Fair Catherine and the Cursed Knight
Lyrics: Maureen S. O'Brien, 6/7/98
Music: "The Cruel Mother", trad, 
        as sung by Rebecca Haden on _More Ose Than Not_


There was a knight, and a bonny knight,
Of nothing was afraid,
But he lived under a cruel curse.
He dared not love a maid. 

The knight rode out on his good black steed
That ran fast as the wind,
And he rode till he came to the Sheriff's hall,
Had captured this knight's kin.

And when he came to the Sheriff's hall,
The knight saw what he'd done:
He'd sent his men to fight a maid --
Three men against her one.

"It's brave and bold," the maid she said,
"It's brave that you must be,
"To come with but your swords in hand
"'Gainst a barehanded maid like me."

The knight he spurred his good black steed
That ran fast as the wind,
He rode into the sheriff's men
And took the maid up behind.

The knight he spurred his good black steed
As fast as he could run,
And where there'd been three sheriff's men,
He left the sheriff one.

The sheriff called his men to him
He called them back in fear,
Saying, "Spare my men, and tell to me
The reason why you've come here."

"A hundred knights you've taken here,
A hundred and a score,
And one of them was of my kin.
Of him we've heard no more."

"Oh, don't you know," the maid she said,
"The game that they have here?
The sheriff takes some captured knight
And hunts him like the deer."

Now when the knight had heard of this,
He spurred his steed again,
And for the cruel hunt of those knights,
He slew both sheriff and men.

Then up there spoke the valiant maid,
"Pray tell to me your name,
That I may tell folk of this deed,
And from what land you came."

"There is a curse on me," he said,
"My name, I may not tell
To anyone who asks of me,
Or where my kin may dwell."

He's taken her back to her father's hall
Fast as the wind may blow,
But she has saddled her milk-white steed
To hunt him where he may go.

So she rides on, and further on,
All on the cursed knight's track,
And aye, she asks in every town
For news of his steed so black.

And when she came to Vannis Fair,
And aye, her tale did tell, 
They said, "There is a coal-black steed
Runs wild by Vannis Well.

"Some horse coper he brought the steed
"At some fine price to sell,
"But this wild steed it ran away
"All up to Vannis Well.

"And many try to catch the steed,
"And many try to ride,
"But this wild steed it scorns them all
"And will not let them bide."

The maid she went to Vannis Well
Where the cursed knight's steed ran wild,
And never a horse so fierce and free
And never a maid so mild.

He ranted him, he danted him,
Till she bade him to stand.
And then this horse so fierce and free
Stood quiet beneath her hand.

She mounted her on the knight's black steed
That ran swift as the wind
And as she rode she saw that knight
Come for his steed to find.

And he said, "Get down, my fair young maid,
"I fear you will be thrown,
"For none can ride my own black steed
"Except for myself alone."

She said, "I've ridden horse, I've ridden mare,
"And pony before I was grown.
"And now I've ridden your black steed
"And still I have not been thrown."

And he said, "Since you have ridden my steed,
Pray tell to me your name,
That I may tell my kin of your deed
And from what land you came."

"Some call me Kitty, some call me Kate,
And some call me Caitlin the same,
But when I am in the king's high hall,
Fair Catherine is my name."

Then she lit off the knight's black steed
And mounted her milk-white mare,
And he is gone fast as the wind
Away from the Vannis Fair.

So she rode on, and further on,
All on the cursed knight's track,
And aye, she asked in every town
For news of his steed so black.

And when she came into the west,
And aye, her tale did tell,
"His name it is Sir Hauke," they said.
"He lives in Austringfell."

And when she came to Austringfell
And tirled at the pin,
Who was so ready as good Sir Hauke
To let Fair Catherine in?

"I've traveled east, I've traveled west,
"Both north and south," said she,
"And I have come to Austringfell
All for the love of thee."

"Now say not so," Sir Hauke he said,
"Or say that you have lied,
"For any maid that I should love,
"The curse says that she must die."

"I've traveled east, I've traveled west,
"Both north and south," she cried.
"In every land I've ever seen,
"All men and maids must die."

"Fetch the priest," Sir Hauke he said,
"And make you ready, lady.
"The curse will light upon us soon,
"For I love thee already."

But there was a page all in the hall
Who hated Sir Hauke sore,
And when he heard the news, he said,
"Sir Hauke will be no more.

"For I will kneel in the church this eve
"All with my little pen-knife,
"And where Sir Hauke should take his bride,
"I swear that I'll take his life."

And so he knelt in the church that eve
All with his little pen-knife,
And where Sir Hauke should take his bride,
The page tried to take his life.

But Fair Catherine she saw the page's knife
And in his way did dart
Between the short ribs and the long,
He pierced her to the heart.

Lord Hauke he had a sword at his side,
It was both long and small.
He took the page's head off his shoulders
And threw it against the wall.

He leaned his sword against the wall
To pierce himself to the heart,
"'Twere better Fair Catherine and I never met
Than that we so soon should part."

"Now say not so," the priest he cried,
"Now say not so to me.
"For God who raised up his friend Lazarus
"May yet have a care for thee."

The priest he knelt by Fair Catherine's feet,
Sir Hauke knelt by her head,
And soon the cruel wound in her chest
Began to bleed so red.

"A dead woman never would bleed so red,
She never would bleed so free.
So bind her wounds and take her home,
For God's sent her back to thee."

Fair Catherine woke in Sir Hauke's chamber.
"Methinks I am wondrous wed,
"For as soon as I stepped into the church hall,
"I find myself all in bed!"

So God send every gentleman
Such a fair and valiant maid.
With God and love both on your side,
Of curses be not afraid.