>
Sandy Denny >
Songs >
Fotheringay: Eppie Moray
>
Trevor Lucas >
Songs >
Fotheringay: Eppie Moray
Eppie Moray / Eppie Morrie
[
Roud 2583
; Child 223
; Ballad Index C223
; Mudcat 3049
; trad.]
The Oxford Book of Ballads The Singing Island Thee Penguin Book of English Folk Songs
Jimmy McBeath from Banffshire sang Eppie Morrie to Alan Lumax in c. 1951-53. This recording was included in 2000 on the Rounder anthology Classic Ballads of Britain and Ireland Volume 2.
Ewan MacColl sang the North-east Scottish abduction ballad Eppie Moray in 1956 on his and A.L. Lloyd's Riverside album The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume I. This and most of his other ballads from this series were re-issued in 2009 on his Topic CD Ballads: Murder·Intrigue·Love·Discord.
Fotheringay recorded Eppie Moray for their second album which was never finished due to the band's break-up. They recorded it too on two BBC Radio 1 sessions: on 12 November 1970 for “Folk on the BBC” and on 15 November 1970 for “Sound of the Seventies”, both with Trevor Lucas and Sandy Denny singing. At these sessions they also recorded Bold Jack Donahue, Gypsy Davey, Lowlands of Holland and Wild Mountain Thyme.
After a long time of being available on bootlegs only, in 2008 Fledg'ling Records published Eppie Moray from Fotheringay's 1970 Sound Techniques studio recordings on the Fotheringay 2 CD.
Sìleas (Patsy Seddon and Mary Macmaster) sang Eppie Morrie in 1986 on their album Delighted with Harps. They noted:
This ballad comes from the North-east of Scotland.
A Highlander abducts an heiress and tries to force her to marry him. When she refuses in front of the minister he carries her off and tries to rape her. She successfully fights him off and in the morning scornfully demands a horse so that she may ride home to her mother “a maiden as she cam”.
The melody was transmitted to Ewan MacColl by William Miller.
Ceolbeg sang Eppie Moray in 2000 on their Greentrax CD Cairn Water. They noted:
The vintage of this ballad is unknown, other than it being post-Reformation. It is however the sexual politics in the storyline which sets it apart from traditional ballad values. Judge for yourself!
Isla St Clair sang Eppie Morrie on her 2000 CD Murder & Mayhem. She explained:
Twenty four Highlanders kidnap Eppie Morrie for Willie, their leader, to marry. Eppie Morrie refuses to submit to his desires, so Willie attempts to rape her but she defends herself successfully throughout the night. In the morning she is rescued, still a maiden, and after scorning Willie returns to her true love.
Corrina Hewat released her Foot Stompin' single The Ballad of Eppie Moray in 2005.
Janet Russell sang Eppie Morrie in 2008 on her Harbourtown CD Love Songs and Fighting Talk. She noted:
Another song I've known and liked for many years, and it's a good time to acknowledge the common practice of forced marriage in our not so distant past, with this song of triumphant fight back.
The Shee sang Eppie Morrie in 2010 on their CD Decadence.
More Maids sang Eppie Morrie on their 2011 CD III.
This video shows the Fiddle Folk Family singing Eppie Morrie on their 2011 DVD Ungeschieden, ungekämmt, ungesehen:
Jim Moray sang Eppie Moray in 2016 on his CD Upcetera. He commented in his sleeve notes:
The tune appears to come from William Miller, via his son Ewan MacColl who popularised it. I'm compiled and anglicised the words from several sources.
James Wilson sang Eppie Moray in 2018 on the Wilson & Swarbrick CD Kailyard Tales.
Lyrics
Ceolbeg sing Eppie Moray | Fotheringay sing Eppie Moray |
---|---|
Four and twenty Heilan men |
Four-and-twenty Highland men |
Then oot its cam her mither then, |
Then out it came her mither for |
Haud awa fae me, Mither, |
Hold away from me, mither, |
They’ve taken Eppie Moray then |
They've taken Eppie Moray, |
Willie’s taen his pistol oot |
[ Then Willie he's taken his pistol out |
Haud awa fae me, Willie, |
Hold away from me, Willie, |
Haud awa fae me, guid sir, | |
They’ve taken Eppie Moray then, |
They've taken Eppie Moray then, |
Then mass was sung and bells were rung |
Then mass was sung and bells were rung |
He’s taen the sark fae off his back |
He's taken the sark from off his back |
Haud awa fae me Willie, |
Hold away from me, Willie, |
He’s kissed her on the lily breist |
He's kissed her on the lily breast |
Haud awa fae me Willie, | |
A’ through the nicht they warstled |
All through the night they wrestled there |
Then early in the mornin, | |
Get up get up young woman | |
Weary fa ye Willie then |
Weary fa' you, Willie, then, |
Haud awa fae me lady, |
Go away from me, Lady, |
Gae get tae me a horse, Willie, |
Go fetch me a horse, |