The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

"The Queen of Elfan's Nourice" or "The Queen of Elfland's Nourice" is Child ballad number 40, [Francis James Child, "English and Scottish Popular Ballads", [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch040.htm "The Queen of Elfan's Nourice"] ] although fragmentary in form. [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 358, Dover Publications, New York 1965]

ynopsis

A mortal woman laments being taken from her four-day-old son. The Queen of Elfland promises that if she nurses the queen's child, she will be returned. The Queen then points out their path: the road to Elfland, rather than to Heaven or Hell.

Motifs

The path to Elfland appears to be taken from the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" rather than be a part of this tale. [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 358, Dover Publications, New York 1965]

The plot of the ballad revolves about a common piece of folklore, the taking of human woman to Elfland to nurse fairy babies; [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 358-9, Dover Publications, New York 1965] women were often regarded as being in particular danger of being taken by the fairies immediately after giving birth. [Carole B. Silver, "Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness", p 167 ISBN 0-19-512100-6]

References

External links

* [http://www.bartleby.com/243/7.html "The Queen of Elfan's Nourice"]


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