Young Beichan
Encyclopedia
"Young Beichan" is a ballad, which with a number of variants and names such as "Lord Baker", "Lord Bateman", and "Young Bekie", was collected by Francis James Child
in the late nineteenth century, and is included in the Child ballad as number 53 (Roud
40).
He does not return. She sets out after him — in some variants, because warned by a household spirit, Belly Blin, that he is about to marry — and arrives as he is marrying another
. In some variants, he is constrained to marry; often he is fickle. His porter tells him of a woman at his gate, and he instantly realizes it is the woman who rescued him. He sends his new bride home and marries her.
This ballad is also known in Norse, Spanish, and Italian variants.
A Scandavian variant, "Harra Pætur & Elinborg", the hero set out on a pilgrimage, after asking the heroine, his betrothed, how long she would wait for him; she says, eight years. After the eight years, she sets out and the rest of the ballad is the same, except that Paetur has a reason for his fickleness: he was magically made to forget.
The motif of a hero magically made to forget his love and remembering her on her appearance is common; it may even have been dropped from "Young Beichan", as the hero always returns to the heroine with a promptness of an enchantment breaking. Other folktales with this motif include Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter
, The Two Kings' Children
, The Master Maid
, Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa
, Snow-White-Fire-Red
, The True Bride
, and Sweetheart Roland
.
visited Brigg and used a wax cylinder recording machine to make two recordings of this song. One was by Joseph Taylor (born 1832) and another by a "Mr Thompson". They are among the earliest known recordings of folk songs.
It was recorded by:
Francis James Child
Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry...
in the late nineteenth century, and is included in the Child ballad as number 53 (Roud
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
40).
Synopsis
Beichan is born in London but travels to far lands. He is taken prisoner, with different captors appearing in different variations, usually being a Moor, though sometimes the king of France after Beichan fell in love with his daughter. Lamenting his fate, Beichan promises to be a son to any married woman who will rescue him, or a husband to an unmarried one. The daughter of his captor rescues him, and he leaves, promising to marry her.He does not return. She sets out after him — in some variants, because warned by a household spirit, Belly Blin, that he is about to marry — and arrives as he is marrying another
False hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By...
. In some variants, he is constrained to marry; often he is fickle. His porter tells him of a woman at his gate, and he instantly realizes it is the woman who rescued him. He sends his new bride home and marries her.
Variants
A Scandavian variant, "Harra Pætur & Elinborg", the hero set out on a pilgrimage, after asking the heroine, his betrothed, how long she would wait for him; she says, eight years. After the eight years, she sets out and the rest of the ballad is the same, except that Paetur has a reason for his fickleness: he was magically made to forget.
The motif of a hero magically made to forget his love and remembering her on her appearance is common; it may even have been dropped from "Young Beichan", as the hero always returns to the heroine with a promptness of an enchantment breaking. Other folktales with this motif include Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter
Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter
Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter is a French fairy tale collected by Achille Millien.The fable is classed as Aarne-Thompson type 313 and revolves about a transformation chase. Others of this type include The Water Nixie, The Foundling-Bird, The Master Maid, and The Two Kings'...
, The Two Kings' Children
The Two Kings' Children
The Two Kings' Children is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales, tale number 113.It is Aarne-Thompson type 313C, the girl helps the hero flee, and type 884, the forgotten fiancée...
, The Master Maid
The Master Maid
The Master Maid is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. "Master" indicates "superior, skilled." Jørgen Moe wrote the tale down from the storyteller Anne Godlid in Seljord on a short visit in the autumn of 1842.It is...
, Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa
Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa
Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa or Anthousa the Fair with Golden Hair is a Greek fairy tale collected by Georgios A. Megas in Folktales of Greece. Other variants were collected by Michalis Meraklis and Anna Angelopoulou....
, Snow-White-Fire-Red
Snow-White-Fire-Red
Snow-White-Fire-Red is an Italian fairy tale collected by Thomas Frederick Crane in Italian Popular Tales.-Synopsis:A king and queen made a vow that, if they had a child, they would make one fountain run with oil and another with wine. The queen gave birth to a son, and they set up the fountains...
, The True Bride
The True Bride
The True Bride or The True Sweetheart is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales as tale 186.It combines two Aarne-Thompson types: 510, the persecuted heroine, and 884, the forsaken fiancée...
, and Sweetheart Roland
Sweetheart Roland
Sweetheart Roland is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 56.It combines several Aarne-Thompson types: type 1119, Ogres Kill Their Own Children; type 313C, the girl helps the hero flee; and type 884, the forgotten fiancée. Others of the second type include The Master Maid,...
.
Recordings
In 1908 Percy GraingerPercy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
visited Brigg and used a wax cylinder recording machine to make two recordings of this song. One was by Joseph Taylor (born 1832) and another by a "Mr Thompson". They are among the earliest known recordings of folk songs.
It was recorded by:
- Jean RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
on "British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains - Child Ballads, Vol 1" (1961) - Ewan MacCollEwan MacCollEwan MacColl was an English folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer. He was married to theatre director Joan Littlewood, and later to American folksinger Peggy Seeger. He collaborated with Littlewood in the theatre and with Seeger in folk music...
on "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (Child Ballads) - Vol. 2" (1964) (as "Young Beichan") - Peter BellamyPeter BellamyPeter Franklyn Bellamy was an English folk singer. He was a founding member of The Young Tradition but also had a long solo career, recording numerous albums and touring folk clubs and concert halls...
on "The Fox Jumped Over The Parson's Gate" (1969) - New Lost City RamblersNew Lost City RamblersThe New Lost City Ramblers is a contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the Folk Revival. The founding members of the Ramblers, or NLCR, are Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley...
on "Remembrance of Things to Come" (1966) - Nic JonesNic JonesNicolas Paul "Nic" Jones is an English folk singer, fingerstyle guitarist and fiddle player whose professional career spanned the years 1964-1982. He recorded five solo albums, and was a frequent guest performer.-Biography:...
on "Nic Jones" (1971) - PlanxtyPlanxtyPlanxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
on "Words and Music" (1983) (as "Lord Baker") - Broadside ElectricBroadside ElectricBroadside Electric are an American electric folk band from Philadelphia. Formed in 1990, they are still active in 2011...
on More Bad News ...More Bad News ...More Bad News ... is the title of the third album by Broadside Electric. It was released on June 18, 1996 in the United States. Currently out of print, it has recently become available once again via several popular online music retailers.-Track listing:...
(1996) (as "Lord Bateman") - June TaborJune TaborJune Tabor is an English folk singer.- Early years :June Tabor was inspired to sing by hearing Anne Briggs' EP Hazards of Love in 1965. "I went and locked myself in the bathroom for a fortnight and drove my mother mad. I learned the songs on that EP note for note, twiddle for twiddle. That's how I...
on "On Air" (1998) - Susan McKeownSusan McKeownSusan McKeown is an Irish songwriter, folk singer and producer.-Early years:Susan McKeown was born on February 6, 1967 to John Ryan and Jane Ann McKeown in Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. She was greatly influenced by her mother, an organist and composer who died in 1982...
on LowlandsLowlands (Susan McKeown album)Lowlands is an album by Irish songwriter, and folk singer Susan McKeown, released in 2000.The tracks on this album present an array of styles, including African, Appalachian, Middle Eastern and Irish. "Lord Baker" is often heard as fragment of a ballad, but here McKeown has included the full story,...
(2000) (as "Lord Baker") - Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
on Sean-Nós NuaSean-Nós NuaSean-Nós Nua is the sixth full-length album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. It consists of traditional Irish songs, the title meaning "new old-style".The album sold 225,000 copies worldwide.-Track listing:#"Peggy Gordon" – 5:45...
(2002) (as "Lord Baker") - Jim MorayJim MorayJim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.-Recording artist:While studying classical composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Moray released the home-recorded I Am Jim Moray EP. During 2002 he appeared at the Glastonbury festival and the Cambridge Folk...
on "Sweet England" (2003) (as "Lord Bateman") - Chris WoodChris Wood (folk musician)Chris Wood is an English folk musician and composer who plays fiddle, viola and guitar, and sings. He is an ardent enthusiast for traditional English dance music , including Morris and other rituals and ceremonies, but his repertoire also includes much French folk music and traditional Québécois...
on "The Lark Descending" (2005) - John Kirkpatrick on "Make No Bones" (2007)