Sir James the Rose

puffin · Post by **puffin** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:52 pm

Does anyone know where the original of this folk tale and poem, Sir James the Rose, has originated some 1000 or so years ago ?

I have seen this in a 1943 book by Fenton Wyness, folk tales from the north east, and that version would place it around the time of the Thane of Buchan, ie long ago; but there seem to be other versions which hint that its origin might be spread a little wider around, with the mention of the Battle of Harlaw in one version and mention of Margaret, the Maid of Norway in another. These are a century or two apart, so hence the uncertainty.

Or is the answer lost in the mists of time ........

Hope some " time lord" might provide a definitive answer ?

thanks in advance

Puffin

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:03 pm

puffin wrote:Does anyone know where the original of this folk tale and poem, Sir James the Rose, has originated some 1000 or so years ago ?

I have seen this in a 1943 book by Fenton Wyness, folk tales from the north east, and that version would place it around the time of the Thane of Buchan, ie long ago; but there seem to be other versions which hint that its origin might be spread a little wider around, with the mention of the Battle of Harlaw in one version and mention of Margaret, the Maid of Norway in another. These are a century or two apart, so hence the uncertainty.

Or is the answer lost in the mists of time ........

Hope some " time lord" might provide a definitive answer ?
Puffin

Hullo Puffin!

It appears that we're short on "time lords" on TS.

I guess you'll just have to take your pick from the over 700 possibilities which a Google offers.

All the best
Catriona

puffin · Post by **puffin** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:03 pm

Thanks for your interest......it was the number of Google entries that overwhelmed me..... hence the search for a faster answer on this forum.....but as you say Time Lords appear to be in short supply on TalkingScot.com....... or perhaps they do not log in that often.

I am patient so still in hope that there is a quick and easy answer out there.

Puffin

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:27 pm

http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/14978

Hi Puffin
A lot of the goggled sites say that this ballad was written by Michael Bruce in 1869, I think a lot of these "traditional" ballads were written in the Victorian era.

Jim

puffin · Post by **puffin** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:40 pm

Thanks Jim...... you are now promoted to be the First Time Lord on this forum..... for speeding through the 700 google answers and finding what I had missed.

My interest in this subject resulted from my 2G grandfather, at 1881 census, living at Seatown to the East of the Loch of Strathbeg and in the vicinity of the scene of the action described in the folk tale.

Also on becoming a great uncle to a Matilda, born 30th September 2005,
so there is some romance in my trying to find the source of the folk tale.

many thanks

Puffin

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:15 pm

And wee Matilda May is my 1st cousin, twice removed !!, - is that the same as a grandniece !!, i.e grandchild of a cousin ??..............

David