Anyone know if there's some underlying tradition behind Kilmeny? There's a strong similarity to one of the sub-plots in "The Children of Hurin" by Tolkein. For that matter there's another vague parallel with the binding of Adam that "Adam Lay Ibounden" draws from.

The author of the lyrics was James Hogg, 1770 - 1835, an uneducated Scottish poet & writer, born in Ettrick, Selkirk, Scotland. His other works include:

Scottish Pastorials - 1801
The Queens Wake - 1813
The Shepherds Calendar - 1829
The Domestic Manners & Private Life of Sir Walter Scott - 1834
The Private Memoirs & Confessions Of A Justified Sinner - 1824

Cheers,

Thanks. The more I learn about the literary traditions of England, Scottland and Ireland, the more I understand the influences behind some of our more contemporary writers.