The point is, keels worked the river; but he's gone off to sea, voluntarily or (probably) otherwise, and died there.
John -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 31 October 2008 16:25 To: [email protected] Subject: [NSP] Re: "Maa Bonny Lad" Unless we're talking about a different version from the one that circulated a day or so ago, Yes I have seen your bonny lad, 'Twas on the sea I spied him. His grave is green but not wi' grass And you'll never lie beside him. means that he's drowned. Dru > Message Received: Oct 31 2008, 02:53 PM > From: "Gibbons, John" > To: "the Red Goblin" , "nsp" > Cc: > Subject: [NSP] Re: "Maa Bonny Lad" > > > Of course the 'ower long' in the printed text, probably sounded 'ower > lang', > so we don't fully lose the internal rhyme. > > I read this song as referring to a keelman being nabbed by a press gang > when he was on shore. > > If more verses had survived, the reading might be clearer. > > John > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: the Red Goblin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 31 October 2008 14:08 > To: nsp > Subject: [NSP] Re: "Maa Bonny Lad" > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Matt Seattle [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: 31 October 2008 10:54 > 8< snip > > My question is, is there a meaning apart from the obvious in the > > notion of the Keelman going "oe'r land" in this song and in the title > > of the pipe tune? > > Well, I can brainstorm 3 possibilities to get the ball rolling: > A: Walking from home to join a keel crew > B: Gone ashore to plant a mooring post > C: Returning home after death > > I'm assuming A was the obvious one. > > In support of B is the following line (in your ref. "He's gyen to moor > the > keel, O!"). Or, more strongly, in 'Bonnie Keel Laddie'* ("He's geane > ower > land, wiv a stick in his hand, T' help to moor the keel, o!"). But > contrariwise: > 1: It implies the questioner is already on board > 2: The question implies a longer time-span than such a task requires > > Finally, considering the 2nd verse's gloomy answer, C may even be a > reference to (primarily Celtic) beliefs about: > 1: Souls being unable to cross water > 2: The homeward routes taken by the souls of deceased warriors > according to whether they died bravely or ingloriously > (the oft-misinterpreted heavenly 'high road' vs. underground > 'low road' theme as embodied by the 'Loch Lomond' song) > Too fanciful ? Yeah, probably ! R&DFC > > Cheers, > Steve Collins > > * http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=9172 > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > --
