"The Maid and the Palmer" or "The Well Below The Valley"

An Irish folk about a man accusing a woman of killing and then burying her six newborn children. All the children were incestuously conceived with her Father, Brother and Uncle.
Lilies grow above the graves. Various clips from around YouTube

A gentleman was passing by
He asked for a drink as he got dry
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

My cup is full up to the brim
And if I were to stoop I might fall in
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If your true lover was passing by
You'd fill him a drink as he got dry
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

She swore by grass, she swore by corn
The her true love had never been born
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

He said to her young Maid you're swearing wrong
For six fine children you had born
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me the father of them
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

There's two of them by your Uncle Dan
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
Another two be your Brother John
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
Another two be your father dear
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble steme
You'll tell to me what did happen to them
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

There's two buried neath the stable door
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
Another two near the kitchen door
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
Another two buried beneath the well
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

If you be a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me what will happen myself
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

You'll be seven years a-ringing a bell
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o
You'll be seven more a portin in hell
At the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

I'll be seven years a-ringing a bell
But the Lord above may save my soul
From portin in hell at the well below the valley-o
Green grows the lily-o
Right among the bushes-o

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• irish
• folk
• song
• incest
• murder

[JimBell1984]

FFS! THIS IS ENGLISH! WHEN WILL YOU YOUTUBERS STOP ASCRIBING ENGLISH TUNES AND SONG TO THE IRISH!!! DO YOUR RESEARCH AND ASSUMING COS IT'S FOLK IT'S IRISH!!!!

[Cadeyrnable]

Ah the marvellous, darker than dark songs of yesteryear. There's not a modern song which can hold a candle to them in terms of music or lyrics.

[shannonlad100]

@stevehyde ...Sorry, i meant to ask if it is a popular folk song in England, and maybe it's of English orign?...An old folkie from Wexford gave me some history, not necessarily true...but i guess there are different versions....A beautifull song anyway

[stevehyde]

@shannonlad100 What are asking me?

[shannonlad100]

@stevehyde ....na, it was a place near Wexford Town..Where Cromwellian soldiers raped some local girls...an the resulting offspring, was hotly denied?....In fact , it's totally recorded this song??

[stevehyde]

@DreamInTheEnd - Planxty Was the band. The Album : The well below the valley. formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), and Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes, tin whistle). slán agat!

[callypso2002]

Awesome!

[DreamInTheEnd]

Who sings this version? I like it.