Lamkin
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"Lamkin" (Roud 6, Child 93) is an old ballad and probably one of the darkest. It gives an account of the murder of a woman and her infant son by a disgruntled mason. Versions of the ballad are found in Scotland, England, and America.
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[edit] An unpaid mason
In the most common version Lamkin, the stonemason, is hired by Lord Wearie to build him a castle. When it is complete, the Lord refuses to pay, saying he would have to sell his land to pay for the castle he had built on it. Wearie soon makes a trip across the sea, and Lamkin, with the aid of the Lord's nursemaid, takes his revenge on his family during his absence. He first attacks Lord Wearie's baby.
- Then Lamkin a' tane a sharp knife,
- That hang down by his gaire,
- And he has gien the bonny babe
- A deep wound and a sair.
This gets the attention of Lady Wearie, who offers gold and riches to Lamkin if he will spare the child's life. No rationale is ever given for the extreme measures Lamkin takes, nor why he refuses money at this stage, if his grievances were merely financial. It is speculated that some verses may be missing, although there is some evidence that the nurse may have had a long standing personal grudge, and played a more active role in the killings.
- "O sall I kill her, nourice,
- Or sall I lat her be?"
- "O kill her, kill her, Lamkin,
- For she neer was good to me."
Lord Wearie returns months later to find his wife and son dead, and Lamkin gloating over the deed.
- "And wha's blood is this' he says,
- 'That lies in my ha'?"
- "It is your young son'd heart's blood;
- 'T is the clearest ava."
Lamkin is hanged for his crimes, as he must have known he would be, again giving him no motive but the cruelest revenge. In some later version, the nurse is burnt at the stake, the punishment for petty treason.
[edit] A bogeyman
Other versions follow the same basic story, but the antagonist has many different names, among them "Balankin", "Lambert Linkin", "Rankin", "Long Lankyn", and "Lammikin". 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."
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, for no named purpose. This has led to speculation that Lamkin was a leper who sought to cure himself by bathing in the blood of an innocent.
[edit] Performances
The song has been recorded as "Long Lankin" on "But Two Came By" (1968) by Martin Carthy. Steeleye Span recorded it as "Long Lankin" on "Commoners Crown" (1975). Battlefield Band recorded it as "Long Johnnie Mor" on "At the Front" (1978). Dave Burland recorded "Lamkin" on his "You Can't Fool The Fat Man" (1979) with Nic Jones.
The song has also given its title to Long Lankin, a collection of short stories by John Banville
[edit] Other
Lamkin, manufacturer of golf grips
[edit] External links
- Lamkin, Child Ballad #93A, with variant texts
- Long Lankin by Reinhard Zierke, with remarks about the song from Martin Carthy and Dave Tomlinson.
- False Lamkin with history
