The Three Ravens
"The Three Ravens" (Child 26, Roud 5) is an English folk ballad, printed in the song book "Melismata" compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but it is perhaps older than that. Newer versions (with different music) were recorded right up through the 19th century. Francis James Child recorded several versions in his Child Ballads (catalogued as number 26). 

The ballad takes the form of three scavenger birds conversing about where and what they should eat. One tells of a newly slain knight, but they find he is guarded by his loyal hawks and hounds. Furthermore, a "fallow doe", an obvious metaphor for the knight's pregnant ("as great with young as she might go") lover or mistress (see "") comes to his body, kisses his wounds, bears him away, and buries him, leaving the ravens without a meal. The narrative ends with "God send euery gentleman / Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman".
Q2517093
Child 26
ORG
Q49679
Roud
ORG
Q182659
ballad
Concept
Q634595
Thomas Ravenscroft
PER
Q2344992
Francis James Child
PER
Q2517093
Child Ballads
ORG
Q1982361
The Three Ravens
MEDIA
1611-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1611
DATE
+26^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
26
NUMBER
+5^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
5
NUMBER
+19^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
19
NUMBER
+26^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
26
NUMBER
instance of
is a list of
author