The Bonny Earl of Murray

"The Bonny Earl of Murray" is a popular Scottish ballad, probably written as far back as the 17th century, and has been catalogued as Child Ballad No. 181. [See the detailed treatment in Edward D. Ives's "The Bonny Earl of Murray: the man, the murder, the ballad" (University of Illinois Press, 1997)]

The ballad touches on a true story stemming from the rivalry of James Stewart, Earl of Murray (or Moray), and the Earl of Huntly, in 1592. The exact circumstances that led to Murray's murder by Huntly are not known for certain, but in his notes on the ballad Francis James Child relates how Huntly, eager to prove that Murray was plotting with the Earl of Bothwell against King James VI, received a commission to bring Murray to trial. In the attempt to apprehend Murray, a sheriff was killed and Murray's castle was set afire. He fled, but was hunted down and killed at Donibristle in Fife. Murray's last words, according to the (probably apocryphal) story, deserve special mention. Huntly slashed him across the face with his sword, and as he lay dying Murray said "Ye hae spoilt a better face than yer ain" (You have spoiled a better face than your own). The killing was very widely condemned, a painting was made of Murray's dead body, showing his multiple wounds, with the words "God avenge my cause".

The king's reaction in the ballad does not condone Huntly's action:

:"Now wae be to thee, Huntly!:And wherefore did you sae?:I bade you bring him wi you,:But forbade you him to slay."

Nevertheless, the king did not punish Huntly, and some believe the king was complicit in the murder. The ballad, which praises Murray as "a braw gallant", was most likely composed by his supporters. It is possible that the clear inclusion of the king's condemnation of Huntly's acts (whether they were expressed by the king or not) was an effort to keep the ballad from being seen as treasonous. However, we can discount the ballad's claims that Murray was the Queen's lover, or that he might have become king.

It is from the first verse of "The Bonny Earl of Murray" that the term mondegreen, meaning misheard lyric, came into popular use.

:Ye Highlands, and ye Lawlands:Oh where have you been?:They have slain the Earl of Murray,:And layd him on the green.

The final two lines had been heard as "they have slain the Earl of Murray, and Lady Mondegreen." The American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term mondegreen in an essay "The Death of Lady Mondegreen," which was published in "Harper's Magazine" in November 1954.cite journal |journal= Harper's Magazine |title= The Death of Lady Mondegreen |author= Sylvia Wright |date=1954 |volume=209 |issue=1254 |pages=48–51 Drawings by Bernarda Bryson. Reprinted in: cite book | author = Sylvia Wright | title = Get Away From Me With Those Christmas Gifts | publisher = McGraw Hill | year = 1957 Contains the essays "The Death of Lady Mondegreen" and "The Quest of Lady Mondegreen."] In the essay, Wright described how, as a young girl, she misheard the final line from the ballad.

References

External links

* [http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/moray.html Text, tune and background]
* [http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/scottish-folk-music/001239.HTM Alternate text and tune]

ee also

*Scots language
*Mondegreen