Molly Bawn- Maggie Murphy (Ferm) 1979 Summers
[From the recording: The Hardy Sons of Dan (MTCD329-0); Football, hunting and other traditional songs from around Lough Erne's shore.
Liner notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
An old ballad on the 'Swan Maiden' theme, so beloved by romantic poets. It is a version of the Greek myth of Cephalus and Procris in which Procris, suspecting that her husband is about to visit a mistress, hides in a thicket to watch his progress. In fact Cephalus was out hunting and, mistaking Procris for a deer, he killed her with a magic dart.
However, some scholars, including Hugh Shields, believe that this specific song may, in fact, be based on an actual event that occurred in Kilwarlin, Co Down in the early 1800's (see Hugh's Ulster Folklife article 'Some Songs and Ballads in use in the Province of Ulster...1845'.)
It's another extremely popular song (152 Roud instances) all over the British Isles, Ireland and USA, with a few versions found in Canada, just Sally Sloane in Australia - and none at all from Scotland. The supernatural elements found in some versions indicate that it could be a very old song indeed, yet it still has enormous appeal, so that there are some 32 sound recordings. Given its probable Irish origins, it's surprising to find only 8 other named sources, mostly from the North.
There's also a reel called Molly Bán - it is played by Joe Burke on Traditional Music of Ireland; the album which accompanied Breandán Breathnach's book of the same name. There's also another song, called Molly Bán a Stóir, which is confusing since Bán and Bawn are pronounced more or less the same.
There are two versions of the ballad on the Voice of the People series, Molly Vaughan sung by Phoebe Smith (TSCD653) and Molly Bawn sung by Packie Manus Byrne (TSCD 656), as well as recordings from Walter Pardon - Polly Vaughan (MTCD305-6), and Harry Cox - The Fowler (TSCD512D). American versions may be heard by Dan Tate (MTCD321), Phyllis Marks (Augusta Heritage cassette 008) and Hazel Stover (Augusta Heritage 009).
Maggie Murphy can also be heard on Linkin' o'er the Lea, Veteran VT134CD and on First I'm Going to Sing You a Ditty, VotP, Topic TSCD657, along with a nice photograph.
Molly Bawn -sung by Maggie Murphy. Recorded by Keith Summers in McGrath's pub, Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, Spring 1979.
In the county of Derry
Where I was born and reared,
Around me a place
Called me wild roving blade.
I courted a wee girl
And she proved mine,
For the world would have blamed me
Had I left her behind.
For Molly went out
In a shower of hail,
And under a greedler [sic]*
Herself did conceal.
For Johnny being out shooting
He did not miss his mark,
But oh and alas
He shot her in the dark.
When Johnny went over
And saw she was dead,
A river of tears
In her bosom he shed.
Saying "Molly, lovely Molly,
I never intended that.
For I never but intended
In making you my wife."
For Johnny went home
With the gun in his hand,
Saying "Father, dear father,
I've shot Molly Bawn.
With her white apron round her
I took her for a swan,
But oh and alas
It was my Molly Bawn."
His father coming down
And his locks they were grey,
Saying "Son, dearest son, dear,
In your own country stay.
Stay in your own country
'Til your trial comes on,
And you never shall be taken,
Shoot a lass on my land."
But the night before the trial,
Molly's ghost did appear,
Saying "Uncle, dear Uncle,
Johnny Rundles I clear.
With my white apron round me
He took me for a swan,
But oh and alas
It was I, Molly Bawn."
All the girls of the country,
They seemed to be pleased
For to hear of Molly's misfortune,
The sad end she came to.
But all the girls of the country,
Put them all in a row,
Molly Bawn would shine through them
Like a diamond in snow.
For I shot that fair creature,
The flower of Dunmann,
I have shot that fair creature,
I have shot Molly Bawn.
With her white apron round her
I took her for a swan,
But to my great misfortune
It was my Molly Bawn.
*Grianan? (Scots Gaelic) - a drying place for anything, especially peat. In Irish it would be grianán which means a summerhouse or balcony.