The Bramble Briar (ballad)
Encyclopedia
"The Bramble Briar", "The Merchant's Daughter" or "In Bruton Town" (Roud
18; Laws
M32) is a traditional English folk murder ballad
that tells the story of how two brothers murder a servant who is courting their sister. There are many versions of the song going by a number of different titles.
in 1904 but is considerably older than that. It is a re-telling of a 14th century tale called Isabella and the Pot of Basil by Boccaccio although, according to the The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs the story was probably not new even then. The English romantic poet, John Keats
, adapted the story into a poem called Isabella, or the Pot of Basil
.
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
18; Laws
George Malcolm Laws
George Malcolm Laws Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a scholar of traditional UK and US folk song.His name is normally rendered as "G Malcolm Laws jnr". He is best known for "American Balladry from British Broadsides", published in 1957 by the American Folklore Society. He graduated from the...
M32) is a traditional English folk murder ballad
Murder ballad
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...
that tells the story of how two brothers murder a servant who is courting their sister. There are many versions of the song going by a number of different titles.
Synopsis
A girl of noble birth falls in love with a servant and the two agree to get married. However, her two brothers discover the tryst and, because they consider him too low-born for her, decide to murder him. They go out hunting in the woods early in the morning and take the servant along with them. One of the brothers kills the man and hides the body in a bramble thicket. Once back home, their sister asks them why they are whispering to each other and what has become of the servant. One of the brothers tells her that they have lost him somewhere that he will never be found. That night the girl dreams of her lover. He is dead and covered in blood. The following day, she goes out to the woods where she eventually finds the corpse in the briars. She kisses his dead lips and sits mourning with his body for three days. When she at last returns, her brothers asks her why she is whispering and she tells them to get away from her, calling them "bloody butchers". In other versions of the story, she severs the head of the unfortunate victim, and takes it back with her in a jar.Commentary
The ballad was collected by Cecil SharpCecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
in 1904 but is considerably older than that. It is a re-telling of a 14th century tale called Isabella and the Pot of Basil by Boccaccio although, according to the The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs the story was probably not new even then. The English romantic poet, John Keats
John Keats
John Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
, adapted the story into a poem called Isabella, or the Pot of Basil
Isabella, or the Pot of Basil
Isabella, or the Pot of Basil is a narrative poem by John Keats adapted from a story in Boccaccio's Decameron . It tells the tale of a young woman whose family intend to marry her to "some high noble and his olive trees", but who falls for Lorenzo, one of her brothers' employees. When the brothers...
.
Recordings
A large number of musicians have recorded this song including:- Martin CarthyMartin CarthyMartin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
recorded it as 'Bruton Town' on his 1966 album Second Album - Jacqui McSheeJacqui McSheethumb|300px|right|Jacqui McShee performing with [[Pentangle]] at the 2007 [[BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards]]Jacqueline 'Jacqui' McShee is an English singer. Since 1966 she has performed with Pentangle, a jazz influenced folk rock band.-Biography:McShee's musical career began as a soloist in British folk...
recorded it as 'Bruton Town' with Pentangle on their 1968 album The Pentangle - Sandy DennySandy DennySandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
performed a live version of Bruton Town in 1972 released on Who Knows Where the Time Goes? (1986) - Maddy PriorMaddy PriorMaddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
and Tim HartTim HartTim Hart was an English folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band, Steeleye Span.-Early years:...
again used the title Bruton Town for a recording on their Folk Songs of Old England Vol. 1 (1968) - Louis Killen sang Bramble Briar on English and Scottish Folk Ballads (1964)
- Martin SimpsonMartin SimpsonMartin Simpson is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in the British Isles, America and beyond.-Biography:...
used the same title for the ballad on Bramble Briar (2001) - Meg BairdMeg BairdMeg Baird is an American musician originally from New Jersey and currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is best known as a founding member and lead female vocalist for the Philadelphia folk rock band Espers. In 2007, Baird released her first solo LP Dear Companion on Drag City...
, Helena Espvall, and Sharron KrausSharron KrausSharron Kraus is an English singer, songwriter and musician with strong ties to the US. Kraus was born in New York but grew up in Leicester, England...
recorded it as "Bruton Town" on Leaves From Off the Tree (2006) - In their Album release 'Matachin' the British folk band Bellowhead recorded this song as 'Bruton Town'
- Bryony Griffith & Will Hampson recorded it as 'The Murdered Servantman' on their 2011 debut album Lady DiamondLady Diamond-Synopsis:A great king had a daughter , who fell in love with his kitchen boy. She became pregnant. Her father demands to know the father, and she tells him. He has the kitchen boy secretly murdered, but then, in most variants, brings his heart to his daughter. She dies...