The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry

Written by: [Traditional]
Language: English
Comments: aka "The Great Silkie" or "The Great Selkie of Sule (or Shule) Skerry". Traditional folk song from Shetland and Orkney. A woman has her child taken away by its father, the great selkie of Sule Skerry which can transform from a seal into a human. The woman is fated to marry a gunner who will harpoon the selkie and their son. A short version from the Sheltands was published in the 1850s and later listed as Child ballad number 113. There are Orkney versions which place the heroine's setting in Scandinavia, opening with the line: "In Norway land there lived a maid".

Shetland version -
1. An earthly nourris sits and sings,
And aye she sings, "Ba lilly wean,
Little ken I my bairn's father,
Far less the land that he staps in."

2. Then ane arose at her bed fit,
And a grumly guest I'm sure was he,
Saying "Here am I, thy bairn's father,
Although I am not comely."
Licensing: Request a synchronization license

Versions

Title	Performer	Release date	Info
The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry	Paul Clayton	1956
The Silkie of Sule Skerry	Bonnie Dobson	June 1961
Silkie	Joan Baez	September 1961
The Great Silkie	The Highwaymen [US1]	1961	Live
Great Selchie of Shule Skerry	Judy Collins	1962
The Great Silky	The Halifax Three	August 1963
The Great Silkie	John Denver	1968
The Great Silkie	Trees [GB]	1970
Grey Silkie	Jean Redpath	1975
Great Silkie	Lesley Schatz	1993
The Great Silkie	Ian Giles	1998
Great Silkie of Sule Skerry	Maddy Prior	1999
The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry	June Tabor	February 21, 2011
Silkie	Gathering Time	March 1, 2016	Acoustic

I Come and Stand at Every Door written by unknown author(s) English

Title	Performer	Release date	Info
I Come and Stand at Every Door	Pete Seeger	1961	First release Live
I Come and Stand at Every Door	The Byrds	July 18, 1966
I Come and Stand at Every Door	This Mortal Coil	April 22, 1991
I Come and Stand at Every Door	Anne Hills	March 17, 1998
I Come and Stand at Every Door	Silent Stream of Godless Elegy	1998
I Come and Stand at Every Door	Anne Soldaat & Yorick van Norden	April 21, 2018

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
		El nen d'Hiroshima	Ramon Casajoana i M. Consol Casajoana	1967	First release

		Title	Performer	Release date	Info
		Jään ovellesi seisomaan	Mikko Perkoila	1982	First release