The poem or ballad by Allan Cunningham was written in the early 19th century and was one of several presented by the Dumfriesshire poet and collector of traditional tales and folklore to a London publisher in 1809. The book Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song was published the following year by R H Cromek but the poem remains in folk tradition to this day.
The book includes an introduction about mermaids, the original poem in Scots followed by a translation in English. Linocut illustrations accompany the text. |
