Tam Lin

Tam Lin is the hero of a Scottish Borders' legend about faeries and mortal men (one of several "Thomases" in myth, such as True Thomas also known as Thomas the Rhymer).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are many versions of the Tam Lin story, but that summary of Child Ballad 39A (from The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child) is considered to be the earliest. Modern renditions of the ballad have been recorded by the folklore oriented rock band Steeleye Span and by the rock-folk group Fairport Convention.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The legend has it that Tam Lin collected either a possession, or the virginity of any maidens who passed through the forest of Carterhaugh. A young maiden called Janet came to Carterhaugh and plucked two roses, whereupon Tam appeared and asked why she was in Carterhaugh without his command and had taken what was his. She stated that she owned Carterhaugh, as her father had given it to her. She then went home, and discovered she was pregnant, and announced that her lover was an elf and that she loved him. She returned to Carterhaugh, and discovered Tam was a mortal man, who, after falling from his horse, was rescued and captured by the Queen of the Fairies. Every seven years the fairies paid a tithe to Hell of one of their people, and Tam was fated to become that tithe on that night (Hallowe'en). He was to ride as part of a company of knights, and Janet would recognise him by the white horse upon which he was riding. He warned her that, when she caught him, the fairies would attempt to make her drop him by turning him into all manner of beasts (see Proteus), but that he would do her no harm, and when he was finally turned into a burning coal she was to throw him into a well, whereupon he would reappear as a naked man and she should hide him. Janet did as she was asked, of course, and won her knight. The Queen of the Fairies was not best pleased, but acknowledged her claim.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scottish Borders: Scottish Borders (Cr?ochan na h-Alba in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire in the north west, East Lothian, Midlothian both to the north, and the county of Northumberland in England to the south. The administ...

Faeries: REDIRECT Fairy...

True Thomas: REDIRECT Thomas the Rhymer...

Tam Lin related Images and Photos (experimental)

Tam Lin	Josephine Baker Tam Tam	Josephine Baker Tam Tam	Queen Latifah: Trav'lin' Light CD
Queen Latifah: Trav'lin' Light CD	Tam O'Shanter and His Speedy Meg	Bruce and Shao-lin Kung Fu	Daniel Gélin and Françoise Arnoul: Les Amants Du Tage 1955
Daniel Gélin and Robert Hirsch: En Effeuillant La Marguerite 1956	Serenity Big Damn Heroes River Tam Animated Maquette	Michèle Morgan Daniel Gélin and Peter Van Eyck: Retour de Manivelle 1957	Golden Pagoda in Nan Lian Garden Near Chi Lin Nunnery Diamond Hill Kowloon Hong Kong