The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

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Child's Ballads/40

"The Queen of Elfan's Nourice" or "The Queen of Elfland's Nourice" is Child ballad number 40,^[1] although fragmentary in form.^[2]

Synopsis

A mortal woman laments being taken from her four-day-old son. The Queen of Elfland promises that if she nurses the queen's child, she will be returned. The Queen then points out their path: the road to Elfland, rather than to Heaven or Hell.^[3]

Motifs

The path to Elfland appears to be taken from the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" rather than be a part of this tale.^[4]

The plot of the ballad revolves about a common piece of folklore, the taking of human woman to Elfland to nurse fairy babies;^[5] women were often regarded as being in particular danger of being taken by the fairies immediately after giving birth.^[6]

This ballad was one of 25 traditional works included in Ballads Weird and Wonderful (1912) and illustrated by Vernon Hill.^[7]

References

^ Francis James Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, "The Queen of Elfan's Nourice"
^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 358, Dover Publications, New York 1965
^ Waltz, Robert B.; Engle, David G. (2012). "The Queen of Elfan's Nourice". Folklore The Traditional Ballad Index: An Annotated Bibliography of the Folk Songs of the English-Speaking World. California State University, Fresno. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 358, Dover Publications, New York 1965
^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1, p 358-9, Dover Publications, New York 1965
^ Carole B. Silver, Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness, p 167 ISBN 0-19-512199-6
^ Chope, R.P. (1912). "Willy's Lady". Ballads Weird and Wonderful. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 2017-11-19.

External links

The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

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Monk Robin Hood and the Pedlars Robin Hood and the Potter Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon Robin Hood and the Ranger Robin Hood and the Scotchman Robin Hood and the Shepherd Robin Hood and the Tanner Robin Hood and the Tinker Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight Robin Hood Newly Revived Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly Robin Hood's Birth, Breeding, Valor, and Marriage Robin Hood's Chase Robin Hood's Death Robin Hood's Delight Robin Hood's Golden Prize Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham Robyn and Gandeleyn The Rose of England Rose the Red and White Lily Saint Stephen and Herod Sheath and Knife Sir Cawline Sir James the Rose Sir Patrick Spens The Suffolk Miracle The Sweet Trinity Sweet William's Ghost Tam Lin Thomas o Yonderdale Thomas the Rhymer The Three Ravens Tom Potts A True Tale of Robin Hood The Twa Brothers The Twa Magicians The Twa Sisters The Unquiet Grave Walter Lesly The Wee Wee Man The West Country Damosel's Complaint The White Fisher The Whummil Bore The Wife of Usher's Well The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin Will Stewart and John Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter Willie and Lady Maisry Willie o Douglas Dale Willie o Winsbury Willie's Fatal Visit Willie's Lady Willie's Lyke-Wake The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie Young Andrew Young Beichan Young Benjie The Young Earl of Essex's Victory over the Emperor of Germany Young Hunting Young Johnstone Young Peggy Young Ronald Young Waters
Operas	Il pesceballo
Related	List of the Child Ballads Percy Folio "The Crabfish"

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The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

Synopsis

Motifs

See also

References

External links