Nova Scotia Folk Songs

Helen Creighton (1899-1989) started collecting folklore in 1928. She lived in Dartmouth, NS and has collected approximately 16,000 songs and variants from the Canadian Maritime provinces. She is known as "Canada's First Lady of Folklore".  She is most famous for collecting, Farewell to Nova Scotia. I was able to find one of her books, Song's and Ballads of Nova Scotia first published in 1932, in Emory's library, but unfortunately it does not contain this particular song. Folk songs in Nova Scotia have many sources of inspiration. For example Creighton has collected songs sung in English, French, Gaelic, Mik'qmak and German. Nova Scotia, like Newfoundland, has a history based primarily around the sea. The province's slogan in fact is, "Canada's Ocean Playground". The nickname for a person from Nova Scotia is a "Bluenoser", after the famous racing schooner built in Nova Scotia. The province has a strong history in fishing, shipbuilding, mining, forestry, which is reflected in most folk songs. In the book, Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia, Creighton explains how she first came to record the wonderful folk songs. She had been on a beach near her home with a friend and decided to walk while the sun was setting. When she came back a villager was attending her bonfire, and they began talking about pirates. The man told them as they were leaving, "The people down here will not only tell you stories, but they'll sing you songs as well." (page ix). After having the chance to listen to and record so many great songs she writes, "The Nova Scotia fisher-folk will continue to create folk-songs in honour of its people. For although the old ballads of former days may be forgotten, there is no doubt that as long as fishing is carried on in the remote districts of this province, so will folk-songs be composed in remembrance of tragedy or mirth upon the coast of Nova Scotia.