The Gay Goshawk is

Child ballad The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as '' ...

number 96.

Synopsis

A Scottish squire sends a letter to his love by a

goshawk Goshawk may refer to several species of birds of prey, mainly in the genus ''Accipiter'': * Northern goshawk, ''Accipiter gentilis'', often referred to simply as the goshawk, since it is the only goshawk found in much of its range (in Europe and N ...

, who tells her that he has sent many letters and will die for love. She goes to ask her father a boon, and he says, anything but leave to marry the squire. She asks that, if she dies, she will be buried in Scotland. He agrees, and she takes a

sleeping potion A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...

. When her body is carried to Scotland, the squire comes to lament her, opening the coffin or the winding sheet. She wakes—sometimes after he kisses her—tells him she has fasted nine days for him, and tells her brothers to go home without her.

Variants

Heroines who feign death, to win their lovers or for other reasons of escape, are a common motif in ballads. The hero who feigns death to draw a timid maiden is less common, but still often appears as in "

Willie's Lyke-Wake "Willie's Lyke-Wake" is Child ballad 25. Synopsis Willie sets up his wake and lies in his winding cloth. His love discovers this and pleads with her father to let her go. When he does, and she enters the room, Willie rouses himself and declares ...

", Child ballad 25. The bird as a messenger is common in ballads. Later forms of this ballad use not a goshawk but a parrot, a bird that can talk.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 356-7, Dover Publications, New York 1965

References

Child Ballads Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown {{Folk-song-stub