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> Dave Swarbrick > Songs > The Ian Campbell Folk Group: The Twa Corbies

Twa Corbies / Two Ravens

[ Roud 5 ; Child 26 ; Ballad Index C026 ; words trad., music R.M. Blythman]

Ray Fisher sang this bleak ballad, accompanied by her brother Archie on guitar, in 1962 on their EP Far Over the Forth; it was reissued on the famous 4LP compilation album Electric Muse and on its CD version New Electric Muse. The original EP's sleeve notes comment:

When is a ballad not a ballad? Answer—when it isn't sung. The Twa Corbies has for long been regarded as one of the most flawless as it is one of the grimmest of all our ballads; but it wasn't being sung. No tune appeared to survive in oral tradition and attempts at setting it remained literary, academic and dead. Then R.M. Blythman (the Scots poet “Thurso Berwick”) set it to this marvellously sombre old Breton tune, Al Alar'ch, The Swan, learned from the Breton folk-singer Zaig Montjarret. The result was astonishingly right and The Twa Corbies has passed into the repertoire of our younger folk-singers. It is related to the English Three Ravens.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group (then with Dave Swarbrick) sang The Twa Corbies at an evening at the Jug of Punch folk club at the Crown, Station Street, Birmingham. This concert was published in 1962 on the Topic EP Ceilidh at the Crown.

Steeleye Span recorded Twa Corbies in 1970 for their very first album Hark! The Village Wait and more than 25 years later for their album Time, this time with the shortened title Corbies. A live recording from The Forum, London on September 2, 1995 was released on the CD The Journey. The original recording's sleeve notes commented:

... otherwise known as the Two Ravens, and sometimes called The Three Ravens. First printed in Motherwell's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border in 1803 it is one of the most popular of the Scottish ballads. For those unused to the dialect the two birds are discussing the pros and cons of eating a newly slain knight. Ashley Hutchings: “This goes back to the 13th Century at least, and it was recorded at Tim's suggestion.” Why is it particular about a knight? Why not a footsoldier? “Songs that go back a long way are usually about Lords and Ladies, possibly because they were a great source of interest to the people, rich and poor.”

[Note: There is a slight confusion about the source: Actually, Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (Edinburgh, 1802/03) is by Sir Walter Scott; William Motherwell wrote Minstrelsy Ancient and Modern (Glasgow, 1827). Thanks to Jim McLean for pointing this out in an e-mail to me.]

And the Time sleeve notes said:

Scraggy feathered, mean beaked carrion crows tearing at the tender flesh of a dead, deserted knight. As an image of impermanence there is no equal.

Maddy Prior recorded this song for her solo album Year and commented in the sleeve notes:

Reflection on death in its physical reality is known to the Buddhists and Hindus, but in the West only in Medieval times was it dealt with directly and evoked by skeletons carved on graves and gruesome images of Death the Reaper. In these more antiseptic times there is little in this line and flowers, wreaths and gentle doves cloud the unacceptable thought of our mortal destination. This song dates from earlier times and is for me a brilliant examination of decay.

[R.M. Blythman] set the stark old Scottish words to this moody Breton tune and we have amplified its gothic atmosphere.

Corbies means Carrion Crow and hause bane is a breast bone.

Folque did a wonderful Norwegian version of Twa Corbies—which they called Ravnene—in 1974 on their eponymous debut album, Folque.

Barry and Robin Dransfield sang The Two Ravens in 1977 on their Free Reed album Popular to Contrary Belief; this was also included in 1997 un their Free Reed 2CD anthology Up to Now.

Lyrics

Ray Fisher sings Twa Corbies	Steeleye Span on Hark! The Village Wait
As I was walkin' all alane I heard twa corbies makkin a mane; Tha tain unto the other ane say-o, “Where sall we gang and dine the day-o, "Where sall we gang and dine the day?”	As I was walking all alane I heard twa corbies makin' mane; And one ontae the other did say, “Where shall we gang and dine the day Where shall we gang and dine the day?”
“It's in ahint yon auld fail dyke I wot there lies a new-slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there-o But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair-o, Hawk and his hound and his lady fair.”	“In behind yon oul fail dyke I wot there lies a new slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair, His hawk and his hound and his lady fair.”
“His hawk is tae the huntin gane, His hound tae bring the wildfowl hame; His lady's ta'en another mate-o Sae we mun mak our dinner sweet-o, Sae we mun mak our dinner sweet.”	His hawk is tae the hunting gane, His hound to fetch the wildfowl hane; His lady has taken another mate So we can make our dinner sweet, We can make our dinner sweet”
“It's ye'll sit on his white hause-bane And I'll pike oot his bonny blue een; Wi ae lock o his gowden hair-o We'll theek our nest when it grows bare-o, Theek our nest when it grows bare.”	“You can sit on his white breast bone And I'll pick out his bonny blue een; And with a lock of his yellow hair We'll theek our nest when it grows bare, We'll theek our nest when it grows bare.”
“There's mony a ane for him maks mane But nane sall ken where he is gane; And o'er his bones when they lay bare-o The wind sall blaw for evermair-o, The wind sall blow for evermair.”	“And many's a one for him makes mane Naebody kens where he has gane; Through his white bones when they grow bare The wind shall blow for evermare, The wind shall blow for evermare.”
(theek=feather our nest)
Steeleye Span on Time and Maddy Prior on Year
As I was walking all alane I heard twa corbies making a main; And tane untae the tither did say-o, “Where shall we gang and dine the day-o, Where shall we gang and dine the day?” “In behint yon auld fell dyke I wat there lies a new slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there-o But his hawk and his hound and his lady fair-o, His hawk and his hound and his lady fair.” “His hound is tae the hunting gane, His hound tae fetch the wild fowl hame; His lady's taen anither mate-o So we maun make our dinner sweet-o, We maun make our dinner sweet.” “Ye'll sit on his white hause bane And I'll pike out his bonny blue een; Wi mony a lock o' his gowden hair-o We'll theek our nest when it grows bare-o, We'll theek our nest when it grows bare.” “Mony a one for him makes main But nane shall ken where he is gane; O'er his white bones when they are bare-o The wind shall blow forever mair-0, The wind shall blow forever mair.”