and Liten Kerstin which, again, was frequently printed on eighteenth century broadsides. The Scottish singer Jessie Murray had a fine version (Rounder CD1175), as did the Virginian singer Texas Gladden (Rounder CD 1800). A version collected from the Ozark singer Dortha Freman can be heard on Rounder CD 1108. Horton Barker, from Virginia, can be heard singing a version that he recorded for the Library of Congress on Rounder CD 1516 and Lila Mae Ledford had a version on June Appal LP 0078. A version sung by Cas's nephew, Doug, can be heard on CD3, track 15. Cecil Sharp noted no less than thirty-one Appalachian versions.