Thomas the Rhymer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas the Rhymer
From Thomas the Rhymer (retold by Mary MacGregor, 1908) "Under the Eildon tree Thomas met the lady," illustration by Katherine Cameron
Born	Thomas de Ercildoun c. 1220 Erceldoune (Earlston), Berwickshire, Scotland
Died	c. 1298 (age about 78)
Nationality	Scottish
Other names	True Thomas, Thomas Learmouth/Learmonth/Learmount/Learmont/Learmounth, Thomas Rhymer/Rymour/Rymer, Thomas de Erceldoune/Ercildoun, Thomas Rymour de Erceldoune
Occupation	Laird
Known for	Prophecy
Children	Thomas de Ercildounson

Sir Thomas de Ercildoun, also known as Thomas the Rhymer, was a Scottish laird (a landowner, like a lord) and a famous prophet (someone who can see the future). He lived from about 1220 to 1298. He came from a place called Erceldoune, which is now known as Earlston in the Scottish Borders.

Thomas was known for his amazing ability to write poems and predict future events. People often say he wrote Sir Tristrem, a story about the legend of Tristram. It's not clear if "Rhymer" was his real family name or just a nickname because he was so good at rhymes.

In old stories, Thomas is the main character in a tale where he is taken away by the "Queen of Elfland" (a magical fairy queen). When he returns, he has a special gift: he can see the future and can never tell a lie. This story is found in old poems and a popular song called "Thomas Rhymer" (Child Ballad number 37).

A famous writer named Walter Scott later added more parts to the ballad. He included some of Thomas's prophecies and a part where Thomas goes back to Elfland. Many other writers have also retold the story of Thomas the Rhymer in their own books.

Who Was Thomas the Rhymer?

Thomas was born in Erceldoune (now Earlston) in Berwickshire, Scotland. This was sometime in the 1200s. Not much is known for sure about his life. However, old documents from 1260–80 and 1294 mention him. One document even talks about his son, "Thomas de Ercildounson."

Thomas became known as "True Thomas" because people believed he could not tell a lie. Many popular stories say he predicted important events in Scottish history. One famous prediction was about the death of Alexander III of Scotland.

People continued to admire Thomas for centuries after he died. In Scotland, his fame as a prophet grew even more than that of other famous seers like Merlin. People often made up new prophecies and said Thomas had predicted them. This made the prophecies seem more important.

Thomas's Famous Prophecies

Many Scottish historians wrote about Thomas's prophecies. Here are some of the most well-known ones:

• "Tomorrow, before noon, the greatest wind ever heard in Scotland shall blow."

This prophecy was about the death of King Alexander III in 1286. Thomas told this to the Earl of Dunbar. When the weather seemed calm, the Earl questioned Thomas. But Thomas said the time had not yet come. Soon after, news arrived that the king had died.

• "Who shall rule the island of Britain / From the North to the South sea?"

"A French wife shall bear the Son, / Shall rule all Britain to the sea,

that of the Bruces blood shall come / As near as the ninth degree."

These lines were printed in a book in 1603, after Elizabeth I died. The prophecy was thought to predict that James I would rule all of Britain. His mother, Mary Stewart, had been raised in France. This became one of Thomas's most famous prophecies.

Local Folkloric Prophecies

Walter Scott collected many rhymes that people believed were Thomas's prophecies. Later, Robert Chambers also printed more of these collected rhymes.

• "At Eildon Tree, if you shall be,

a bridge over Tweed you there may see."

This prophecy talks about the Eildon Hill in Melrose. In Walter Scott's time, you could see three bridges over the River Tweed from that spot.

• "This Thorn-Tree, as long as it stands,

Earlston shall possess all her lands."

This prophecy was about a thorn tree in Earlston. People believed that as long as the tree stood, the town would keep its lands. The tree fell in a storm in the early 1800s. It happened around the same time that the town's merchants faced financial problems.

• "When the Yowes of Gowrie come to land,

The Day of Judgment's near at hand"

The "Ewes of Gowrie" are two large rocks near Invergowrie. People say they slowly move closer to the land. This prophecy suggests that when they reach the land, the end of the world will be near.

• "York was, London is, and Edinbruch will be,

the biggest and the bonniest of all the three"

This prophecy suggests that Edinburgh would become the largest and most beautiful city of the three.

• "Fyvie, Fyvie you shall never thrive,

long as there's in you stones three :

There's one in the highest tower,

There's one in the lady's bower,

There's one beneath the water-gate,

And these three stones you shall never get."

This is known as the Weeping Stones Curse. It was said that Fyvie Castle would never do well as long as three special stones remained hidden. Two stones were found, but the third was never discovered. Since 1885, no eldest son in the family who owned the castle has lived to inherit it.

• "Betide, betide, whatever betide,

Haig shall be Haig of Bemerside."

This prophecy said that the ancient Haig family of Bemerside would continue forever. And indeed, the family still exists today, including Field Marshal Douglas Haig.

The Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer

The story of Thomas and the fairy queen is told in a famous song called "Thomas the Rymer." It's known as Child Ballad #37.

Ballad Story

The ballad tells how Thomas is resting on a hill near the Eildon Hills. The Queen of Elfland appears on her horse and asks him to come with her. He agrees, and she shows him three amazing paths: the road to Heaven, the road to Hell, and the road to her own magical world. They follow the path to Elfland.

Thomas stays in Elfland for seven years. When he returns to the human world, he asks the Queen for a gift to remember her by. She offers him a choice: to be a great harp player or to be a prophet. Thomas chooses the gift of prophecy.

In some versions, the Queen warns Thomas not to speak to anyone in Elfland. She says she will do all the talking. When he returns, he receives a special coat and shoes, or a "tongue that can never lie." One version also mentions the Queen's fear that Thomas might be chosen as a "teinding unto hell." This means Elfland sometimes has to pay a "tithe" (a payment) of humans to Hell. The Queen sends Thomas back to Earth to protect him from this danger.

Walter Scott's Version

Walter Scott published his own version of the ballad in three parts. The first part is similar to the traditional ballad. The second part includes some of Thomas's prophecies. The third part describes Thomas going back to Elfland.

In Scott's third part, Thomas has a magical "elfin harp." The story says that while Thomas was with his friends, a white hart (a male deer) and hind (a female deer) appeared in the village. When Thomas saw them, he left and was never seen again. People believed he had returned to Fairyland and would one day come back to Earth.

Old Medieval Romance

There's also a longer, older story about Thomas called a "medieval romance." It tells a similar tale to the ballad. This romance was likely written around the late 1300s or early 1400s.

In this story, Thomas meets the fairy lady at Huntley Bank near the Eildon Tree. He is charmed by her and mistakes her for the Queen of Heaven. She tells him she is not so grand but is from a fairy land. Thomas wants to be with her, but she warns him that even a small sin will make her lose her beauty. Thomas doesn't care, so she agrees to marry him and take him with her.

He stays with her for what feels like only three days. But the lady tells him that three or even seven years have actually passed! She then brings him back to the Eildon tree.

The second part of the romance is mostly about prophecies. Thomas asks the Queen for a gift, and she offers him the choice of being a harp player or a prophet. Thomas chooses to be a prophet. She then tells him about many future battles and events.

Thomas in Books and Music

The story of Thomas the Rhymer has inspired many other works of art.

Retellings

Many authors have retold the story of Thomas the Rhymer in prose. Some versions include details from Walter Scott's additions, like Thomas's magical harp or his return to Elfland after seeing the white hart and hind.

• Mary MacGregor's version (1908) is a well-known retelling.
• William Croft Dickinson's children's book The Eildon Tree (1944) features modern children meeting Thomas and traveling back in time.
• Ellen Kushner wrote a novel called Thomas the Rhymer (1990).
• Diana Wynne Jones's novel Fire and Hemlock (1984) uses the ballad's themes in a modern setting.

Musical Adaptations

The ballad has also been turned into songs and even an opera.

• The German song "Tom der Reimer" by Carl Loewe is based on the story.
• The British folk rock band Steeleye Span recorded two different versions of "Thomas the Rhymer" for their 1974 album Now We Are Six.
• The English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams started an opera called Thomas the Rhymer, but he passed away before finishing it.
• The band Alabama 3 used the ballad's themes in their 2003 song Yellow Rose.

Thomas in Literature and Theatre

Thomas the Rhymer has appeared as a character in many plays and novels.

• Rudyard Kipling's poem, "The Last Rhyme of True Thomas" (1894), features Thomas Learmounth.
• Alexander Reid's play The Lass wi the Muckle Mou (1950) includes Thomas as a main character.
• Nigel Tranter, a Scottish writer, wrote a novel called True Thomas (1981).
• In Sergey Lukyanenko's fantasy novel The Last Watch, Thomas is shown as still alive today and leading the Scottish Night Watch.
• Thomas also appears in John Leyland's ballad "Lord Soulis."

Images for kids

• 

  Music score to the ballad of "True Thomas", from Scott's Minstrelsy.