Lamkin Moira Cameron (child 93)

Lamkin
Moira Cameron
Sands of the Shore
Child Ballad # 93

Wikipedia suggest this is one of the darkest old ballads. It is a graphic, sad, dark song. But considering the all the other murder ballads, the ballads dealing with rape and incest, I'm not sure I would pick one as the darkest of all.

Lamkin is owed money from Lord Wearie after building a castle for the Lord. The Lord refuses to pay and soon there after takes a trip at sea. The Lord warns his wife to keep the house barred and locked, but still Lamkin slips in during the night.

Lamkin, with the help of the false nurse, slowly kills the Lord's baby son. In some versions it is at this point that the Lady of the house discovers Lamkin and her dead baby. She offers money and riches to save herself, but it is killed anyway. In other versions, she is killed before she can offer anything.
Lord Wearie returns finding blood all over his house. He is told what happens and Lamkins is hanged for his crime. In other verions the false nurse is burned at the stake for her part in the crime. In the version I have here, the Lord comes home and is told what happened and who is responible. Any punishments are not included in this version.