He Mounted on His Milk-White Nag; Contributed by Walter H. Keener of Burton, West Virginia 1957
[Ballads and Folksongs from West Virginia by Ruth Ann Musick; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 70, No. 277 (Jul. - Sep., 1957), pp. 247-261. See also Keener version from his father (same?).
Her notes follow,
R. Matteson 2014]
BALLADS AND FOLKSONGS
FROM WEST VIRGINIA
BY RUTH ANN MUSICK
ALTHOUGH I have wandered through the West Virginia hills with a tape
recorder, my chief sources of material have been students in my folk literature
classes and the response to a weekly newspaper column on folklore which I
conducted for six years. The collection thus established includes many songs dealing
with the Civil War, local events, the temperance movement, and religion, as well as
the variants of Child ballads and other songs of English origin from which the following
selection has been made.'
HE MOUNTED ON HIS MILK-WHITE NAG
1.3. Contributed by Walter H. Keener of Burton, who called it "He Mounted on His
Milk-White Nag" (Ex. 3), and had almost exactly the same tune for Sir Hugh, or, The
Jew's Daughter (Child I55).
(1) He mounted on his milk-white nag,
He leadeth the dapple gray;
Until he arrived at his true love's door,
Six hours before it was day.
(2) He rode upon his milk-white nag,
She rode the dapple gray;
Until they arrived at the dark seaside,
Six hours before it was day.
(3) Then he mounted off the milk-white nag,
"Dismount, I pray," said he,
"For six pretty maids have I drownded here
And the seventh one you shall be."
(4) She mounted off the dapple gray.
"Your rings and robe," said he;
"Please take them off, my pretty maid,
And deliver them unto me."
(5) "Oh, lover, lover, this I pray,
Please turn your back on me."
She grabbed him 'round the slender waist
And dashed him right into the sea.
(6) "True love, true love, I cannot swim;
Your hand please give to me!"
"Six fair ones you have drownded here,
But the seventh one you shall be!"
(7) She mounted on his milk-white nag,
She leadeth the dapple gray;
Until she arrived at her father's door,
Six hours before it was day.