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King Orfeo / Orfeo / Young Orphy

[ Roud 136 ; Child 19 ; Ballad Index C019 ; trad.]

John Stickle from Lerwick, Shetland, sang King Orfeo on April 28, 1947 to Patrick Shuldham-Shaw. This was printed in the Journal of the English Folk Dance & Song Society Vol. 5:2 (1947) and in Bronson's Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads. His BBC recording 18624 that was included on the anthology The Child Ballads 1 (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 4; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968) is dated February 1952, though. I don't know if this is a second recording or a mis-dating of the first one. Anyway, this album's booklet noted:

It is a common experience to hear songs and tales in Gaelic about persons kidnapped by the little people, but such ancient lore has almost disappeared in other parts of the west. According to Bronson (p. 275), this melody is also very ancient. “That a tune in the midst of the 20^th century be recovered for this whisper from the Middle Ages was as little to be expected as that we should hear a horn from elfinland blowing…” Child printed one version only of the ballad, but when Patrick Shaw went to the Shetland to look for songs he was shown the following text that had appeared in the Shetland Times, written down from the recitation of Bruce Sutherland of Turf House, North Yell, in 1865. The refrain was clearly derived from the Scandinavian original which runs…

Skoven arle grön – Early greens the wood

Hvor hjorten han gar arlig – Where the hart goes yearly

Still no tune has ever been recorded for the ballad. Then one day Mr Shaw was visiting John Stickle in the island of Unst and the two began talking about nonsense songs. “Have you ever,” said Mr Stickle, “heard anything as nonsensical as this?” Mr Stickle then proceeded to sing him the song here reproduced, and he failed to understand how his London friend could be so excited over a bit of nonsense that he had never been able to get out of his mind.

Archie Fisher sang Orfeo as the title track of his 1970 Decca LP, Orfeo. He noted:

With the valuable assistance of Martin Carthy I have reconstructed the ballad round the original fragment. The second and fourth lines of the verse are all that remains of what is said to have been its middle Danish origins. Translated they mean “Early greens the wood” and “Where the hart goes yearly”. The atmosphere of the melody was what first attracted me. There is no 3^rd or 6^th in the scale, as in the calm, noon raga Brindabani Saranga of Gujerat. It was this similarity that suggested the pulsing pedal drone. I felt that the highly narrative text would benefit from a backdrop of saga-strings which would bring out the powerful qualities of the melody. The instrumentals are an Irish-Scottish hybrid completing the trans-ethnic effect, and linking the Aryan-Celtic passage of folk music and folk-tale.

Steeleye Span recorded Orfeo together with the tune Nathan's Reel in 1976 for the last album with their “classic” line-up, Rocket Cottage. Maddy Prior sings in duet with herself.

And Frankie Armstrong sang the ballad in 1996 as Young Orphy on her ballads album Till the Grass O'ergrew the Corn. The sleeve notes commented:

The ballad of King Orfeo stems from a medieval retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, in which Eurydice, instead of dying and descending to Hades, is carried of by the King of Elfland, from whose unwelcome attentions she is successfully rescued by her husband's virtuoso musical skills. It has only ever been found in the Shetlands and that infrequently and in very fragmentary form. Astonishingly enough, two tunes for what Bronson describes as “this whisper out of the Middle Ages” were recovered in the middle of the present century, a circumstance, he said, “as little to be supposed as that we should hear “the horns of Elfland faintly blowing”. Brian Pearson thought that there were too few ballads about musicians to let this one disappear altogether, and rebuilt the text into the sort of shape it might have had before its almost terminal battering by time. The sprightly tune is that collected from John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst, by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw in 1947.

Alison McMorland sang King Orfeo in 2003 on her Tradition Bearers album with Geordie McIntyre, Ballad Tree. In their liner notes they again refer to the newspaper text and to John Stickle's tune.

Malinky sang King Orfeo in 2005 on their Greentrax CD The Unseen Hours. They noted:

The folk version of the tale of Greek lovers Orpheus and Euridice, this ballad was only found in recent memory on the Shetland island of Unst, the most northerly isle; Child collected this from a printed version which appeared in the local press in 1880. The tune we use here was collected by the late Patrick Shuldham-Shaw (folklorist and co-editor of the Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection) from the singing of John Stickle of Unst in 1952, an amazing discovery after some 70 years, since the tune was considered lost. It is said that Stickle's grandfather was at one time the best fiddler in all of Shetland and composed a number of the popular Shetland tunes played today. Apparently Stickle himself thought the song to be something of a nonsense lyric and was totally unaware of its rarity. The ballad tune scholar, Bertrand Bronson, wrote: “That a tune should in the midst of the twentieth century be recovered for this whisper from the Middle Ages was as little to be expected as that we should hear a horn from elfin-land blowing.” The Norn (Shetland dialect) refrain is fairly close to a mish-mash of modern Scandinavian “skogen arla grøn / hvor hjorten han går årlog” — “early greens the wood, where the stag (hart) goes yearly”. We sing a more Scotticised version than the original Norn, from the singing of Alison McMorland.
(Notes with reference to the Alan Lomax collection Classic Ballads of Britain and Ireland Vol 1 on Rounder Records.)

Fay Hield sang Sir Orfeo in 2012 as the title track of her CD with the Hurricane Party, Orfeo. She noted:

The ballad of Sir Orfeo stems from a medieval retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, dated to the late 13^th or early 14^th century. Representing a mixture of the Greek myth with Celtic mythology and folklore concerning fairies, it was introduced into the English culture via the Old French Breton lays. I've found versions recorded by Archie Fisher (1970), Steeleye Span (1976) and Frankie Armstrong (1996), however, I only discovered these after we put together and recorded this one. Here Jon [Boden] and I returned to a translation made by Tolkien (published posthumously in 2003) along with various condensed retellings of the story. The tune was written in the under-used Lydian mode. The “bonny apple tree” is not a species which often appears in this common refrain, but I thought it appropriate as orchard trees are typically grafted—the graft being significant as a point of entry into the otherworld.

Emily Smith sang a shortened version of Malinky's King Orfeo in 2014 on her CD Echoes.

Josie Duncan sang King Orfeo on her and Pablo Lafuente's 2018 album The Morning Tempest. They noted:

Recorded by Archie Fisher in 1970, this Scots ballad comes from the northern-most Shetland Isle, the Isle of Unst, with refrains in Norn. The tale is a retelling of the story of Greek lovers Orpheus and Eurydice (late 13^th or early 14^th century). In this folk tale, Eurydice does not die but is captured by the King of Elfland. Seven years later her husband, who has been grieving the whole time, wins her back with his wondrous harp playing.

Folk och Rackare sang a related Swedish song, Harpans kraft, in 1979 on their album Anno 1979. They noted [my translation]:

Harpans Kraft has been sung throughout the north. It's available in an early Swedish collection, Petter Rudebeck's Smålendske Antiqviteter from the 17^th century. The text in our version is of a later date.

Harpans Kraft probably is a popular rendition of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydike. Similar rewrites are also found in England, Scotland and the Faroe Islands. There the harp is consequently replaced by the bagpipe and the neck [water spirit] in the Nordic variant has become the “Elf King”, King of Fairies.

In this story you can really talk about the power of music. Sir Peder has really got himself into a fix. He has only one way out—the neck's own weapon—the music.

Lyrics

John Stickle sings a fragment of King Orfeo	Steeleye Span sing Orfeo
Will ye com in into our ha'? Scowan earl grey, Ye will come in into your ha', For yetter kangra norla. And we'll come in into your ha', And we'll come in among you a'. First you played the notes o' noy, And then you played the notes o' joy. And then you played a good old gabber reel, What might ha' made a sick hairt heal.	There was a King lived in the West, Green the woods so early, Of all the harpers he was the best, Where the hart goes yearly. The King he has a-hunting gone And left his lady all alone. The King of Faerie with his dart Has pierced the lady to the heart. So after them the King has gone Until he came to a large grey stone. Chorus: And he took out his harp to play. First he played the notes of pain, And all their hearts were weary, Then he played the Faerie reel, And all their hearts were cheery. The King of Faerie, with his rout, Has gone to hunt him all about. “Come ye into the Faerie hall, And play your harp amongst us all.” (Chorus) “Oh what shall I give you for your play?” “Oh let me take my lady away.” The Faerie King said “Be it so, Take her by the hand and go.” (Chorus)
Malinky sing King Orfeo	Emily Smith sings King Orfeo
There lived a lady in yon Haa Scowan erla grae Her name was Lady Lisa Bell, Far yorten han grun orla	There lived a lady in yon Haa Scowan urla grun Her name was Lady Lisa Bell, Whar giorten han grun oarlac
The king, he has a-huntin' gane An' left his lady all alane.	The king, he has a-huntin' gane, Left his lady aa alane.
The Elfin King wi' his dairt, Pierced his lady tae the hert.	The Elfin Knight took oot his dart, Pierced poor Lisa tae the heart.
When the king cam hame at noon He spiered for Lady Lisa Bell.	When the king cam hame at noon He asked for Lady Lisa Bell.
His nobles untae him they said, “My lady was wounded, noo she's deid.”	His nobles unto him they said, “She first was wounded, noo she's dead.”
“Noo they've taen her life frae me But her corpse they'll never hae.”
The king, he's ca'd his nobles a' Tae waltz her corpse intae the ha'.
But when the lords were fa'n asleep Oot o' the ha' her corpse did creep.
Noo awa tae the woods he's gane An' there he sat upon a stane.	He's awa intae the wood Til hair grew o'er him where he stood
He sat there for seiven years 'Til a company him drew near.	He sat there for seven years Til a company to him drew near.
Some did ride and some did ging, He saw his lady then amang.	Some did ride and some did ging, He saw his lady them amang.
The company, they then made their way Tae a ha' upon a hill.
Noo he set him doon fu'l wae, He's taen oot his harp tae play.	He sat doon so full o' wae And he took oot his pipes to play.
First he played the notes o' noy, Then he played the notes o' joy.	First he played the notes o' noy And then he played the notes o' joy
An' then he played the guid gabber reel That would mak a sick hert heal.	Then he played the gaber reel That would make a sick heart heal
There cam a boy frae oot the ha', “Ye're bidden tae play amangst us a'.”
The Elfin King tae him did say, “What will you hae for a' yer play?”	The Elfin Knight to him did say, “What will you hae noo for your pay?”
“For my play I will ye tell, I'll hae my Lady Lisa Bell.	“For my pay I will thee tell I'll hae my Lady Lisa Bell.”
“My sister's son, the unworthy thing, The morn he will be crowned king.”
”Noo ye can tak yer lady hame An' you'll be king a' on yer ain.”	“You can take your lady hame And you'll be king o'er aa yer ain.”
Frankie Armstrong sings Young Orphy	Fay Hield sings Sir Orfeo
Young Orphy was a piper man, Down along the valley Never a better in the land! Where the green leaves they grow rarely. He could play a fish out of the stream And make hares dance in the meadows green. He could charm an otter from the flood And the wolf from out of the wood. Oh so sweet his notes did run, He could make the moon dance with the sun. Young Orphy's gone out to the west; He's courted Suzy who he loved best. She'd lips as sweet as honeycomb; He's gained her love and brought her home. Young Orphy's to the greenwood gone and left his new bride all alone. The King of Elfland he rode by, On her he cast a lingering eye. And with his keen and wanton dart He's pierced this lady to the heart. He's took her off despite her will To live with him beneath the hill. And when young Orphy he's come home, His servants made a bitter moan. “Oh weary day that you did ride! For the Elf King's stole your bride!” Young Orphy tore his yellow hair: “Oh what is life without my dear?” He's dressed himself in beggar's clothes And off to seek his love he goes. He searched high, he searched low, Through dreary rain and winter snow, Till at dead of night he's come To a great way by a great grey stone. He's tuned his pipe and played a reel Whose notes would make the sick heart heal. He's played a jig, he's played a slide, He's played the King's gates open wide. “Come ye down into out hall, Come you in amongst us all!” He's gone down into their hall Amongst the lords and ladies all. The King of Elfland he sat there And by him sat young Suzy fair. Out spoke the King of Elfinland, “What want ye here, old beggar man?” “I'm just a poor old piper man; I'm come to please you if I can.” He's took out his pipes to blow, Bur sore his heart with grief and woe. He's played fleet, he's played sweet, He's played the dancers off their feet. He's played the stars out of the sky, He's made the tears fall from their eyes. And last he's played that ranting reel Whose notes would make the sick heart heal. “Now beggar man come name your fee! What e'er it is we'll give it thee!” “That pretty lass sits by your side, I'll take her now to be my bride.” “Oh a wickeder thing it cannot be For her to wed with a beggar like thee! She's as fair as a summer day, You're old and ragged, lean and grey!” “A wickeder thing, so have I heard, For a king to break his given word!” “Then take her off and go you home, Be King of the Beggars over all your own!” He's let his dirty rags down fall And shines the brightest of them all! He's took fair Suzy by the hand And then he's off to his own land. How sweet the birds sang in the grove For Orphy and his own true love! But oh how sweeter was the play When these two in one bed did lay!	Sir Orfeo was a valiant knight, A knight of high degree, He fell in love with a lady fair Beneath the orchard tree. He played upon his harp so sweet, His voice was pure and true, And she has fallen deep in love With brave Sir Orfeo. As it fell out all on a day, The sun was riding high, This lady took a pleasant sleep Beneath the orchard tree. But as she lay a-sleeping there She dreamed a dreadful dream: The King of the elves stole her away To take her for his queen. Chorus: The oak and the ash and the bonny apple tree All blossom and bloom in my own country. Sir Orfeo is a-hunting gone Down in the woods so green, A-picking flowers and berries so sweet To take unto his queen. And as the sun was setting low To the garden he's come home, A-calling for his own true love But true love he found none. A-searching high and searching low For fifty days went he Until at last he wept and mourned Beneath the orchard tree. (chorus) Sir Orfeo is a-wandering gone Down in the woods so green, A-weeping long and weeping sore For his poor lost stolen queen. No costly robes upon his back, No signs of wealth and pride, Nought but rags and leather bags And his harp down by his side. Sir Orfeo is a-wandering gone Through ice and rain and sleet; His beard has grown so long and grey That it twists about his feet. His nails are grown like ravens' claws, His hair like knotted oak, For years he wept and sang his song But not one word he spoke. (chorus) One day as he played on his harp so sweet And sang his sad refrain There came a host from Elfinland All in their fairy train. The King of Elfland blew his horn To make the elf train go, But as they passed a fearful sight Saw brave Sir Orfeo. For in the midst of the elfin host Locked in a cage so strong He saw his love imprisoned there All among the elven throng. And filled with fear and love and hope And hatred for his foe To follow that deadly elven train Rode brave Sir Orfeo. (chorus) There's fifty lords and ladies fair Stood in the elven hall. There's not one soul can please the King When he for music calls. There's not one soul can please the King When he calls for a song. Up stands our brave Sir Orfeo; I won't detain you long. He played upon his harp so sweet, His voice was pure and true, The finest song in all the land Played brave Sir Orfeo. “Your music so entrances me, The gift I must repay. Name now your prize in all this land: Your choice I must obey.” “I'll take not land, nor jewels nor gold, Nor yet your steed to ride. But this fair lady I do claim For she is my love and bride.” (chorus) Sir Orfeo is a-riding gone With his bride all by his side. They rode till they came to his castle wall, “Our Lady's home,” he cried. There's twenty guards drew fast around To lift the lady down; They've dragged our brave Sir Orfeo To be locked fast underground. There's not one soul believes his tale Or sees through his rough disguise; They've locked him fast in prison strong Despite his lady's cries. Then up and stepped a little foot page To test the tale so true, He gave him a harp and bid him play Sir Orfeo's own tune. He's played upon his harp so sweet, His voice was pure and true, Up spoke the court in one accord To greet Sir Orfeo. They filled the hall with music fair, The tables weighed with food. For fifty days and fifty nights They blessed all that was good. (chorus)

Links

See also the Mudcat Café thread Pronunciation of Gaelic/Norn in 'King Orfeo'.

Skoven arle grön	–	Early greens the wood
Hvor hjorten han gar arlig	–	Where the hart goes yearly