Lord Randal and Geordie summaries

 

LORD RANDAL summary

The poem is a traditional ballad, a folk narrative poem which was very popular in the late Middle Ages and was originally adapted for singing and dancing.

The well-known ballad ‘Lord Randal’ by Anonymous tells the story of Lord Randal who goes to the forest for hunting with  hawks and dogs. There he meets his sweetheart who gives him eels fried. Lord Randal eats them  and give the leftovers to his hawks and dogs. Since the fish is poisoned, they all die.

Young Lord Randal goes back  home. He is tired and he would lie down. Lord Randal’s mother asks what the girl  gave him to eat and why he is not accompanied by his dogs and hawks. He answers that she gave him eels fried in a pan and his dogs died after having eaten the leftovers. Therefore he is going to die. He will leave twenty-four cows to his mother, gold, and silver to his sister, houses, and lands to his brother, hell and fire to his lover.

All that is told through questions and answers that is in the dialogue form.

GEORDIE summary

This is one of the most popular English ballads. Like most medieval ballads, it is anonymous and its date of composition is unknown.

It has been interpreted both in a realistic way, that is to say as a true story, and as a moving and mysterious story of love and death.

The "Geordie" of the title is jailed for a crime; his wife (or lady) goes to plead for his life. The woman's attempts are for nothing and he is executed.

"Geordie" exists in many variants. The ballad has different versions created by traditional folk singers in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada and the USA, and performed and recorded by folk artists and groups. The ballad concerns the trial of the hero, during which his wife pleads for his life.

A narrator comes over London Bridge as usual but one day he  hears a young woman lamenting for Geordie. She says he will be hanged and a golden chain will be used to do that  because he is of royal blood and has loved a good woman. This woman rides to London’s court. She asks the judge for Geordie’s release saying that his crimes weren't serious, in that he only stole some of the king's deer and sold them and says she has had three children from him but she loves him so much that she’s ready to give them up to save his life. The fair maid cannot save him as he has been sentenced to death. Geordie will be executed wearing a golden chain as a sign of his royal descent.