“Molly Bawn (Shooting of His Dear)”

Description

Jimmy goes out hunting and shoots his true love (Molly, mistaking her for a swan). He is afraid of the law, but is told that the law will forgive him. At his trial Molly's ghost appears and explains the situation; the young man is freed

Notes

Darling compares this to the story of Cephalus and Procris. The standard version is supplied by Ovid in the Metamorphoses (VII.685 and following; it starts on page 174 of the Penguin edition translated by Mary M. Innes). First he tested her love in disguise, and she passed the test. But then she heard a rumor of his unfaithfulness, and set out to watch him. He heard her in hiding, without seeing her, and threw his javelin on the assumption that she was a wild beast. It killed her.

Incidentally, Michael Grant and John Hazel, _Gods and Mortals in Classical Mythology: A Dictionary_, article on Cephalus, thinks Ovid's version of the story may conflate legends of two different heroes named Cephalus. In any case, I don't see a particularly strong parallel to the ballad; yes, the hunter kills his lover, but the motivations are very different. - RBW

Broadside LOCSinging as111140: J. Andrews dating per _Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song_ by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 19(11), "Young Molly Bawn," J.F. Nugent & Co. (Dublin), 1850-1899; also 2806 b.11(131), "Young Molly Bawn"
• LOCSinging, as111140, "Polly Von Luther and Jamie Randall," J. Andrews (New York), 1853-1859

Recordings

• Louis Boutilier, "As Jimmie Went A-Hunting" (on MRHCreighton)
• Anne Briggs, "Polly Vaughan" (on Briggs1, Briggs3)
• Packie Manus Byrne, "Molly Bawn" (on Voice06)
• Sara Cleveland, "Molly Bawn" (on SCleveland01)
• Seamus Ennis, "Molly Bawn" (on Lomax42, LomaxCD1742)
• A. L. Lloyd, "Polly Vaughan" (on Lomax41, LomaxCD1741)
• John Maguire, "Molly Bawn Lowry" (on IRJMaguire01)
• Maggie Murphy, "Molly Bawn" (on IRHardySons)
• Pete Seeger, "Shoo Fly" (on PeteSeeger33, PeteSeegerCD03)
• Phoebe Smith, "Molly Vaughan" (on Voice03)

References

1. Laws O36, "Molly Bawn (Shooting of His Dear)"
2. Randolph 54, "Molly Vaughn" (3 texts plus 2 fragments and 1 excerpt, 1 tune)
3. Eddy 77, "Mollie Vaughn (Polly Band)" (1 text)
4. Gardner/Chickering 14, "Molly Baun" (2 texts, 1 tune)
5. Linscott, pp. 274-276, "Polly Van" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Karpeles-Newfoundland 26, "Shooting of His Dear" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. Creighton-Maritime, p. 111, "As Jimmie Went A-Hunting" (1 text, 1 tune)
8. BrownII 76, "Molly Bawn" (1 text plus a fragment)
9. Scarborough-SongCatcher, p. 117, "Molly Vaughn" (1 text, properly titled "The Death of Molly Bender," with very peculiar orthography; it looks like it came from a semi-literate manuscript but is said to be from a field recording)
10. Chappell-FSRA 57, "Polly Bond" (1 fragment)
11. SharpAp 50, "Shooting of His Dear" (6 texts, 6 tunes)
12. Hudson 32, pp. 145-146, "Shooting of His Dear" (2 texts)
13. Leach, pp. 700-701, "Molly Bawn" (1 text)
14. Friedman, p. 26, "Molly Bawn" (1 text)
15. PBB 92, "Young Molly Ban" (1 text)
16. McNeil-SFB1, pp. 96-97, "Molly Van" (1 text, 1 tune)
17. Meredith/Anderson, p. 196, "Molly Baun Lavery" (1 text, 1 tune)
18. Hodgart, p. 206, "Young Molly Ban" (1 text)
19. SHenry H114, p. 143, "Molly Bawn Lowry" (1 text, 1 tune)
20. OLochlainn 29, "Young Molly Ban" (1 text, 1 tune)
21. Morton-Maguire 1, pp. 1-2,99,154-155, "Molly Bawn Lowry" (1 text, 1 tune)
22. Kennedy 330, "Polly Vaughan" (2 text, 1 tune)
23. JHCox 102, "Mollie Vaughn" (3 texts, 1 tune)
24. LPound-ABS, 33, pp. 78-79, "Mollie Bond" (1 text)
25. Darling-NAS, pp. 133-134, "Molly Bawn"; "Molly Bander" (2 texts)
26. DT 308, POLLYVON POLLVON1 POLLVON2
27. ADDITIONAL: Kathleen Hoagland, editor, One Thousand Years of Irish Poetry (New York, 1947), p. 304, "Young Molly Bawn" (1 short text)
28. Roud #166
29. BI, LO36