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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheAuldGrump" data-source="post: 2076266" data-attributes="member: 6957">And as a Pratchett fan I can tell you that Terry is closer to the origins of elfs than Tolkien...Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.Elves are terrific. They beget terror.True Thomas (Traditional)1. True Thomas lay on Huntlie bankA ferlie he spied with his e'eFor there he beheld a lady gayCome riding down by the Eildon Tree.2. Her skirt was of the grass green silkHer mantle of the velvet fineAt each tett of her horse's maneHung fifty silver bells and nine.3. True Thomas, he pulled off his capAnd louted low down to his kneeAll hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!For thy peer on earth I never did see.4. Oh no, oh no, Thomas, she saidThat name does not belong to meI am but the Queen of fair ElflandThat am hither come to visit thee.5. Harp and carp, Thomas, she saidHarp and carp along with meAnd if you dare to kiss my lipsSure of your body I will be.6. Betide me well, betide me woeThat weird shall never daunton meSyne he has kissed her rosy lipsAll underneath the Eildon Tree.7. Now, ye maun go with me, she saidTrue Thomas, ye maun go with meAnd ye maun serve me seven yearsThough weal and woe, as may chance to be.8. She mounted on her milk white steedShe's taken True Thomas up behindAnd aye whenever her bridle rangThe steed flew swifter than the wind.9. Oh they rode on, and further onThe steed gaed swifter than the windUntil they reached a desert wideAnd living land was left behind.10. For forty days and forty nightsThey wade through red blood to the knee,And he was neither sun nor moon,But heard the roaring of the sea.11. Light down, light down now, true ThomasAnd lean you head upon my kneeAbide and rest a little spaceAnd I will show you ferlies three.12. Oh, see you not yon narrow roadSo thick beset with thorn and briarsThat is the path of righteousnessThough after it but few enquire.13. And see you not that broad, broad roadThat lies across that lily levenThat is the path of wickednessThough some call it the road to Heaven.14. And see you not that bonnie roadThat winds about the fernie braeThat is the road to fair ElflandWhere thou and I this night maun gae.15. But Thomas, you must hold your tongueWhatever you may hear or seeFor if you speak word in Elfin landYou'll ne'er get back to you ain country.16. Then they came on to a garden greenAnd she pulled an apple frae a treeTake this for thy wages, True ThomasIt will give the tongue that can never lie.17. My tongue is my own, True Thomas saidA goodly gift you would give to meI neither dought to buy or sellAt fair or tryst where I may be.18. I dought neither speak to prince nor peerNor ask of grace from fair ladyNow hold thy peace, the lady saidFor as I say, so it must be.19. He has gotten a coat of the even clothAnd a pair of shoes of velvet greenAnd till seven years were gone and pastTrue Thomas on earth was never seen. Tam Lin (Traditional)1 0 I FORBID you, maidens a',That wear gowd on your hair,To come or gae by Carterbaugh,For young TaM Lin is there.2 There's nane that gaes by CarterhaughBut they leave him a wad,Either their rings, or green mantles,Or else their maidenhead.3 Janet has kilted her green kirtleA little aboon her knee,And she has broded her yellow hairA little aboon her bree,And she's awa to Carterhaugh,As fast as she can hie.4 When she came to CarterhaughTam Lin was at the well,And there she fand his steed standing,But away was himsel.5 She had na pu'd a double rose,A rose but only twa,Till up then started young Tam Lin,Says, Lady, thou's pa nae mae.6 Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,And why breaks thou the wand?Or why comes thou to CarterhaughWithoutten my command?7 'Carterhaugh, it is my ain,My daddie gave it me;I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh,And ask nae leave at thee.'                        8 Janet has kilted her green kirtleA little aboon her knee,And she has snooded her yellow hairA little aboon her bree,And she is to her father's ha,As fast as she can hie.9 Four and twenty ladies fairWere playing at the ba,And out then cam the fair Janet,Ance the flower amang them a'.10 Four and twenty ladies fairWere playing at the chess,And out then cain the fair Janet,As green as onie glass.11 Out then spak an auld grey knight,Lay oer the castle wa,And says, Alas, fair Janet, for theeBut we 'll be blamed a'.12 'Haud your tongue, ye auld fac'd knight,Some ill death may ye die!Father my bairn on whom I will,I 'II father nane on thee.'13 Out then spak her father dear,And he spak meek and mild;'And ever alas, sweet Janet,' he says,'I think thou gaes wi child.'14 'If that I gae wi child, father,Mysel maun bear the blame;There's neer a laird about your haShall get the bairn's name.15 'If my love were an earthly knight.As he's an elfin grey,I wad na gie my ain true-loveFor nae lord that ye hae.16 'The steed that my true-love rides onIs lighter than the wind;Wi siller he is shod before,Wi burning gowd behind.'17 Janet has kilted her green kirtleA little aboon her knee,And she has snooded her yellow hairA little aboon her bree,And she's awa to Carterhaugh,As fast as she can hie.18 When she cam to Carterhaugh,Tam Lin was at the well,And there she fand his steed standing,But away was himsel.19 She had na pu'd a double rose,A rose but only twa,Till up then started young Tam Lin,Says Lady, thou pu's nae mae.20 Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,Amang the groves sae green,And a' to kill the bonie babeThat we gat us between? As green as onie glass.21 '0 tell me, tell me, Tam Lin,' she says,'For's sake that died on tree,If eer ye was in holy chapel,Or christendom did see?'22 'Roxbrugh he was my grandfather,Took me with him to bide, And ance it fell upon a day That wae did me betide.    23 'And ance it fell upon a day,A cauld day and a snell,When we were frae the hunting come,That frae my horse I fell;The Queen o Fairies she caught me,In yon green hill to dwell.    24 'And pleasant is the fairy land,But, an eerie tale to tell,Ay at the end of seven yearsWe pay a tiend to hell;I am sae fair and fu o flesh,I 'm feard it be mysel.25 'But the night is Halloween, lady,The morn is Hallowday;Then win me, win me, an ye will,For weel I wat ye may.26 'Just at the mirk and midnight hourThe fairy folk will ride,And they that wad their true-love win,At Miles Cross they maun bide.'27 'But how shall I thee ken, Tam Lin,Or how my true-love know,Amang sac mony unco knightsThe llke I never saw?'28 '0 first let pass the black, lady,And syne let pass the brown,But quickly run to the milk-white steed,Pu ye his rider down.29 'For I'll ride on the milk-white steed,And ay nearest the town;Because I was an earthly knightThey gie me that renown.30 'My right hand will be glovd, lady,My heft hand will be bare,Cockt up shall my bonnet be,And kaimd down shall my hair,And thae's the takens I gie thee,Nae doubt I will be there.31 'They'll turn me in your arms, lady,Into an esk and adder;But hold me fast, and fear me not,I am your bairn's father.32 'They'll turn me to a bearAnd then a lion bold;But hold me fast, and fear me not,As ye shall love your child.33 'Again they 'll turn me in your armsTo a red het gaud of aim;But hold me fast, and fear me not,I'll do to you nae harm.34 'And last they 'll turn me in your armsInto the burning gleed;Then throw me into well water,0 throw me in wi speed.35 'And then I'll be your ain true-love,I'll turn a naked knight;Then cover me wi your green mantle,And cover me out o sight.'36 Gloomy, gloomy was the night,And eerie was the way,As fair Jenny in her green mantleTo Miles Cross she did gae.37 About the middle o the nightShe heard the bridles ring;This lady was as glad at thatAs any earthly thing.38 First she let the black pass by,And sync she let the brown;But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,And pu'd the rider down.39 Sae weel she minded whae he did say,And young Tam Lin did win;Syne coverd him wi her green mantle.As blythe 's a bird in spring.40 Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,Out of a bush o broom:'Them that has gotten young Tam LinHas gotten a stately groom.'41 Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,And an angry woman was she''Shame betide her ill-far'd face,And an ill death may she die,For she's taen awn the boniest knightIn a' my compnnie.42 'But had I kend, Tam Lin,' she says,'What now this night I see,I wad hae taen out thy twa grey een,And put in twa een o tree.'The Elphin Knight (Traditional)There were three sisters fair and bright.Over the hill, and far away.And they three loved an elphin knight.The cold wind blows my plaid away.The eldest sister let him in.Over he hills and far away.And barred the door with a silver pin.The cold wind blows my plaid away.The second sister made his bed.Over the hills and far away.And laid soft pillows down for his head.The cold wind blows my plaid away.The youngest sister fair and bright.Over the hill and far away.Vowed she'd wed the elphin knight.The cold wind blows my plaid away.If you should do me favors three.Over the hill and far away.Then my dear I'll marry thee.The cold wind blows thy plaid away.Make for me a cambric shirt.Over the hill and far away.Without any seams, or needle work.The cold wind blows thy plaid away.Wash it then in yon spring well.Over the hill and far away.Where water nor rain, nor yet the rain fell.The cold wind blows thy plaid away.Hang it then on lone hawthorneOver the hill love and far away.Where sun never shone since Adam was born.The cild wing blows they plaid away.If I should do these favors three.Over the hill and far away.Three favors in turn thou must do me.The cold wind blows my plaid away.Find for me an acre of landOver the hill love and far away.Between the salt water and the sea strand.The cold wind blows my plaid away.Plow it with thine blowing horn.Over the hill and far away.And sow it with one barleycorn.The cold wind blows my plaid away.Reap it with a sickle of leather.Over the hill and far away.And bind it up with a peacock feather.The cold wind blows my plaid away.My curse on she who learned thee!Over the hill and far away.For I've a wife and babies three!The cold wind blows thy plaid away.My maidenhead I'll keep then still.Over the hill and far away.Let elphin knights do what they will.The cold wind blows thy plaid away.The Auld Grump</blockquote>

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