Sometimes when a song evolves with you over time you forget where it came from. My first surprise when looking in to Broomfield Wager was that the melody I sing seems definitely to have been picked up from the Malinky version. I’m not sure whether I’d heard a recording or just someone singing that particular version. Either way, it stuck. I lived next door to a piper for many years who was a huge Malinky fan so that could be the lead. Malinky, like Euan McColl, also sing the ‘incantation’ style chorus. The other surprise was that I felt sure that the first time I heard Broomfield Wager/ Hill, the maiden was murdered and left for the crows but by far and away, in the vast number of versions across 700 years and swathes of countries, she outsmarts the fella and heads home with her virtue intact.

The song was brought back to mind when I was reading a couple of books about folklore and witchcraft in British balladry. It cropped up a few times and it was commented on that older versions had wisewomen/witches casting spells to insure the maiden’s safety. Sometimes it was the maiden herself who had the spell casting knowledge. Almost all the versions hint at the supernatural heritage of the song but the magical content seems to have become less prominent over time.

In this version I have combined the witch/wisewoman figure with the often mentioned mother figure. The mother and daughter work together to foil the plans of the knight/ kind-sir who is now referred to as the laird. Every element of this story is present in more than half a dozen other sourced versions except for the lass buying her mum the shawl as a thank you at the end. I couldn’t resist. You’ve got to respect yer mammy, especially when she’s a spell-caster! Plus, this song could really be on an album called ‘Plenty Telt’ but ye didne know about that shawl did ye?