Summary
A maiden travels to the forbidden woods of Carter Hall to pick flours, whereby she summons Tam Lin, with whom she argues over ownership of the land. He ravages her, and she demands to know who he is. He tells her his story, how he as captured by the Queen of faeries and is doomed to be sacrificed unless she can save him. She follows his instructions, waiting in the dark and pulling him from his horse among the faerie troop, and holding onto him as he transforms. The Queen of faeries is angered but she successfully saves him.
Tam Lin
- Oh, I forbid you maidens all
That wear gold in your hair
To come or go by Carter Hall
For young Tam Lin is there - If you go by Carter Hall
You must leave him a wad
Either your rings or green mantle
Or else your maidenhead - She's away on gravel green
And oh the gravel brown
She's away to Carter Hall
To flour herself a gown - She had not pulled a rosy rose
A rose but barely one
When by came this brisk young man
Says, lady let alone - How dare you pull my rose, Madam?
How dare you break my tree?
How dare you come to Carter Hall
Without the leave of me? - Well may I pull the rose, she said
Well may I break the tree
For Carter Hall it my father's
I'll ask no leave of thee.
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall - He's taken her by the milk-white hand
And there he's laid her down
And there he asked no leave of her
As she lay on the ground. - Oh tell me, tell me, then she said
Oh tell me who art thee
My name it is Tam Lin, he said
And this is my story - As it fell out upon a day
A-hunting I did ride
There came a wind out of the north
And pulled me betide - And drowsy, drowsy as I was
The sleep upon me fell
The Queen of Fairies she was there
And took me to herself
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall - At the end of every seven years
They pay a tithe to Hell
And I'm so fair and full of flesh
I'm feared 'twill be myself - Tonight it is good Halloween
The fairy court will ride
And if you would your true love win
At Miles Cross, you must bide
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall
Oh, in Carter Hall, in Carter Hall - Gloomy was the night
And eerie was the way
This lady in her green mantle
To Miles Cross she did go - With the holy water in her hand
She cast the compass round
At twelve o'clock the fairy court
Came riding o'er the mound - First came by the black steed
And then came by the brown
Then Tam Lin on the milk-white steed
With a gold star in his crown - She's pulled him down into her arms
And let the bridle fall
The Queen of Fairy she cried out
Young Tam Lin is away - They've shaped him in her arms
Into an roaring snake
She's held him fast and feared him not
To be her lovely mate - They've shaped him in her arms again
Fire burning bold
She's held him fast and feared him not
Till he was iron cold - They've shaped him in her arms
To a wood black beast so wild
She's held him fast and feared him not
The father of her child - They've shaped him in her arms at last
Into a naked man
She's wrapped him in the green mantle
And knew that she had him won - The Queen of Fairies she cried out
Young Tam Lin is away - Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin
Long before, long before you came from home
Had I known, I would have taken out your heart
And put in a heart of stone - Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin
That a lady, a lady would steal thee
Had I known, I would have taken out your eyes
And put into a rowan tree - Had I known, had I known, Tam Lin
That I would lose, that I would lose the day
Had I known, I would have paid my tithe to hell
Before you'd been won away
Version Notes
This version comes to me by way of Reinhard Zierke, who runs The Steeleye Span page
Added to site: September 1997