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Young Tam Lin, or Tamlane (Молодец Тэм Лин, или Тэмлейн). Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Young Tam Lin, or Tamlane

The subject of the ballad 'Young Tarn Lin', of which there are many versions, both in the Border country and in Aberdeenshire. It is perhaps the most important of all the supernatural ballads because of the many fairy beliefs incorporated in it. The fullest version is No.39A in Child's The English and Scottish Popular Ballads.

At the beginning the king warns the maidens in his court not to go to Carterhaugh Wood, which is haunted by Young Tarn Lin who exacts a pledge from every maiden who visits it, most likely her maidenhood. In spite of his warning his own daughter Janet goes to the well of Carterhaugh, summons Young Tam Lin by plucking a rose, and loses her maidenhood to him. The rest of the ballad is so vivid and so full of important detail that it would be a pity only to summarize it.

Janet has kilted her green kirtle

A little aboon her knee,

And she has broded her yellow hair

A little aboon her bree,

And she's awa to Carterhaugh

As fast as she can hie.

When she came to Carterhaugh

Tam Lin was at the well,

And there she fand his steed standing,

But away was himsel.

She had na pu'd a double rose,

A rose but only twa,

Till upon then started young Tam Lin,

Says, Lady, thou's pu nae mae.

Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,

And why breaks thou the wand?

Or why comes thou to Carterhaugh

Withoutten my command?

"Carterhaugh, it is my own,

My daddy gave it me,

I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh,

Библиография из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Избранные книги, процитированные и использованные в работе над «Эльфийским словарем» К.Бриггс

Aarne, Antti, The Types of the Folktale: A Classification and Bibliography, translated and enlarged by Stith Thompson, second revision. Folklore Fellows Communications No. 184, Helsinki, 1961.
(Аарне, Антти, «Типы народной сказки: классификация и библиография»)

Agricola, Georgius, De animantis subterranibus. Bâle, 1651.
(Агрикола, Георгий, «De animantis subterranibus»)

Allies, Jabez, On the Ancient British, Roman and Saxon Antiquities and Folk-Lore of Worcestershire. Marshall, London, 1840.
(Аллиз, Джабез, «О древне-британской, римской и саксонской старине и фольклоре Вустершира»)

Allingham, William, Rhymes for the Young Folk. Cassell, London, [1887].
(Аллингем, Уильям, «Стихи для молодежи»)

True Thomas. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

True Thomas

The 'Ballad of True Thomas', which Child included in his collections as No.37A, tells part of the story of Thomas Rymour of Erceldoune, most commonly called Thomas The Rhymer (this entry outlines his whole story). Whether or not such a character as Merlin ever existed as a real man, it is certain that Thomas Rymour of Erceldoune was an historic personage living in the 13th century. But much more important than his existence is his reputation as a prophet, which endured until the 19th century. The ballad, which tells of his meeting with the Queen of Elfland and his visit to that country, is founded on a 14th century romance which can be read in Carew Hazlitt's Fairy Tales, Legends and Romances Illustrating Shakespeare. The ballad, which was not collected until the 19th century, tells the story more tersely and vividly, without the series of prophecies appended to the Romance.

True Thomas lay oer yond grassy bank,

   And he beheld a ladie gay,

A ladie that was brisk and bold,

   Come riding oer the fernie brae.

Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,

   Her mantel of the velvet fine,

At ilka tett of her horse’s mane

   Hung fifty silver bells and nine.

True Thomas he took off his hat,

   And bowed him low down till his knee:

“All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!

   For your peer on earth I never did see.”

“O no, O no, True Thomas,” she says,

Fairy Widower. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Fairy Funerals. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Fairy Funerals

Эльфийские похороны

В «Биографиях великих художников Британии» (с.228-229) Аллан Каннингхэм пишет, как Уильям Блэйк рассказывал, что видел эльфийские похороны.

— Вы видели когда-нибудь похороны эльфа, мадам? — спросил Блейк у дамы, которая оказалась рядом с ним.

— Никогда, сэр! — отвечала та.

— А я видел, — сказал Блейк, — прошлой же ночью.

И он принялся рассказывать о том, как в собственном саду он видел «процессию существ ростом и цветом напоминавших зеленых и серых кузнечиков, которые несли на розовом лепестке мертвое тело, и схоронили его с песнопениями, а потом исчезли.

Fairy crafts. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Fairy Market or Fair. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Fairy Market or Fair

Эльфийская ярмарка, или рынок

Самая знаменитая из эльфийских ярмарок проводилась в Сомерсете в Блэкдауне, близ Питминстера. Впервые ее подробно описывает Бове в своем «Пандемониуме, или Чертовой обители» (с.207). Это описание цитирует Кейтли:

Иногда они будто бы танцевали, а иногда устраивали большой рынок, или ярмарку. Я потрудился поинтересоваться у соседей, насколько можно верить тому, что рассказывают о них, и многие из окрестных жителей подтвердили эти рассказы.

Место, в котором они обыкновенно показывались, находилось на склоне холма, именуемого Черной Горкой, между приходами Питтминстер и Честонфорд, в нескольких милях от Таунтона. Те, кому доводилось путешествовать в тех местах, видели их часто как маленьких мужчин и женщин, ростом обычно меньше самого низкого человеческого роста. Одежды их были красные, голубые или зеленые, того покроя, что носили на селе в старину; на головах они носили высокие колпаки.

Whuppity Stoorie. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Whuppity Stoorie

The liveliest of the Scottish versions of 'Rumpelstiltskin', to be found in Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland. Chambers suggests that the name comes from the Scots 'stoor', meaning dust, and is inspired by the swirl of dust in which the fairies are supposed to travel. He also mentions that in another version the name for the fairy is 'Fittletot'. Rhys points out that the names of many of these
Tom Tit Tot fairies end in 'Tot', 'Trot' or other similar suffixes.

The Gudewife of Kittlerumpit had lost her man, — they thought he was pressed for the sea, — and she had nothing to care for but a wee lad bairn still sucking and a muckle big soo that was soon to farrow, and she hoped for a big litter. But one fine morning she went round the hoose to the stye and poured the swill out in the trough, and there was the soo grainin' and gruntin' like one at death's door. She called and she coaxed, but never a stir was in it, and at last she sat down at the knockin' stane at her door, and she burst oot greetin'. And as she grat and roared she saw an old, queer-like leddy in green coming up the brae to her housie, which was on a hill with a green wood behind it. She had a long staff in her hand and there was something aristocratical aboot her, and when she got near the gudewife rose up and gave her a curchie and she says —

'Oh yir leddyship, I'm the maist waefulest woman in the world, and there's nane to help me.'

Fairy Trees. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Fairy Trees

Nearly all trees have some sacred association from very early times, but some are more sacred than others. There is the magical trilogy of Oak and Ash and Thorn. There are the fruit-bearing trees, especially Apple and Hazel; there are Rowan, Holly and Willow, Elder and Alder. Some trees seem to be regarded as having a personality of their own, and some are more specifically a haunt of fairies or spirits.

Most people would probably think first of an oak as a sacred tree, worshipped by the Druids, and it is strong enough certainly to stand in its own right, though everyone knows the couplet,

Fairy folks

Are in old oaks,

and many oak coppices are said to be haunted by the sinister oakmen.

Hawthorn has certain qualities of its own, but it is primarily thought of as a tree sacred to or haunted by the fairies. This is especially so ofsolitary
thorns growing near fairy hills, or of a ring of three or more hawthorns. White may in blossom was supposed to bring death into the house, and although it was brought round on May Morning it was hung up outside.

Ruth Tongue collected a folk-song in Somerset whose chorus illustrates the popular belief about three very different trees:

Ellum do grieve,

Oak he do hate,

Willow do walk

If you travels late.

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