"Lamkin" or "Lambkin" (Roud 6, Child 93) is an English-language ballad. It gives an account of the murder of a woman and her infant son by a man, in some versions, a disgruntled mason, in others, a devil, bogeyman or a motiveless villain. Versions of the ballad are found in Scotland, England and the US.

According to Roud and Bishop (2012):

"Lambkin" is not one of the major league Child ballads in terms of popularity, but it was widely known in England and Scotland, and even more so in North America. ... The central character's name varies considerably, including, in just the English versions 'Lambkin', 'Lamkin', 'Lincoln', and 'Limkin', and he is various referred to as 'Long', 'Bold', 'Cruel' and 'False'.[1]

They cite the analysis of Anne Gilchrist, who identified two threads: one Scottish, which retained the mason narrative; one Northumbrian, which lost the mason in early versions, thus encouraging singers to supply a different back-story. Versions collected in England stem from the Northumbrian thread.[2]

A bogeyman

Other versions follow the same basic story, but the antagonist has many different names, among them "Long Lonkin",[3] "Balankin", "Lambert Linkin", "Rankin", "Long Lankyn", and "Lammikin".[4] Later versions lose the opening of the story, which explains that Lamkin is a mason who has not been paid; in these, Lamkin becomes a sort of a bogeyman who dwells in the wild places; the lord, before leaving, warns against him:

Says milord to milady as he mounted his horse,
"Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the moss."
Says milord to milady as he went on his way,
"Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the hay."[5]

These versions add peculiar incidents that add to the grisliness of the crime. Lamkin and the nursemaid collect the baby's blood in a basin which, along with the idea that the name Lamkin or Lammikin indicates the murderer was pale skinned[4] and, therefore, perhaps a leper who sought to cure himself by bathing in the blood of an innocent collected in a silver bowl, a medieval cure.[6]

Performances

In literature

The ballad, as Long Lonkin, was taken from a friend by Letitia Elizabeth Landon and published in her Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835.[13]

The song was referenced in the title of the short story collection, Long Lankin, by John Banville. The American poet Robert Lowell also referenced the song in the title of his Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poetry Lord Weary's Castle (1946). The song inspired the young-adult novel Long Lankin (2011) by Lindsey Barraclough.[14]

A sadistic character named Lankin appears as a member of the Fairy Queen's court in Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies.

Long Lankin appears in Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder's book Except The Queen.

References

  1. ^ Roud, Steve; Julia, Bishop (2012). The New Penguin Book of Folk Songs. Penguin. pp. 484–5. ISBN 978-0-141-19461-5.
  2. ^ "Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society" (1). 1932: 1–7. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Francis James Child (January 2003). The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Vol.2. Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486431468.
  4. ^ a b Mike Yates (11 November 2004). "More Blood on the Stairs: A 'New' Version of Lamkin".
  5. ^ "Lamkin / Long Lankin / Cruel Lincoln". /mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. ^ John DeWitt Niles (1977). "Lamkin: The Motivation of Horror". The Journal of American Folklore. 90 (355): 56. doi:10.2307/539020. JSTOR 539020.
  7. ^ "MRS. Lena Bare Turbyfill / I. G. Greer with MRS. I. G. Greer – Bolakins (Lamkin) / The Three Babes (Vinyl)". Discogs.
  8. ^ "Frank Proffitt Sings Folk Songs". Smithsonian Folk Ways Recordings. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  9. ^ Fire + Ice - Long Lankin on YouTube
  10. ^ Jim Moray - Long Lankin on YouTube
  11. ^ "Compositions". Fleur de Bray Soprano. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Lamkin: Versions & Variants Across the Northern Hemisphere, by Various Artists".
  13. ^ Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1834). "traditional". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835. Fisher, Son & Co.
  14. ^ "Long Lankin". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved 7 May 2018.