Lady Margret- Hogan (VA) 1914 Davis M
[From Traditional Ballads of Virginia; Kyle Davis Jr. editor; 1929. His notes follow. In 1932 Davis made a recording of Callie Hogan, now Mrs. Webb, singing the ballad. The second stanza is now complete- the ballad is substantially the same - including "cheeks" for "sheets" in stanza 4.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM
(Child, No. 74)
For a general introduction to Nos. 18, 19, and 20, see the head-note to No. 18. The twenty-nine items collected for this ballad indicate that it is fairly widespread in the state, though it is somewhat less popular than either of its immediate neighbors, which boast thirty-seven items each. The ballad is known not only as"Fair Margaret and Sweet William," but also as "Lady Marget," "Lydia Marget," "Sweet William," "Sweet William's Bride," and "Sweet William and Lady Margaret." As in the case of Eleanor in the preceding ballad, the name Margaret is variously spelled and pronounced. Eight melodies have been recovered.
The normal Virginia text shows no very exact similarity to any one of the Child versions, A, B, or C, though it has some likenesses to each. It is like A in that the dream is William's and in the "such dreams" stanza, which is common to both. It is like B verbally, in the conversation that takes place between William and Margaret's ghost, and in the direct rose-and-briar-ending, without aftermath. It is like C in that no hint is given that the bride is brown. This touch, characteristic of "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet," has slipped into Child A and B but does not appear in any Virginia text. All told, a general likeness to Child B is most apparent, but the Virginia text would surely have to be printed as a version separate from the Child versions.
The story of the Virginia text is this: Sweet William arises one morning end dresses himself in blue. He denies that there is anything of moment between Lady Margaret and himself, and says that on the following day Lady Margaret will see his bride. Lady Margaret stands at her window as he and his bride pass by; she throws down her ivory comb in her emotion, and is
never more seen there. That night Lady Margaret's ghost appears at the foot of Sweet William's bridal bed and inquires how he likes his bride. He replies that best of all he likes the lady that stands at his bed's feet. He wakes, hints to his wife of his ominous dream, and gets her permission to go and see Lady Margaret. Her brother lets him in and informs him that Lady Margaret is in her coffin. After taking farewell kisses of her, he dies of sorrow. The two lovers are buried nearby, and sympathetic plants grow from their graves and entwine to symbolize their love transcending death.
For American texts, see Belden, No. J (fragment); Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin, Nos. 2-6, 8-10; Campbell and Sharp, No. 17 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia); Child, v, 293 (Massachusetts); Cox, No. 11 and p. 522 (seven texts, two melodies); Hudson, No. 11 (Mississippi); Journal, XIX, 281 (Belden, Missouri); XXIII, 381 (Combs, Kentucky); III, 154 (Perrow, North Carolina); XXX, 303 (Kittredge, Missouri); XXXI, (Waugh, Ontario, text and melody); xxxv, 340 (Tolman and Eddy, Ohio, text and melody); McGill, p.71; Mackenzie, p. 124, Mackenzie,-Ballads; Pound, Ballads, No. 16; Shearin, p.3; Shearin and Combs, p.8; C. Smith.(Virginia, two melodies only); Wyman and Brockway, p.94. For additional references, see Cox, p.65; Journal, XXIX, 160; XXX, 302.
M. "Lady Margret." Collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy. Sung by Mr. Alonzo Hogan and Miss Callie Hogan, of Lynch Station, Va. Campbell County. February, 1914. With music.
1 Lady Margret was sitting in her bower window,
Combing out her long Yellow hair;
Who should she spy but Sweet William and his bride
As they were riding near.
2 Lady Margret fell from her bower window,
Combing out her long yellow hair.
[Who should she spy but Sweet William and his bride
As they were riding near.] [1]
3 "Such a dream, such a dream, as I dreamed last night,
Such a dream, it may come true.
I dreamed my bed was full of whitened twine,
And my bride bed was filled with the tears."
4 "Hold down, hold down, your lily-white cheeks,
Hold down, hold down, so fine;
Let me get as many kisses from your cold clear lips
As ever you kissed from mine."
5 Lady Margret died today at twelve o'clock,
Sweet William died like tomorrow.
Lady Margret was buried under a tall willow tree,
Sweet William was buried under another.
1. added from 1932 version
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Lady Margret- Webb (VA) 1932 Davis BB REC
[From: More Traditional Ballad of Virginia by Davis; 1960. An excerpt of is notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
Certain stanzas (1, 11, 12) vary from the normal stanzaic pattern, but have been left essentially undoctored, following manuscript. The excluded texts add little to the story, though each has its characteristic variants: in one the name of Sweet William is changed to William Hall, a corruption from a later well-known British broadside ballad; in another Lady Margaret becomes Liddy Margaret, and the following dialogue takes place between Sweet William and her brother:
"Good morning, good morning to you,
What makes you look so pale and blue?"
"I'm mourning the loss of my own dear sister
Who died for the love of you."
The relationship of the Virginia texts to the Child texts is complex and not very close. See the TBVa headnote, and add the information given above. Most of the Virginia texts conform to Coffin's Story Typ. A, but CC would seem to represent Story Type B. That the ballad is a rich repository of folklore material is obvious: the ghost, the portent dream, the appearance of blood, swine, and tears in dreams of ill omen, the sympathetic plants of the rose-and-brier ending. See Wimberly, passim.
BB. "Lady Margret." Phonograph record (aluminum) made by A. K. Davis, Jr. Sung by Mrs. John Webb (nee Callie Hogan), of Lynch Station, Va. Campbell County. August 4, 1932. Text transcribed by P. C. Worthington. Tune noted by Winston Wilkinson. Mead comments: "An interesting tune, largely because of the uncertainty of the tonal center." A comparison of this text and tune with those printed in TBVa (pp. 237, 537) from the same singer will indicate what has happened to the ballad during the eighteen-year interval.
1. Lady Margret was settin' in her bow'r window,
Combing out her long yellow hair,
Who should she spy but Sweet William and his bride
As they were riding near.
2. Lady Margret fell from her bow'r window,
Combing out her long yellow hair,
Who should she spy but Sweet William and his bride
As they were riding near.
3. "Such a dream, such a dream I dreamed last night,
Such a dream it may come true,
I dreamed my bed was full of whitened swine
And my bride bed was filled with tears."
"Hold down, hold down your lily-white cheeks,
Hold down, hold down so fine,
Let me get as many kisses from your cold clear lips
As ever you kissed from mine."
5 Lady Margret died today at twelve o'clock,
Sweet William died like tomorrow,
Lady Margret was buried under the tall willow tree,
Sweet William was buried under another.
1. Pronounced in one syllable like "bow" by the singer.