Summary
Margaret travels to Charters woods in search of flowers, where she encounters True Tammas. They argue over her right to pluck flowers, and are then lovers. After failing to learn her lover's name, Margaret returns home, where she is exhibiting the early signs of pregnancy, much to the scorn of her brother. She calls for a bible, and swears upon it that she is pregnant by an Elf, but would marry him if possible. Her brother counsels her to seek an abortive agent instead. She returns to the woods to do so, and encounters Tammas again. She asks his true identity, at which point he reveals that he is a mortal captured by the Faeries. He fears he will soon be sacrificed, and instructs her how he may be rescued that night. She will have to face the faerie troop in the woods, and hold onto him as he is transformed. Margerat returns home again, where her father's men scorn her condition. She scorns them as well, and leaves for the woods to recue Tammas. She follows his instructions and rescues him, then takes him home. She bears a child to him the next day.
True Tammas
- Lady Margaret sits intil her bower
Wearin' the caps o' black,
And she'll awa to Charters Woods,
Pu' flowers to flower her hat. - She hadna pu'd in Charters Woods
A flower but barely ane,
Till by it cam' him True Tammas
Says, Marget lat alane. - Oh why ye pu' ye the double rose,
And why break ye the tree?
And why come ye to Charters Woods
Without the leave of me? - Oh I will pu' the double rose,
And I will break the tree,
For Charters Woods they're a' my ane,
And I'll ask na leave frae thee. - He's ta'en her by the milkwhite han'
Below the grass-green sleeve,
And he's laid her low at the foot o' a wand,
And never ance spiered her leave. - She turned her richt and roon aboot
To ask her true love's name,
But she nothing heard and she nothing saw,
But a' the woods grew dim. - Fan a' the ladies o' the lan'
Grew a' as red as a rose,
And a' except Lady Marget,
But pale and wan she goes. - Fan a' the ladies o' the lan'
Grew a' as red as the chase,
And a' except Lady Marget
And she's pale and wan like grass - The oot it spak' her brother John,
He spak' it for a scorn,
Says, Lady Marget's loved ower lang
Till she goes wi' a bairn. - She turned her richt and roon aboot,
The tears blinded her e'e,
It's Bring to me a bible, she says,
And I'll clear the verity. - Fan she got a bible brought
And lookit it upon,
Gin I be wi' a bairn, she says,
It's nae to an earthly man. - Gin my love were an earthly man
As he's an elfin rae,
I wad go boun' for my love's sake
A twalmonth and a day. - Gin my love were an earthly man
As he's an elfin knight,
I wad go boun' for my love's sake
A twalmonth and a night. - Oh haud your tongue, my sister dear,
For that's do you no harm,
I know a pile in Charters Woods
That will twine ye and your bairn. - Lady Marget got a silver comb,
Made haste and combed her hair,
And she is on to Charters Woods
As fast as she can fare. - She hadna pu'd in Charters Woods
A pile but barely ane,
Till by it cam' him True Tammas
Says, Marget, lat alane. - Oh why ye pu ye the pile Margret
The pile that grows so gray
For to destroy the bonnie baby
That we got in our play. - Oh why ye pu the pile, Marget,
The pile that grows sae green?
For to destroy the bonnie baby
That we got us between. - Oh tell me, tell me, True Tammas,
A word ye dinna lee,
Gin ever ye was at good church door,
Or christened gen ye be? - Oh I will tell ye that, Marget,
A word I winna lee,
For I hae been at good church door,
And christened as weel as ye. - I am Lord Forbes' eldest son,
The heir o' a' his lan',
Till it fell ance upon a day
That a-hunting we did gang. - And heavy heavy was the sleep
That on my body fell,
And by it came the Queen o' Elfin,
And she took my till hersel'. - Oh Elfin it's a bonnie place,
Fain in it wad I dwell
But aye at ilka seven years' en'
They pay the teind to hell,
And I'm sae fat and fu' o' flesh
I'm fell feart for mysel'. - But the morn's halloweven nicht
Fan the elfin courts does ride,
Thro' England and thro' fair Scotland
And thro' a' the wardle wide,
And she that wad her true love borrow
At Miles Cross wad she bide. - Ye tak' haly water in your han'
And cast a compass roon,
Ye tak' a bible in your han',
And at Miles Cross set ye doon. - The firstan court that comes ye till,
Ye lat them a' pass by;
The nextan court that comes ye till,
Ye hail them reverently. - The nextan court that comes ye till,
Ye hail them ane by ane,
The nextan court that comes ye till,
And therein rides the queen. - Some rides on a black, a black,
And some rides on a brown,
but I ride on a blood-red steed
Wi' a gold star in his crown,
Because I am an earthly man
I get that for my renown. - Ye tak' me in your arms twa,
Gie me a fell doonfa'
The elfin queen she'll gie a cry, -
True Tammas is awa. - I'll turn in your arms twa
Like the fire that burneth bold,
But ye hold me fast, let me not go,
And I'll turn like iron cold. - I'll turn in your arms twa
Like the hound that runneth wild,
But ye hold me fast, let me not go,
And I will father your child. - I'll turn in your arms twa
Like ony nakit man,
But ye hold me fast, let me not go,
And with you I'll go home. - Lady Marget's done her hame again,
She met her father's men
And oot there spak' one o' them
He spak' it for a scorn -
Lady Marget's loved ower lang
Till she goes wi' a bairn. - She turned her richt and roon aboot,
For she thocht muckle shame,
Gin I be wi' a bairn she says,
It's to nane o' my father's men,
And they need not be proud o' it,
There's nane o' them get the name. - Lady Marget got a silver comb,
Made haste and combed her hair,
And she is on to Miles Cross
As fast as she could fare. - She took haly water in her han,
And keest a compass roon;
She took a bible in her han',
And at Miles Cross she sat doon. - The firstan court that cam' her till,
She leet them a' pass by;
The nextan court that cam' her till,
She hailed them reverently. - The nextan court that cam' her till,
She hailed hail them ane by ane,
The nextan court that cam' her till,
And therein rode the queen. - Some rade on a black, a black,
And some rade on a broon;
True Tammas on a blood-red steed
Wi' a gold star in his crown,
Becausehe was an earthly man
He got that for his renown. - She took him in her airms twa,
Gied him a fell doonfa'
The elfin queen she gae a cry, -
True Tammas is awa. - He turned in her airms twa,
Like the fire that burneth bold;
But she heeld him fast, let him not go,
And he turned like iron cold. - He turned in her airms twa,
Like the hound that runneth wild;
But she heeld him fast, let him not go,
And he did father her child. - He turned in her airms twa,
Like ony nakit man;
But she heeld him fast, let him not go,
And with her he gaed hame. - Had I but kent in the mornin'
What I ken noo at e'en
I sud 'a ta'en oot his heart o' flesh,
Put in a heart o' stane. - But wisna she a lady wight,
A lady wight and keen?
She borrowed her love at mark midnight,
And bore her soon at neen.
Version Notes
Added to site: June 1999