The Queen of Elfan's Nourice

Traditional song From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Queen of Elfan's Nourice" or "The Queen of Elfland's Nourice" (Roud 3723, Child 40) is an English-language folk song, although fragmentary in form.[1][2]

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Synopsis

A mortal woman laments being taken from her four-day-old son. The Queen of Elfland promises that if she nurses the queen's child, she will be returned. The Queen then points out their path: the road to Elfland, rather than to Heaven or Hell.[3]

Motifs

The path to Elfland appears to be taken from the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" rather than be a part of this tale.[4]

The plot of the ballad revolves about a common piece of folklore, the taking of human woman to Elfland to nurse fairy babies;[5] women were often regarded as being in particular danger of being taken by the fairies immediately after giving birth.[6]

This ballad was one of 25 traditional works included in Ballads Weird and Wonderful (1912) and illustrated by Vernon Hill.[7]

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