''Bonnie James Campbell'' or ''Bonnie George Campbell'' is
Child ballad 210 (
Roud
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud (born 1949), a former librarian in the London ...
338). The ballad tells of man who has gone off to fight, but only his horse returns. The name differs across variants. Several names have been suggested as the inspiration of the ballad: Archibald or James Campbell, in the
Battle of Glenlivet
The Battle of Glenlivet was a Scottish clan battle fought on 3 October 1594 near Glenlivet, Moray, Scotland. It was fought between Protestant forces loyal to King James VI of Scotland who were commanded by Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argy ...
, or Sir John Campbell of Calder, who was murdered.
Synopsis
Bonnie James (or George) Campbell rides out one day. His horse returns, but he does not. His bride comes out, grieving, that the fields are still growing the harvest but he will never return. In some variants, his mother or sisters also come out when his horse returns. In one of the variants, Campbell laments that "my babe is unborn."
Lyrics
: High upon Highlands,
: and laigh upon Tay.
: Bonnie George Campbell
: rode out on a day.
: He saddled, he bridled,
: and gallant rode he.
: And hame cam his guid horse,
: but never cam he.
: Out cam his mother dear,
: greeting fu sair.
: Out cam his bonnie bryde,
: riving her hair.
: "The meadow lies green,
: and the corn is unshorn.
: But Bonnie George Campbell
: will never return."
: Saddled and bridled
: and booted rode he,
: A plume in his helmet,
: a sword at his knee.
: But toom cam his saddle
: all bloody to see.
: Oh, hame cam his guid horse,
: but never cam he.
See also
*
Scottish mythology
*
English
folklore
References
External links
''Bonnie James Campbell''
with history
Reference to Opera singer Portia White sings the ballad before Queen ElizabethVersion of Bonnie George Campbell recorded by Barnsley folk trio String Theory
{{Folk-song-stub
Child Ballads
Border ballads
Northumbrian folklore
Anglo-Scottish border