Synopsis

A woman goes to bring her son to the shore to greet her husband, but she receives news that he has been killed in Dunfermling. She invites his men to the castle to drink and takes them down 53 steps to the cellar. She gets them drunk, locks them in the cellar, and throws the keys into the sea. That night her husband's ghost appears at the foot of her bed with the keys and tells her to unlock the cellar. He says his men could not have fought harder for him, wading in red blood to the knee. She asks him when she will die, but he tells her that he has no more power than God has granted him. He assures her she will go to heaven, but before she dies she will remarry to a greater knight than he. They will have nine children: six daughters, and three sons who will fight for king and country. One son will be a duke, the second a knight, the third a laird.[2]

The Knight's Ghost

‘THERE is a fashion in this land, 
And even come to this country, 
That every lady should meet her lord 
When he is newly come frae sea: 
 
‘Some wi hawks, and some wi hounds, 
And other some wi gay monie; 
Bit I will gae myself alone, 
And set his young son on his knee.’
​ 
She’s taen her young son in her arms, 
And nimbly walkd by yon sea-strand, 
And there she spy’d her father’s ship, 
As she was sailing to dry land. 
 
‘Where hae ye put my ain gude lord, 
This day he stays sae far frae me?’ 
‘If ye be wanting your ain gude lord, 
A sight o him ye’ll never see.’ 
 
‘Was he brunt? or was he shot? 
Or was he drowned in the sea? 
Or what’s become o my ain gude lord, 
That he will neer appear to me?’ 
 
‘He wasna brunt, nor was he shot, 
Nor was he drowned in the sea; 
He was slain in Dunfermling, 
A fatal day to you and me.’ 
 
 ‘Come in, come in, my merry young men, 
Come in and drink the wine wi me; 
And a’ the better ye shall fare 
For this gude news ye tell to me.’ 
 
She’s brought them down to yon cellar, 
She brought them fifty steps and three; 
She birled wi them the beer and wine, 
Till they were as drunk as drunk could be. 
 
Then she has lockd her cellar-door, 
For there were fifty steps and three: 
 ‘Lie there, wi my sad malison, 
For this bad news ye’ve tauld to me.’ 

She’s taen the keys intill her hand 
And threw them deep, deep in the sea: 
‘Lie there, wi my sad malison, 
Till my gude lord return to me.’ 
 
Then she sat down in her own room, 
And sorrow lulld her fast asleep, 
And up it starts her own gude lord, 
And even at that lady’s feet. 

​‘Take here the keys, Janet,’ he says, 
‘That ye threw deep, deep in the sea; 
And ye’ll relieve my merry young men, 
For they’ve nane o the swick o me. 

‘They shot the shot, and drew the stroke, 
And wad in red bluid to the knee; 
Nae sailors mair for their lord coud do 
Nor my young men they did for me.’ 

‘I hae a question at you to ask, 
Before that ye depart frae me; 
You’ll tell to me what day I’ll die, 
And what day will my burial be?’ 

‘I hae nae mair o God’s power 
Than he has granted unto me; 
But come to heaven when ye will, 
There porter to you I will be. 

‘But ye’ll be wed to a finer knight 
Than ever was in my degree; 
Unto him ye’ll hae children nine, 
And six o them will be ladies free. 

‘The other three will be bold young men, 
To fight for king and countrie; 
The ane a duke, the second a knight, 
And third a laird o lands sae free.’ 

Annotating the Ballad

When reading the ballad these stairs came to mind from labyrinth which were inspired by M.C. Escher's illustrations of stairs.

Although my stairs ended up not as fantastical in the final illustration, this stair scene still very much stuck out for me and became the illustration.

Labyrinth Stairs, 1986

M C Escher

Chosen Thumbnail

References

Creating Assets

Creating the pages

I do like her more scrunched up body language, but I wasn't sure she read as a person, and I often ask the question 'is it boring?'

So the previous lady was swapped out for the more rounded figure. However I'm not sold on her yet.

Looking at it in this small form, I think that the shine from the door could go on for further and taper out better. I think I would like another go at the type placement.

Wine in medieval illustrations

Questions to myself

Is it all too purple?
Should there be more colourful elements coming from the door? 
​Is the eye being guided enough?

Statements:

• The hat isn't legible enough.
• The hair is a bit much.
• She needs to say more atmospherically.
• The keys are alright but should need to be a different colour.
• Use of pattern was better at the beginning.

I created new ladies and some interesting elements to spill out the cellar door. Below are these assets.

I like her more, but still too purple. Too same-y.

After some feedback, there was a need to better direct toward the sad woman.
Also to better use contrasting colours.

Feedback- Show face, less abstracted and a more readable form.

I still wasn't happy with the woman so I drew her again and I drew the little boy better. I then out these in the new page.

I drew some cats but these weren't implemented 

Type for the Knight's Ghost

Final illustration for the Knight's Ghost

The third page is combined with another ballad to create a spread. This is documented on the page for the other ballad, The Mermaid.

The mermaid

Back to All Ballads