The Great Silkie~Child Ballad #181
This ballad originated in the Orkney Islands. A "silkie" is a supernatural being who lives in the sea. They wear sealskins to travel through the ocean, and take them off when they are on land.
An earthly nourris sits and sings And as she sings, "Ba lily wean Little ken I, my bairnie's father Far less the land that he steps in." Then in steps he to her bed fit And a grumlie guest I'm sure was he Sang "Here am I, thy bairns father" Although I be not comely I am a man upon the land And I am a silkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home it is in Sule Skerry" Then he has taken a purse of gold And he has laid it on her knee Saying, give to me, my little young son And take me up thy nouriss-fee. It shall come to pass on a summer's day When the sun shines hot on every stone That I shall take my little young son And teach him how to swim the foam And thou shalt marry a proud gunner And a proud gunner I'm sure he'll be And the very first shot that e'er he'll shoot he'll kill both my young son and me. Alas, Alas, the maiden cried This weary fate's been laid for me And then she said and then she said I'll bury me in Sule Skerry. Here's another version that I like quite a bit
The silkie be a creature strange He rises from the sea to change Into a man, a weird one he, When home it is in Skule Skerrie. When he be man, he takes a wife, When he be beast, he takes her life. Ladies, beware of him who be - A silkie come from Skule Skerrie. His love they willingly accept, But after they have loved and slept, Who is the monster that they see? 'Tis "Silkie" come from Skule Skerrie. A maiden from the Orkney Isles, A target for his charm, his smiles, Eager for love, no fool was she, She knew the secret of Skule Skerrie. And so, while Silkie kissed the lass, She rubbed his neck with Orkney grass, This had the magic power, you see - To slay the beast from Skule Skerrie. Comment Form is loading comments...
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John Fitz
balladmonger 1. noun: a seller of ballads, esp on broadsheets. 2. Noun: a writer of mediocre poetry. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris quis purus nulla. Morbi vitae suscipit ante, non scelerisque purus. Mauris vitae enim tempus, feugiat turpis dapibus, imperdiet augue. Fusce metus risus, laoreet auctor arcu et, feugiat tincidunt tortor. Nulla et est arcu. Nam consectetur dolor sit amet nisi dapibus ornare. Nunc convallis, risus nec interdum tempus, massa metus convallis ligula, vel lobortis nunc magna ut mi. Integer placerat interdum semper.
~John Fitz History & SynopsisThe Great Selkie o' Suleskerry - or Grey Selkie of Suleskerry, as it is also known - is one of Orkney's best-known and most haunting ballads. It recounts the tale of a young Orcadian maiden who falls in love with an elusive selkie-man. She has a child by him but, shortly after, the selkie-man disappears, leaving her alone with her baby son. Some years later the maiden comes across a grey seal by the shore. The seal says to her: "I'm a man upon the land, I'm a selkie in the sea; and when I'm far frae every stand, my dwelling is in Suleskerry." She realises the creature before her is none other than her selkie lover, but he once again vanishes beneath the waves, only to return again seven years later. After giving his son a golden chain, the boy leaves his mother and goes with father to the sea. The woman marries and some time later, when her husband is out hunting, he shoots two seals - one old and grey, the other younger. Around the neck of the young seal was a gold chain, which the hunter takes home to give his wife. Upon receiving the gift she realises her son is dead. Some of the verses of the ballad are still remembered in the islands, but the tune was very nearly lost. As with all folk ballads there are various versions. Read more... |