The Stormy Winds How They Blow- Ewell (VA) 1914 Davis G
[From Davis, Traditional Ballads From Virginia, 1929. The repetitive extended chorus is similar to the 1868 Carmina Collegensia version published by Oliver Ditson (also Child B, C, and D). No mention by Davis that the first and last verses are really the chorus. Footnotes by Davis follow a brief bio excerpt about Ewell.
R. Matteson 2014]
Alice Maude Ewell (1860-1946) was a local author of the late Victorian period who wrote fictional stories and poems for prominent periodicals of the day as well as locally published books. She was a contributor to such national magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Godey’s Lady’s Book, Peterson’s Magazine, and St. Nicholas, a magazine for children.
"Miss Maude,” as she was known locally, was born and lived her entire life north of Haymarket on her family’s farm located at the foot of Bull Run Mountain near the present day intersection of Route 15 and Log Mill Road. Her paternal grandparents came to this area in the 1830s.
48. THE MERMAID
(Child, No. 289)
Thirteen texts, whole or fragmentary and two tunes are the contribution of this ballad to the Virginia archives, under the titles,"The Stormy Winds Do Blow," "The Stormy Winds How Do They Blow," "The Stormy Winds" and "The Wreck," as well as "The Mermaid." Only one repetitive fragment is here excluded. The twelve remaining variants are quite similar and in
the main follow the Child sequence B-C-D. But the speech of the cook which appears in Virginia A, D, K, L, is more tike child E and F. Virginia A shows the impress of another "section" of the country (see the footnote). Virginia B and C come from the same singer but show certain variations; They are place in juxtaposition for comparison. An interesting feature of
the fuller variants is the use made of the "stormy winds" stanza usually it is the chorus, sometimes the first stanza and chorus, sometimes first and last stanza, sometimes (once) it is omitted.
The ship sets sail as in Child B, C, D, on Friday, a day of ill omen. The appearance of a mermaid is a signal despair to seamen in this ballad as in certain versions of Sir Patrick Spens (Child, No. 52, J, L, P, Q). As Child there (II, 19) remarks, "If nothing worse, mermaids at least bode rough weather, and sailors do not like them. . . They have a reputation for treachery; there is a Danish ballad one who has betrayed seven ships."
The popularity of this ballad in college and other songbooks has often been pointed out (see Cox and Mackenzie, head-notes). For other traditional American texts, see Barry, No. 7; Bulletin, Nos. 2-5, 8-10; Cox No. 33; Heart Songs, p. 360, Hudson No. 23 (Mississippi); Journal, XVIII, 136 (Barry, Vermont, text and melody); XXII 78 (Barry, Vermont, melody only): XXV, 176 (Belden Missouri); XXVI, (Kittredge, Massachusetts); McGill p. 46; Mackenzie Ballads, No. 16; Pound, Syllabus, p. 10 (fragment); Pound Ballads No. 11; Spaeth, Read 'em and Weep, 1927, p. 81. For additional references, see Cox, p. 172; Journal, XXX, 333.
G. "The Stormy Winds How They Blow." Collected by Col. E. Berkeley, of Haymarket, Va. Contributed by Miss Alice Maude Ewell, Prince William County, February 2, 1914.
1 The stormy winds how they blow, blow, blow,
The raging seas how they flow,
While we poor sailors are toiling in the tops,
The landsmen are lying down below, down below,
The landsmen are lying down below.
2 Then up stepped the captain of our gallant crew,
And a very gallant man was he:
"I have a wife and children in my own native land
Who this night are looking out for me, for me,
Who this night are looking out for me."
3 Then up stepped the mate of our gallant crew,
And a very gallant man was he:
"I've a father and mother in my own native home
Who this night are looking out for me, for me,
Who this night are looking out for me."
4. Three times around went our gallant ship,
Three times around went she,
And as she was turning the third time around,
She settled to the bottom of the sea, of the sea,
She settled to the bottom of the sea.
5. The stormy winds how they blow, blow, blow,
The raging seas how they flow,
While we poor sailors are toiling in the tops,
With the landsmen they all settled down below, down below,
With the landsmen they all settled down below.