Lord Thomas and Fair Annet (), also known as Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor, is an English folk

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

Synopsis

Lord Thomas (or Sweet Willie) is in love with Fair Annet, or Annie, or Elinor, but she has little property. He asks for advice. His father, mother, and brother (or some of them) advise that he should marry the nut-brown maid with a rich dowry. His mother promises to curse him if he marries Annet and bless him if he marries the nut-brown maid. His sister warns her that her dowry may be lost and then he will be stuck with nothing but a hideous bride. Nevertheless, he takes his mother's advice. Fair Annet dresses as splendidly as she can and goes to the wedding. The nut-brown maid is so jealous that she stabs Annet to death. Lord Thomas stabs both the nut-brown maid and himself to death. A rose grows from Fair Annet's grave, a brier from Lord Thomas's, and they grow together.

Texts

The oldest known text, entitled "A tragical Story of Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor", was printed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1677. It opens with the following three verses: Lord Thomas he was a bold forester, The chaser of the King's deer, Fair Eleanor she was a fair woman, Lord Thomas he loved her dear. Come riddle, my riddle, dear mother, he said, And riddle us both as one; Whether I shall marry with fair Ellinor, And let the brown-girl alone. The brown girl she has got houses and lands, Fair Ellinor she has got none, Therefore I charge you on my blessing, To bring me the brown girl home.

Variations and related ballads

Regional and printed variations of the ballad are known by many titles, including "Fair Eleanor", "Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender", "Fair Ellen and the Brown Girl", "Lord Thomas's Wedding", "The Brown Bride", and others. Related English ballads which share stanza composition as well as narratives of heartbreak-induced death include ''

Fair Margaret and Sweet William "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" ( Child 74, Roudbr>253 is a traditional English ballad which tells of two lovers, of whom either one or both die from heartbreak. Thomas Percy included it in his folio and said that it was quoted as early as 16 ...

'' and ''

Lord Lovel Lord Lovel is number 75 of the ballads anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century, (Roud 49) and exists in several variants. This ballad is originally from England, originating in the Late Middle Ages, with the ...

''. Several Norse variants of this ballad exist, although the man does not reject the woman on advice of his friends in them.

Commentary

The grave plants that grow together are a motif to express true love, also found in many variants of '' Barbara Allen'' and of ''

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

'', and in the legend of Baucis and Philemon. This ballad has no connection with "

The Nut-Brown Maid "The Nut-Brown Maid" is a ballad that made its first printed appearance in ''The Customs of London'', also known as ''Arnold's Chronicle'', published in 1502 by the chronicler Richard Arnold. The editor of the 1811 edition of the chronicle sugges ...

", in which a nut-brown maid is the heroine.

Recordings

Many traditional recordings of the ballad have been made, Jim Copper and Bob Copper had the

Copper Family The Copper Family are a family of singers of traditional, unaccompanied English folk song. Originally from Rottingdean, near Brighton, Sussex, England, the nucleus of the family now live in the neighbouring village of Peacehaven. The family first ...

's traditional Sussex version recorded in 1952 and 1976, Peter Kennedy recorded Charlie Wills of Dorset singing a version, and Caroline Hughes, also of Dorset, was recorded singing the ballad by

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years, and was married to the singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. First American period Seeg ...

and by Peter Kennedy in the 1960s. Collectors such as Peter Kennedy and

Hamish Henderson Hamish Scott Henderson (11 November 1919 – 9 March 2002) was a Scottish poet, songwriter, communist, intellectual and soldier. He was a catalyst for the folk revival in Scotland. He was also an accomplished folk song collector and dis ...

recorded versions in Scotland in the 1950s and 60s. The song appears to have been extremely popular in the United States, where around 100 field recordings have been made, including

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

's recording of

Jean Ritchie Jean Ruth Ritchie (December 8, 1922 – June 1, 2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player, called by some the "Mother of Folk". In her youth she learned hundreds of folk songs in the traditional way (orally ...

in 1949, a fragment of which can be heard on the Alan Lomax archive website. Jean Ritchie later released a different version on her album "Best of Jean Ritchie".

References

External links

''Lord Thomas and Fair Ellinor''
with some history {{authority control Child Ballads Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown Murder ballads