[D]. 'Young Hynhorn,' Cromek's Select Scotish Songs, II, 204.
[E]. 'Hynd Horn,' Motherwell's MS., p. 91.
[F]. Lowran Castle, or the Wild Boar of Curridoo: with other Tales. By R. Trotter, Dumfries, 1822.
[G]. 'Hynde Horn,' Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 135.
[H]. 'Hynd Horn,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 268.
A defective copy of this ballad was printed in Cromek's Select Scottish Songs, Ancient and Modern, 1810 (D). A fragment, comprising the first half of the story, was inserted in "Lowran Castle, or the Wild Boar of Curridoo: with other Tales," etc., by Robert Trotter, Dumfries, 1822[159] (F). A complete copy was first given in Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, 1827 (G); another, described by the editor as made up from Cromek's fragment and two copies from recitation, in Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 36,[160] later in the same year; and a third, closely resembling Kinloch's, in Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, in 1828 (H). Three versions complete, or nearly so, and a fragment of a fourth are now printed for the first time, all from Motherwell's manuscripts (A, B, C, E).
The stanza about the auger bore [wimble bore], B 1, F 3, H 4, is manifestly out of place. It is found in '[The Whummil Bore]' (see further on), and may have slipped into 'Hind Horn' by reason of its following, in its proper place, a stanza beginning, "Seven lang years I hae served the king:" cf. F 2, H 3.
G 17, 18, 21, 22, which are not intelligible in their present connection, are perhaps, as well as G 16, H 18-20, borrowed from some Robin Hood ballad, in which a change is made with a beggar.
The noteworthy points in the story of Hind Horn are these. Hind Horn has served the king seven years (D, F), and has fallen in love with his daughter. She gives Hind Horn a jewelled ring: as long as the stone keeps its color, he may know that she is faithful; but if it changes hue, he may ken she loves another man. The king is angry (D), and Hind Horn goes to sea [is sent, D]. He has been gone seven years, E, F [seven years and a day, B], when, looking on his ring, he sees that the stone is pale and wan, A-H. He makes for the land at once, and, meeting an old beggar, asks him for news. No news but the king's daughter's wedding: it has lasted nine days [two and forty, A], and she will not go into the bride-bed till she hears of Hind Horn, E. Hind Horn changed cloaks and other gear with the beggar, and when he came to the king's gate asked for a drink in Horn's name,[161] A, B, D. The bride herself came down, and gave him a drink out of her own hand, A, B, C, G, H. He drank out the drink and dropped in the ring.
'O gat ye 't by sea, or gat ye 't by lan,
Or gat ye 't aff a dead man's han?'