The Bonny House of Airlie

 The Bonny House of Airlie

The Bonny House of Airlie is a traditional Scottish folk song from the seventeenth century, the author unknown. It relates the story of the raid by Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll on Airlie Castle, the home of James Ogilvy, Earl of Airlie, which occured in the summer of 1640. A broadsheet version of the ballad first appeared in 1790 and was published as number 199 in Francis Child's collection The English and Scottish Popular Ballads of 1882.

Archibald Campbell, Marquess of Argyll by David Scougall


The ballad is based on real events, where a decades long feud between the clans Campbells and Ogilvys  was renewed when they joined opposite sides in the National Covenant and Bishops' Wars.

 Ogilvy would raise several hundred men for King Charles I, whilst Campbell became a leading figure of the Covenanters. Ogilvy would march his men south and Archibald seized and destroyed the castle of Airlie. The ballad claims that Campbell assaulted James Ogilvy's wife, Margaret,  however contemporary records and accounts do not confirm this. It is not known when the ballad was composed, possibly the allegations within the story were part of anti-Campbell propaganda as the Earl of Argyll would play a significant role in Scottish history during his lifetime, and he would collect many enemies.

The Bonny House of Airlie

It fell on a day, a bonnie bonnie day,
When the corn grew green and yellow,
That there fell out a great dispute
Between Argyll and Airlie.

The lady was looking over the castle wall,
And oh but she looks weary,
And there she spies the great Argyll
Come to plunder the bonnie house of Airlie.

“Come down the stairs, lady,“ he said,
“Come down and kiss me fairly.”
“I’ll not come down nor kiss you,” she said,
“Though you won’t leave a standing stone at Airlie.”

He’s taken her by her left shoulder
and oh but she looks weary.
He led her to the top of the town,
Made her watch the plundering of Airlie.

“Fire on, fire on, my many men all
And see that you fire clearly.
I vow and I swear by this broadsword I wear
I won’t leave a standing stone at Airlie.”

“If the great Sir John had been but at home,
As he is this night wi’ King Charlie,
Neither Argyll nor any Scottish Lord
Dare have plundered the bonnie house of Airlie.

“Seven, seven sons I’ve born unto him
And the eigth ne’er saw his daddy.
If I were to bear a hundred more
They’d all draw sword for King Charlie.
Oh, if I were to bear a hundred more
They’d all draw sword for King Charlie.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

James Hogg 1770 -1835

Image
The  Piper's Stone , a boulder upon which a mortally wounded Jacobite piper was said to have played the bagpipes during the Battle of Cromdale The Haughs Of Cromdale. This ballad, the original author unknown, was collected and edited by James Hogg and concerns the Battle of  Cromdale  in Scotland, fought on April 30 and May 1, 1690 between supporters of James VII, called Jacobites, and the supporters of William III. The Jacobites would be defeated in two engagements near Cromdale village, Strathspey. The ballad describes details of the battle and the participants, but although a defeat by the Jacobites the unknown author turns it into a victory by adding details of the  Battle of Auldearn , which was fought by Royalists led by the Marquis of Montrose years before on May 9, 1645, and wrongly mixes up the opponents who were Scottish Covenanters with Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads. It is possible that elements of the little known  Battle of Tullich  of February 10,
Read more

Robert Tannahill (1774-1810)

Image
Jessie, the Flower of Dunblane, Bury Art Museum, Thomas Faed (1825-1900)   Jessie the Flower o' Dunblane . Robert Tannahill, 1808   Jessie, the Flower of Dunblane  The Sun has gane down o'er the lofty Ben Lomond And left the red clouds to reside o'er the scene While lanely I stray in the calm simmer gloamin' To muse on sweet Jessie, the flow'r o' Dunblane. How sweet is the brier wi' its saft faulding blossom And sweet is the birk wi' its mantle o' green But sweeter and fairer and dear to this bosom Is charming young Jessie, the flow'r o' Dunblane. Is charming young Jessie, is charming young Jessie Is charming young Jessie, the flow'r o' Dunblane. She's modest as on-y and blythe as she's bonnie For guileless simplicity makes her its aim And far be the villain, divested of feeling Wha'd blight in its bloom, the sweet flow'r of Dunblane. Sing on, thou sweet mavis, thy hymn to the evening Thour't dear to th
Read more

Robert Burns

Image
Gilnockie Tower, being approached by border reivers from a 19th century print. Brackenhill Pele Tower, built in 1584 by Ritchie Graham. Hughie Graham " or " Hughie Graeme " is a border ballad collected by Robert Burns.There is a printed version in the Bodleian Library under the title "The Life and Death of Sir Hugh The Grime", dated between 1672 and 1696. The Burns version was printed in 1803. The story concerns Hughie Graham a infamous  border reiver . He is captured stealing the bishop's horse and sentenced to hang on the gallows. There are pleas made to ransom him which are rejected. In the last lines of the ballad he sends greetings to his father, and offers his sword to  Johnnie Armstrong , and a curse to his wife who he appears to blame for betraying him with the bishop. HUGHIE GRAME (Hughie the Graeme) The Laird o' Hume he's a huntin' gone Over the hills and mountains clear, And he has ta'en Sir Hugh the Grame
Read more