Lord Bateman- sung by a mountain woman (VA) 1913 Davis F
[From Traditional Ballad of Virginia; Kyle Davis Jr.; 1929. His notes follow. Davis G (1914) was sent by the same informant who compiled other stanzas from the area and wrote them down and sent them in the next year. This resembles the "Brown's Cove" version (Cf. Scarborough; Wilkinson A).
R. Matteson 2014]
YOUNG BEICHAN
(Child, No. 53)
In Virginia the ballad is known as "Lord Bateman," "The Turkish Lady," or as "Lord Bateman and the Turkish Lady." This would indicate, what is indeed the case, that the Virgina variants are closely related to Child L, "The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman." The story is well known, Lord Bateman, an Englishman of high degree is discontented and must take a sea voyage. He is captured by the Turks and imprisoned. A lady, daughter of his Turkish captor, sees him in prison and is enamored of him. The attraction is mutual, and after they have vowed that for seven long years neither would wed another, she sets him free and he returns home. At the end of this period, having heard nothing of him, lover, she sets out to find him. Lord Bateman has just brought home his bride but when his Turkish love appears he bids the bride's mother take back her daughter, who is none the worse for him, and forthwith he marries the Turkish lady. The Virginia variants, in the main, follow Child L fairly closely, but often they show traces not found in the Child version, such as the hole bored in the captive's shoulder (see other child versions), the lady's statement that she wants not his gold and silver but only his body, and the naming of India rather than England as the home of the noble lord. There are also certain fairly persistent exclusions, such as the stanza about the tree in the prison (Child L3) and that about the harbor and the ship of fame (Child L 9). But the likenesses are quite sufficient to prove
a common source.
Child says that, " 'Young Beichan,' is a favorite ballad, and most deservedly. There are beautiful repetitions of the story in the ballads of other nations, and it has secondary affinities with the extensive cycle of 'Hind Horn,' the parts of the principal actors in the one being inverted in the other." The story of the ballad he points out, agrees in general outline, and also in some details, with a well-known legend about Gilbert Beket, father of St. Thomas, which legend he recounts at length. but his conclusion is, "That our ballad has been affected by the legend of Gilbert Beket is altogether likely. . . But the ballad is not derived from the legend."
For American texts, see Barry, No. 12; Brown, p. 9 (North Carolina); Bulletin,Nos. 2, 3, 5-9, 12; Campbell and Sharp, No. 12 (North Carolina, Kentucky); Cox No.8; Hudson, No. 8 (Mississippi); Journal, XVIII, 209 (Barry, Mass.); XX, 251 (Kittredge, Kentucky); XXVI, 64 (Beatty, Kentucky), 78 (Barry, Pennsylvania, melody only) XXIII, 451 (Barry, Pennsylvania, melody; the Forget-me-not Songster text); XXVI, 353 (Pound, Nebraska, fragment); XXVII, 149, (Perrow, North Carolina); XXX, 294 (Kittredge, Indiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, all fragments); Mackenzie, p. 115; Mackenzie, Ballads, No. 5, p. 392 (melody); Pound, Syllabus, p. 9 (fragment); Pound Ballads no. 14; Shearin p. 4 (fragment); Shearin and Combs p. 7; Reed Smith No. 3 (text and melody) Reed Smith, No. 3; Wyman and Brockway, p. 54. For additional references, see Journal XXX, 294.
F. "Lord Bateman." Reported by Miss Martha M. Davis. collected by Mrs. Herbert Cover of Elkton, Va. From the recitation of a mountain woman. Rockingham County. November 22, 1913.
1. Lord Bateman sailed east, and he sailed west,
He sailed to the Turkey shore.
And there he was put in prison
And expected his freedom no more.
2 The jailor had as fine a daughter
As ever your two eyes did see.
She stole the keys of her father's treasure,
And said, "Lord Bateman I'll set free."
3 She took him to her father's closet,
And there they drank the wine so strong;
And at every health he tooken
He said, "Susan, I wish you were mine."
4 She took him to her father's cellar,
And they both made bargains free (free bargain?) [1]
That he was to marry no other woman
And she was to marry no other man.
5. Susanna packed her gold and diamonds,
Likewise her treasures all.
She traveled until she crossed the sea
And came unto Lord Bateman's hall.
6 "Is this where Lord Bateman lives,
And is he at his home?"
"O yes, he's at his wedding table,
Just brought his new bride home."
7. "Tell him to send me a slice of cake,
Likewise a glass of wine,
And tell him not to forget the lady,
That freed him from his prison strong."
8. "Lord, Poter[2], here take back your daughter,
She's thought none the less of by me;
For I am going to marry Susanna,
Who's lately come across the sea."
1. "bargains three," usually "bargains one, two, three." The bargains are of course "vows" or agreements.
2. apparently this is "porter" transferred from the missing part where the porter answers the door.