Tam Lin: Storyline Table

Tracking The Variations

Note: There's no way to make this table small. It has also not been updated recently, so several versions have not been included in this document yet.

Below is an attempt to detail the events in each version of the ballad in a way that allows for easy comparison between versions. The table assumes that the reader has some familiarity with the tale as events which are common to all versions but central to the story have been left outfor the sake of making the table easier to read (that is, if an event occurs in every version of the ballad, its inclusion is unnecessary). Other events which only occur (or are only ommited from) one version may be listed due to their notability.

While many of the events listed below can be assumed to occur in some versions, A Yes mark generally requires explicit statementof a verse, in order to capture the fragmentary nature of some versions. For example, in many versions there are scenes occuring with Janet's family after her encounter with Tam Lin, but only those verses which explicitly include a verse along the lines of:

Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little aboon the knee
And she has brooded her yellow hair
A little aboon the bree
And she is to her father's ha
As fast as she can hie

receive a Yes mark for "Janet goes to or travels to her family."

Since the order of some events may vary fromversion to version, the specific order of events in the table below is not meant to reflect any one version. The specific order of events related to saving Tam Lin is fairly variable, as is it's placement within the story. Some versions have Tam Lin giving Janet explict instruction oh how to rescue him and then only a quick summation of the rescue, such as "so well did she mind what he did say, and young Tam Lin did win", while other versions increase the level of detail during the rescue instead. Rather than repeating the information in the table, I have only noted it once, and attempted to note any discrepancies with individual versions.

Some of the versions include contradictory staments making it somewhat unclear which event is occuring, or small variations I found notable. In these cases, a footnote is made below the table. Some of the other events are stated in a way that is somewhat open to interpretation, and so you may disagree with the choice I have made. In other cases a mark may simply be incorrect (due to operator error, sorry).

The numbers below refer to the different versions of Tam lin. For more information, please see Versions of Tam Lin:

Not yet added to table:

The Table

The notation used in the table is:
y = event occurs
. = event does not occur

Event	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
Warning is given not to enter Caterhaugh for fear of Tam Lin	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y²³	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	.	.
Tam Lin takes objects of value, including virginity, from maidens	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y¹⁷	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	y¹⁷	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet is sewing or decorating, and wishes for flowers	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	y²⁴	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	.	y
Janet makes defiant statements or a bet about going to Carterhaugh	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet performs some acts of grooming	y	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet specifically wears green to Carterhaugh	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet leaves flowers at Tam Lin's feet and then leaves	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin questions his horse about Janet's presence	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet returns to Carterhaugh again	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet travels to Carterhaugh	y	y	y⁷	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	y⁷	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	.	.
Janet finds Tam Lin's horse	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.²²	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet plucks roses	y	y	y⁴	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet plucks unspecified flowers	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y
Tam Lin appears	y	y	y	y⁸	y	y	y	y	y⁸	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y⁸	y	y	y	y	y⁸	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	y
Tam Lin tells Janet to stop plucking the roses/flowers	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	.
Tam Lin questions Janet's presence in the woods without his permission	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	y³³
Janet claims to not need Tam Lin's permission	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	y
Janet tells Tam Lin that she owns the woods or is heir to it	y	y	y¹	y	y	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	y¹	y	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	.
Tam Lin takes Janet by the hand or the waist	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y
Tam Lin asks no leave of Janet	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet searches the woods for her departed lover	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	^y25	.	^y25	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet asks Tam Lin his name	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.²⁵	y	.²⁵	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y
Janet is trapped in the woods for some time	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet returns to or goes to her family	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.
Janet is home for several months	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
There are young ladies dancing or playing games	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y²⁶	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet neglects her personal appearance and looks ill	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet looks wan or green	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet puts on a dress of a specific color	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
A bystander comments that Janet is pregnant k = old knight g = maid or young girl s = her sister m = her mother b = her brother f = her father	y^k	y^k	.	.	.	y^s	y^k	.	y^k	.	y^k	y²⁷	.	y^b,k	y^k,g,f	y^f	.	y	y	y^g	y^g	y	y^b	y^k	.	y^g	y^f	y^g	y^k	.	.	y^f	.	.
Janet declares that no man present is the father	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	y	y¹⁴	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet praises Tam Lin	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet praises Tam Lin's horse	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet calls for a bible	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Someone asks if Tam Lin is the father	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet identifies her lover as a faerie	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.
Janet described Tam Lin as a Wee Wee man	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
A bystander informs Janet of the existance of herbs to induce miscarriage	.	.	.	.	.	y	y¹⁸	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	y¹⁸	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet returns to Carterhaugh	y	y	.	.	.	.²	y	.	y⁷	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y⁷	.	.	y	.	.
Janet finds Tam Lin's horse	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.
Janet plucks roses	y	y	.	.	.	.³	y³	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.
Janet plucks herbs	.	.	.	.	.	y³	y³	.³	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	. ⁴	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin appears	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	y¹¹	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	y	y	y	y	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin asks Janet if she intends to harm the baby or warns her against taking herbs	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	.	.	.
Janet questions Tam Lin about his heritage	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet indicates she would keep the child if the father was human	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin says he will make the child his heir	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin identifies himself as a faerie	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	y⁹	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y⁹	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin identifies himself as a human	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	y⁹	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y⁹	.	y	y	y	.
Tam Lin gives his human lineage	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.
Tam Lin knew Janet when they were young	.	.	.	.	.	.	.⁹	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.⁹	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin was kidnapped as a young child	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.
Tam Lin was specifically given to the faeries by a relative	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin was captured while resting under and apple tree	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin was kidnapped as an adult	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	.²⁸	.	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.
Tam Lin's capture was preceded by foul weather	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin fell off of his horse [while hunting]	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y²⁰	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	.
Tam Lin became drowsy or fell into a sleep when the faeries took him	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.
Tam Lin enjoys living with the faeries	y	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	y	.
Tam Lin describes some of his life with the faeries	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.³⁴
The faeries perform sacrifices to hell	y	y	y	y	.	.	y	.²⁹	y	y	y	y¹²	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	.
every seventh year	y	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y¹⁵	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	y¹⁵	y	.	y	.	y	.
The sacrifice is specifically the most recent addition to the troop	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin fears he may be the next because he is so fair	y	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	.	.	.
Tam Lin fears he may be the next because he is a human, making him lower rank than the faeries	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin is part of a larger sacrificial group	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.
The night or next day on Halloween (Samhain)	y	y	y	y³⁰	y	y	y⁵	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	.	y	y
The night is on the first of May (Beltaine)	.	.	.	.	.	.	.⁵	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet asks how she may identify Tam Lin in the troop	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.
Tam Lin tells Janet how he will be dressed so she may recognize him in the troop.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet travels home again	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet travels to a crossroad or bridge	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	.	.
Janet brings a special item with her b = bible c = cane h = holy water	.	.	.	y^h	.	.	y^h	.	.	y^b,c,h	.	.	.	.	.	.	y^h	.	.	.	.	.	y^b,h	y^h	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet hides as the faerie troop approaches	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet hails or salutes part of the troop	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tam Lin's horse is milk-white	y	y	y	y	y	y	y⁶	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	y²¹	y	y	y	.	y	.	y	.³⁵
The stars blaze, thunder roars, or other unusual events occur as the troop approaches and/or the struggle begins	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
The faerie troop cries out that Tam Lin is away	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.
Janet calls out Tam Lin's name	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
The faerie Queen tries to talk Janet into releasing Tam Lin	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet throws Tam lin into well water	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet dips Tam Lin in milk	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y¹⁰	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y¹⁰	.	.	.	.	.
Janet holds Tam Lin until the morning	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet puts her mantle around Tam Lin	y	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.	y	y	y	.	y	y	y³¹	y
Janet hides Tam Lin	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
The Queen praises Tam Lin as her best knight	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	y	y	.	.	.	.
The Queen wishes she'd torn out Tam Lin's eyes and put in eyes of wood	y	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y¹³	.	y	y	y	.	.	y	y	y	y	y	y	y	.	y	y	.
The Queen wishes she'd turned Tam Lin into a tree	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	y	y¹³	y	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
The Queen wishes she'd replaced Tam Lin's heart with a stone	.	y	.	y	y	.	y¹⁶	.¹⁶	y	.	.	.	^y16	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y	y	.	.	.	y¹⁶	.
The Queen wishes she'd paid the tithe (seven times) to hell before losing Tam Lin	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.
The Queen expresses fear that she wil be the sacrifice	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
The Queen praises Janet or wishes her well	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
The Queen insults Janet	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y³²	.
Janet takes Tam Lin home	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	y	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Janet gives birth to their child the next day	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Footnotes

[1] In 39C, Jennet does not claim to own Kertonha, but rather claims that "Kertonha should be my ain", suggesting that ownership is in dispute. In the Steeleye Span version, Janet says the woods belong to her father, but does not claim to be heir.

[2] Margaret travels to the kirk-yard rather than returning to Chester hall, but otherwise the tale is the same

[3] In 39F, Margaret plucks herbs, Thomas scolds her for plucking roses. In 39G, Margaret plucks roses, but Tam-a-line scolds her for plucking herbs. In 39H, Janet is plucking flowers, and Tam Lane questions her about plucking herbs to abort a child although this appears to be an initial meeting.

[4] In 39C Although there is no verse specifically mentioning Janet's plucking of the roses, Tam Lin scolds her for it when he appears. Likewise, in the Stewart version there are no verses informing Janet of an herb to induce miscarriage or verses where she actually pulls it, but Tam Lin scolds her for it when he appears.

[5] Although Tam-a-line identifies the night as Halloween,the last verse of the story places the activity in May

[6] The horse also breathes fire.

[7] The journey takes place at night, by the light of the moon, and is preceded by "She prinkd hersell and prinnd hersell".

[8] These versions do not specifically identify the man as Tam Lin. In 39I, Tamlane appears as a "wee wee man".

[9] While Tamlane identifies himself as having mortal parents in verse 28, in verse 31 he claims to be a "fairy, lyth and limb".

[10] Althought the instructions to dip Tamlane in milk and water are spoken by him, the verses describing the actual rescue do not include Janet performing the task (although she gets him anyway).

[11] actually, he's already there, sleeping.

[12] Tam Lin does not indicate that he is a candidate for sacrifice, but rather that if Janet does not rescue him that night, "I'm lost for yearis seven"

[13] The Queen threatens to take out his eyes and "put into rowan tree",a little unclear if she means to turn him into a tree or not.

[14] She calls for and swears upon a bible

[15] The sacrifice is every seventh seventh year instead.

[16] In 39H, instead of a heart of stone, the Queen wishes she'd replaced his heart with a heart of tree (wood). In the Bronson version, she wishes she'd replaced it with a heart of clay

[17] Although warning is given that traveling to Chaser's Wood may be a threat to a maiden's virginity, Tam Lin is not specifically mentioned

[18] This version includes the line that the information is "meant to do her harm".

[19] Tam-a-Line states that he has been looking for Margaret for some time while he has been in the woods but does not specifically say that they knew each other before he was captured.

[20] This is the only version that places the capture at night.

[21] This version has Young Tambling instructing Lady Margaret to grab the horse, no mention is made of a rider. It is possible that Young Tambling is the horse.

[22] May Margery travels to Tam Lin's enchanted well.

[23] This is the only version to mention who is giving the warning. It is given by the king.

[24] Janet calls for horses to take her to get the flowers

[25] Lady Margeret searches for Tam Lin so she may ask his name, but he has already departed

[26] The ladies are present but not dancing or playing

[27] The verse does not say who is asking about or observing the signs of pregnancy, but Janet replies to her father.

[28] Tam Lane does not mention faeries, but "gude neighbors"

[29] The Queen makes reference to a "Kane to hell" but Tam Lane does not.

[30] the setting is not at night but as "The morn at even"

[31] this version has Janet hiding Tam Lin "frae the sun"

[32] While several versions have the Queen wishing an ill death on Janet, this is the only one where the Queen insults Janet's morality, stating that Janet had several lovers at home.

[33] Tam Lin does not ask why she is there without his permission, but simply asks whose permission she has.

[34] This version makes no reference to faeries, merely to "the Quality", which may be an euphamism

[35] the steed is black, not white.

Notes

Added to site March 2001