Folk Songs The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry Guitar Chord

The Great Silkie Of Sule Skerry by Folk Songs

This is Child Ballad No.113

“The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry” is one of numerous tales of
the Silkies, or seafolk, known to the inhabitants of the Orkney
Islands and the Hebrides. These enchanted creatures dwell in the
depth of the sea, occasionally doffing their seal skins to pass
on land as mortal men. Legend has it that they then accept human
partners, and some families on the islands actually trace their
ancestry to such marriages. In more complete versions of the
ballad, the Silkie’s forecast of the death of himself and his son
eventually come to pass.

Lyrics:
[G] An earthly [F] nurse sits and [G] sings,
And aye, she [C] sings by [D] lily [G] wean,
And [C] little ken [D] I my bairn’s [G] father,
Far [F] less the land where he [G] dwells in.

For he came on night to her bed feet,
And a grumbly guest, I’m sure was he,
Saying “Here am I, thy bairn’s father,
Although I be not comely.”

“I am a man upon the land,
I am a silkie on the sea,
And when I’m far and far frae land,
My home it is in Sule Skerrie.”

And he had ta’en a purse of gold
And he had placed it upon her knee,
Saying, “Give to me my little young son,
And take thee up thy nurse’s fee.”

“And it shall come to pass on a summer’s day,
When the sun shines bright on every stane,
I’ll come and fetch my little young son,
And teach him how to swim the faem.”

“And ye shall marry a gunner good,
And a right fine gunner I’m sure he’ll be,
And the very first shot that e’er he shoots
Will kill both my young son and me

VERSION 2?
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THE GREY SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY

In Norwa land, there lived a maid
Baloo, my babe, this maid began
I ken na where your faither is
Nor yet the land where he dwells in

It happened on a certain day
When this fair maiden fell asleep
That in there come a grey silkie
And sat him doon at her bed feet

Saying awake, awake, my bonnie maid
For o how soundly thou dost sleep
I'll tell thee where his faither is
He's sitting close at thy bed feet

I pray come tell tae me your name
And tell me where your dwellin be
My name it is Gud Hein Mailler
An I earn ma living oot tae sea

I am a man upon the land
I am a Silkie in the sea
And when I'm far frae every strand
My home it is in Sule Skerry

Alas, alas, this woeful fate
This weary fate that's been laid on me
That a man should a come frae the West o Hoy
Tae the Norwa lands tae ha a bairn wi me

My dear I'll wed ye wi a ring
Wi a ring ma dear, I'll wed wi ye
Thou may go wed wi whom thou wilt
I'm sure ye'll never wed wi me

Thou will nurse ma bonnie son
For seven long years upon your knee
And at the end o seven long years
I'll come and pay the nurse's fee

She has nursed her little wee son
For seven long years upon her knee
And at the end o seven long years
He's come back wi gold and white money

Ma dear I'll wed ye wi a ring
Wi a ring ma dear, I'll wed wi thee
Thou may go wed wi whom thou wilt
I'm sure ye'll never wed wi me


But I'll put a gold chain roond his neck
A gey good gold chain it will be
That if e'er he comes tae the Norwa lands
You can hae a good guess it is he

An You will get a gunner good
An a gey good gunner it will be
An he'll gae oot on a May morning
An shot the son an the grey silkie

An she had got a gunner good
An a gey good gunner, I'm sure twas he
An he gae'd oot on a May morning
An he shot the son and the grey silkie

Alas, alas, this woeful fate
This weary fate that's been laid on me
And ance or twice she sobbed and sighed
An her tender heart, it brak in three

Child #113
from the singing of Jean Redpath 


--
 [Silkies are] enchanted creatures, they dwell in the
  depths of the seas, but they occassionally come on land,
  after doffing their sealskins, and pass as ordinary men.
  Many families in the Scottish Islands trace their ancestry
  to Sealmen, and because of a totemic taboo, will not
  taste seal meat.