Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
The Devil and the Maid / Blaw, Ye Winds, Blaw / The Elfin Knight (Child No. 2) - Sung by John MacDonald, a Lanrickshire (Lanarkshire) Traveller, originally from Tarbert, Lochfyne, Scotland. Recorded by Dr. Linda Williamson on August 13, 1975 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/39102?l=en
Compare this to a slightly more complete recording of John MacDonald's song made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1969:
youtube.com/watch?v=L7iWt9BjSQg
And to a version that Hamish Henderson recorded from Martha "Peasie" Johnstone (Martha Reid), a Traveller of Birnam, Perthshire in 1957:
youtube.com/watch?v=JK-jtBmNahQ
A variant of the same tune was also used by Travellers for "The Twa Sisters" (Child 10):
youtube.com/watch?v=i0Jhe5T45w8
Notes by Kevin W.:
This Scottish set from the singing of John MacDonald is a bit more interesting than the now well known Scarborough Fair text.
The mention of the devil in the opening stanza along with the somber tune give the song a very different feel. It is a fascinating contrast to the often cheerful mood of the "True Lover of Mine" form of Child 2.
Scottish Travellers associated this ballad with the devil, but they rarely named him in the text. As far as I know the only other texts from recent oral tradition to clearly mention the devil are a Newfoundland version which Kenneth Peacock collected from George Decker of Rocky Harbour in 1959 and another Traveller set, from Alexander Reid of Perthshire, recorded by Linda Williamson in 1975: bluegrassmessengers.com/elf-knight--alexander-reid-perth-1975-headlee.aspx
Here is a short excerpt from the recording of George Decker's Newfoundland version: youtube.com/watch?v=yzDbsbmkib8
Song transcription:
This is a song that was made years ago by a farm girl, her father had a farm. And in those days if you went outside of your boundaries you were supposed to meet the evil spirits and devils I think. So on this day this girl went for a walk and she went by the sea and she met the devil on the way and he told her that she was outside of her boundaries and that he was going to take her with him. So she said that she would come to a bargain with him and so she made a bargain and this is the song now.
For between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
For she met the devil by the way
And the dreary winds did blaw her plaidie awa
For you'll wash to me three Holland shirts
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
Aye between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
And the dreary winds did blaw her plaidie awa
For you'll dry them up with one blink o' sun
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll put them in a santin bank(?)
And the dreary winds will blaw your plaidie awa
For it's when I do that task for you
Surely you'll do one for me
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll take to me three acres of land
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
Aye between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
And the dreary winds did blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll sow it o'er with one pile o' corn
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll reap it up with one blink o' sun
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll shear it down with a pea-hen feather
Stook it up with the stang o' an ether (sting of an adder)
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll yoke two sparrows in a match-box
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll cart it home to my own farmyard
And the dreary winds did blaw my plaidie awa
For it's when you do that task for me
You come back and you'll get your sarks
And the dreary wind did blaw my plaidie awa
Linda Williamson asks if he heard the song in Ireland. He says no, this is an old Scottish tale, it mentions the adder which doesn't exist in Ireland and it has the sark which is a Scots word for a shirt.
John MacDonald quotes two verses which he did not sing on this occasion.
He wanted three Holland shirts made without needle work.
And she was to wash them up in a draw well where there never was water or a dewdrop fell since Adam was born.
The Devil and the Maid / Blaw, Ye Winds, Blaw / The Elfin Knight (Child No. 2) - Sung by John MacDonald, a Lanrickshire (Lanarkshire) Traveller, originally from Tarbert, Lochfyne, Scotland. Recorded by Dr. Linda Williamson on August 13, 1975 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland.
The original recording can be listened to here:
tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/39102?l=en
Compare this to a slightly more complete recording of John MacDonald's song made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1969:
youtube.com/watch?v=L7iWt9BjSQg
And to a version that Hamish Henderson recorded from Martha "Peasie" Johnstone (Martha Reid), a Traveller of Birnam, Perthshire in 1957:
youtube.com/watch?v=JK-jtBmNahQ
A variant of the same tune was also used by Travellers for "The Twa Sisters" (Child 10):
youtube.com/watch?v=i0Jhe5T45w8
Notes by Kevin W.:
This Scottish set from the singing of John MacDonald is a bit more interesting than the now well known Scarborough Fair text.
The mention of the devil in the opening stanza along with the somber tune give the song a very different feel. It is a fascinating contrast to the often cheerful mood of the "True Lover of Mine" form of Child 2.
Scottish Travellers associated this ballad with the devil, but they rarely named him in the text. As far as I know the only other texts from recent oral tradition to clearly mention the devil are a Newfoundland version which Kenneth Peacock collected from George Decker of Rocky Harbour in 1959 and another Traveller set, from Alexander Reid of Perthshire, recorded by Linda Williamson in 1975: bluegrassmessengers.com/elf-knight--alexander-reid-perth-1975-headlee.aspx
Here is a short excerpt from the recording of George Decker's Newfoundland version: youtube.com/watch?v=yzDbsbmkib8
Song transcription:
This is a song that was made years ago by a farm girl, her father had a farm. And in those days if you went outside of your boundaries you were supposed to meet the evil spirits and devils I think. So on this day this girl went for a walk and she went by the sea and she met the devil on the way and he told her that she was outside of her boundaries and that he was going to take her with him. So she said that she would come to a bargain with him and so she made a bargain and this is the song now.
For between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
For she met the devil by the way
And the dreary winds did blaw her plaidie awa
For you'll wash to me three Holland shirts
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
Aye between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
And the dreary winds did blaw her plaidie awa
For you'll dry them up with one blink o' sun
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll put them in a santin bank(?)
And the dreary winds will blaw your plaidie awa
For it's when I do that task for you
Surely you'll do one for me
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll take to me three acres of land
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
Aye between yon salt sea and yon sea strand
And the dreary winds did blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll sow it o'er with one pile o' corn
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll reap it up with one blink o' sun
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll shear it down with a pea-hen feather
Stook it up with the stang o' an ether (sting of an adder)
And the dreary winds will blaw my plaidie awa
For you'll yoke two sparrows in a match-box
Blow blow blow ye winds blow
And you'll cart it home to my own farmyard
And the dreary winds did blaw my plaidie awa
For it's when you do that task for me
You come back and you'll get your sarks
And the dreary wind did blaw my plaidie awa
Linda Williamson asks if he heard the song in Ireland. He says no, this is an old Scottish tale, it mentions the adder which doesn't exist in Ireland and it has the sark which is a Scots word for a shirt.
John MacDonald quotes two verses which he did not sing on this occasion.
He wanted three Holland shirts made without needle work.
And she was to wash them up in a draw well where there never was water or a dewdrop fell since Adam was born.
