[2] The motif is very similar to that of the loathly lady, particularly the variant found in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Tale".
[3] Lise et Mainfroi, a 1740 French imitation of this ballad, has an actual shepherdess as the heroine; she announces at the altar that she is satisfied without the wedding, and the king and his court must persuade her to agree.
[4] A version of the tune and lyrics were included by William Chappell in his 1859 book Popular Music of the Olden Time.
[11][12][13][14] The folklorist Alan Lomax recorded John Strachan of Fyvie, Aberdeenshire singing a version in 1957,[15] which is publicly available online.
[23] Desmond and Shelagh Herring recorded Emily Sparkes of Rattlesden, Suffolk singing a version of the song in 1958,[24] and another sung by Charlie Carver of nearby Tostock, both of which can be heard online via the British Library Sound Archive.