Tam Lin Balladry

A website of folklore and discovery.

Tam Lin: Doug Bischoff

album: unknown

Title: Tam Lin

Site reference number: 42

Summary

Maidens know not to go to Carterhaugh, but Janet goes anyway, and meets Tam Lin after she plucks some roses. When she returns home, her maids note that she looks ashen, and say they will get the blame. Janet returns to Carterhaugh to find herbs to end the pregnancy, which causes Tam Lin to appear again. He tells her how she can rescue him. She does so, to the anger of the Queen of Fairies.

Tam Lin

  1. All maiden know that to go
    To Carterhaugh's forbid,
    But never a mind what old men say,
    That's just what Janet did.
  2. She had not pulled a single rose
    Till up spoke young Tam Lin
    Says "No maiden comes to Carterhaugh
    And a maid returns again"
  3. Janet, kilt your kirtle green
    And braid your golden hair
    And get ye gone from Carterhaugh
    For young Tam Lin is there
    An earthly knight once was he
    Till one fell day did ride
    Then seven years in the land of fey
    Did young Tam Lin abide.
  4. To her home did Janet fly
    Back to her ladies fair
    They saw her look, her ashen face
    And knew that she'd been there.
  5. "On us will be blame" said one
    and thus reply'd she:
    "I'll father my bairn on whom I will
    and ask no leave at thee".
  6. Janet, kilt your kirtle green
    And braid your golden hair
    And get ye back to Carterhaugh
    For young Tam Lin is there
    An earthly knight oh once was he
    Till one fell day did ride
    Then seven years in the land of fey
    Did young Tam Lin abide
  7. An herb there was in Carterhaugh
    She knew would change the tide.
    Back to the darkling forest
    She set herself to ride.
  8. She had not pulled a single leaf
    Till up then spoke Tam Lin
    Saying "How can you scathe the bonny babe
    That we got us between?"
  9. Janet, kilt your kirtle green
    And braid your golden hair
    And get ye back to Carterhaugh
    For young Tam Lin is there
    An earthly knight oh once was he
    Till one fell day did ride
    Then seven years in the land of fey
    Did young Tam Lin abide
  10. "On Hallow's eve, you'll win me, lass,
    And I'll your husband be
    Just hold me fast and fear me not
    Nae matter what you see"
  11. As on the mirk and midnight hour
    The fairy folk did ride
    And there was she, as he did say,
    At Miles Cross betide
  12. She pulled him from his milk-white steed
    And a serpent he became
    Then in her arms he was a bear
    And finally a flame.
  13. Then he turned a simple man
    She'd won him from the fae
    Their angry queen said "Aye Tam Lin,
    You're fairly won away!"
  14. Janet, kilt your kirtle green
    And braid your golden hair
    And get ye gone to Carterhaugh
    For young Tam Lin is there
    An earthly knight oh once was he
    Till one fell day did ride
    Then seven years in the land of fey
    Did young Tam Lin abide.

Notes

Added to site October 2014

Available from artist's website