Tam Lin Balladry

Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane

source: Digital traditions data base
source cited: Child # 28, from Motherwell MS

Summary | Tale | Analysis |

Summary: Burd Ellen cares for her child when Tamlane comes to visit. She instructs him to care for his son, for she has done enough. He departs for the seas instead, carrying her curses with him.

Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane

1. Burd Ellen sits in her bower windowe,
   With a double laddy double
   And for the double dow
   Twisting the red silk and the blue
   With the double rose and the May-hay.
   
   
2. And whiles she twisted and whiles she twan
   And whiles the tears fell down amang.
   
   
3. Till once thee by cam Young Tamlane
   "Come light, oh light, and rock your young son."
   
   
4. "If you winna roack him, you may not let him rair,
   For I hae rockit my share and more."
   
   *****
   
   
5. Young Tamlane to the seas he's gane,
   And a' women's curse in his company gane.
   

Analysis : I do not believe this story is actually related to the ballad of Tam Lin, but as I have both Tam Lin and Childe Rowland (in which Burd Ellen is the name of the captured sister) on this site, I thought it only proper to include it. Quite frankly, I have no idea what most sections of this short song are about. Tamlane is roughly a version of Thomas, a common name for story characters in Scottish tradition, and I will assume that the same may be true for Burd Ellen. Still, the tempting interpretation is that Burd Ellen returned pregnant from her stay in fairyland, and Tam Lin is the father. She'd be the one to spread the tales about the dangers to maiden who enter the woods. This falls apart, of course, with the last lines about Tamlane going to the sea, but it's fun to make up connections between stories none the less.

• Versions of Tam Lin
• Exploring the Ballad of Tam Lin
• Comparing Tam Lin to Other Tales -introduction
• "Tam Lin" compared to "Beauty and the Beast"
• "Tam Lin" compared to "The Fairy Oak of Corriewater"
• "Tam Lin" compared to "Thomas the Rhymer"
• "Tam Lin" compared to "Childe Rowland"
• "Tam Lin" compared to "Cupid and Psyche"
• "Tam Lin" compared to "Allison Gross"
• "Tam Lin" Compared to "Fundevogel"
• The similar tale "Alice Brand"
• The similar tale "The King's Daughter Jane"
• The tale of "Burd Ellen and Tamlane"
• The tale of "The Quiet Mists of Morning"
• The tale of "The Wee Wee Man"
• The tale of "The Broomfield Wager"

• The Music of Tam Lin
• Communicating at Tam Lin
• Scotland and Tam Lin
• Search Tam Lin

© 1997-2003 Abigail Acland for all original works unless otherwise noted.

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