The Twa Corbies by anonymous

• The Twa Corbies is a traditional Scottish ballad which, like many others, comes from an unknown source.
• It has a long history and a set of traditions that were passed down through oral communication.
• It was published in Sir Walter Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border in 1812.
• In this poem, two crows plan to feast on the body of a a knight who has been killed
• Those who should mourn the knight have abandoned him, and moved on with their lives.

This poem explores themes of:

• heroism and reputation
• injustice, betrayal and defying social rules
• politics
• loss and mourning
• death and decay

You can read The Twa Corbies on the Scottish Poetry Library website.

Medieval setting and chivalry

The ballad is set in medieval times, when a knight would have held a high social status and many responsibilities that came with it.

Chivalry was the set of rules that a knight was expected to live by:

• Knights were expected to be loyal to their lords and kings, serving them faithfully and defending their lands.
• In battle, a knight must show both skill and courage, but also must act fairly and with justice.
• Knights were to behave in a way that built a honourable reputation, by being respectful to women, highly religious, and living righteous lives.
• They were supposed to defend the weak and vulnerable and treat everyone with courtesy and honour.

It was believed that God conveyed social status and that God’s favour was what allowed you to win a battle. If you lost, it meant that God was no longer on your side. This ‘chivalric code’ set society’s ideas about honour, masculinity, and heroism in Europe for hundreds of years. How close these ideals were to reality is open to question, as is perhaps suggested by this poem.

Form

A ballad is a type of narrative poem which is part of the oral storytelling tradition. Ballads were passed down in families and shared in communities. They usually told dramatic, emotional, or tragic stories.

This ballad is a dark tale, in keeping with this style of writing. It includes direct speech, a feature of the genre, where the crows discuss the knight whose corpse they intend to consume.

The language is typically simple, in keeping with the oral tradition of storytelling. This poem is relatively short compared to many other ballads, and it has a minimal storyline, making it fairly unusual in the ballad tradition. It is also very cold and clinical in its tone, in keeping with the unsentimental crows who voice most of the poem. This is very different to the style of other ballads, which usually have a very emotive and romantic tone, with a sense of mourning or loss when dealing with death.

Structure

• The poem takes the form of five stanzas.
• Each stanza is composed of four lines (quatrains)..
• Quatrains are the most commonly used structure for a ballad.
• Unlike other ballads, it uses an AABB rhyme scheme. (In a ballad, the rhyme scheme is usually ABCB but there are many variations)
• This simple rhyme perhaps reflects the clear, matter-of-fact attitude of the crows.

Repetition

Ballads usually have a refrain. This poem is a little unconventional as it does not use one. There is some repetition, such as:

• the use of ‘mane’ in the opening and ending, which creates a sense of closure
• the focus on dining and dinner in stanzas one and three
• ‘bare’ and white bones referenced in stanzas four and five
• the idea that nobody knows about the body in stanzas two and six

This use of repetition enables the ballad to have a tight structure and a strong rhythm that effectively links ideas from one stanza to the next.

• The first twelve lines focus on the body’s location and isolation.
• In the second half, lines 13 to 16, focus on how the crows plan to use the body.
• The final stanza focuses on those who will miss the knight and how, ultimately, he will be left there alone forever.

Narrative voice

The first stanza is mainly written from the first-person point of view of the human narrator, but after the first three lines, the speaker passes the story over to the dialogue of the two crows. An observer as a narrator is a commonly used device in ballads. It frames the tale as a personal discovery that the speaker wants to share with their audience.

For the remainder of the poem, though, the narrative voice comes from the two crows. It is perhaps unusual to have a story told from the point of view of a bird.

The crows

It is likely that the person who wrote the ballad would have observed the behaviour of crows in the wild and used this to attach personality and motive to what is, essentially, a simple need to eat.

A superstition grew around birds like crows and ravens because they would scavenge for food from corpses on battlefields, making them symbols of death and decay. They were considered messengers from an afterlife, and their instinctive cleverness made people concerned about their intentions. As a result, crows and other birds of this type are often considered to be birds of ‘ill omen’ – to be bad luck.

The poet uses anthropomorphism to give voice to these animals and their behaviour. The first crow speaks only once, asking:

Where sall we gang and dine today?

The rest of what happens is told from the point of view of the second crow, who seems more in charge and who has already investigated the scene and created a plan of where and how to eat. This narrative voice is very firm, and unsentimental.

The crows

The narrator of the first three lines tells us that they had been alerted to the presence of the crows because they were “making a mane”, (moaning).

The word ‘mane’ has connotations, implying that they could be upset by the knight's death. As we get further into the poem, it is clear that the word reflects the birds' hunger, almost as if they are starving, and relish the idea of eating his body.

A pair of crows would only be concerned with feeding, and maintaining their nest. They are unaffected by the death of this nobleman, as his life experience is so different to theirs, and his battles are not their battles. This could perhaps represent the life of ordinary Scots at this time – they witnessed the battles of knights and nobles, but were more concerned about their ability to eat, feed their families, and survive.

The second crow tells its mate that it should ‘sit on his white hause-bane’ – to sit on the knight's collar bone – almost as a sentry, watching for any threat. Sitting on the knight's chest suggests a dominant hold, as if the crows were perched in victory on top of the knight - as if, for all his heroism or nobility, he has been defeated by symbols of death.

The crow indicates that “nane do ken that he lies there” except for the hound, hawk, and his "lady fair", and then notes that their lives have moved on without him. It is never questioned why they make no efforts to protect or bury his body.

From the crows' point of view, this is not condemned or criticised; it is stated without judgement. The crows understand that life has to go on and that there is little sense in mourning the dead.

To the crows, the body is only a source of food. The fact it is forgotten and lying hidden is helpful to the crows - it's safe for the birds to eat without threat. Their defining considerations, therefore, are survival and safety, not a sentimental reflection on the life and death of a knight.

The opening line establishes that the initial speaker is alone, helping to develop an unnerving tone.

As I was walking all alane,

The speaker’s solitude mirrors the theme of isolation. It is a central idea of the poem that we die alone.

I heard twa corbies making mane;
The tane unto the t’other say,
‘Where sall we gang and dine the day?’

“Making mane” is a Scots phrase meaning an expression of sorrow or mourning. This might initially suggest that their tone is sad, lamenting a death. However, it quickly becomes clear that this is not mournful, but is perhaps a moan of longing or excitement for the feast they are about to have. They are carrion birds, opportunists who see this as an opportunity for a great meal, indicated by the word choice of “dine.” The use of "dine" rather than a simple word like "eat" perhaps reflects the birds are on the hunt for something special to eat. This could refer to the knight's status and that a person of this rank is an unusual or special treat for the birds.

From the second stanza onwards, the poem reflects the words of the dominant crow of the pair.

We discover the crows plan, and its direct speech creates a conversational tone. However, as the poem progresses, we realise the coldness of its attitude - the callousness with which it describes consuming a dead body - indicates how unsentimental the birds are.

In behind yon auld fail dyke,
I wot there lies a new slain knight:
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair.

A “dyke” in modern Scots would indicate a stone wall. However, in this case, the Scots word “fail” indicates the crow is referring to a turf or sod wall, a very humble, ordinary barrier. It is “auld,” suggesting it is unused and is not a place where people often go. This is a lonely and desolate place, and the knight has fallen in a humble location, one in direct contrast to his presumed nobility.

The dyke also serves a metaphorical function. The dyke can be seen as a boundary between life and death: the knight is ‘behind’ this boundary, in the land of the dead. As crows were considered to be messengers from the afterlife, this is also effective in creating a dark atmosphere.

The word choice of ‘new slain’ shows that the death is recent and also that it has been violent, implying a brutal death.

It seems that few people know about this tragedy:

But his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair.

This further highlights the isolation of the scene and how forgotten the knight is in death. The listing of three symbols of a knight’s life emphasises how abandoned the knight has been.

• Hawks symbolise hunting and nobility.
• Hounds symbolise loyalty and companionship.
• The lady represents the romantic ideals of a knight; his own loyalty and his role in defending the vulnerable.

Apart from the crows, it is only these three that know what has happened. The circumstance of how the knight was killed and how the animals and his love know where it took place are not explained. We may be left wondering if they were involved in his death.

The next stanza continues in a grim, unsentimental way, showing how little loyalty the knight’s companions actually had:

‘His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,
His lady’s ta’en another mate,
So we may make our dinner sweet.

The crows' observations have an iconoclastic function. In this poem, the crows challenge the romantic ideals of loyalty and noble death.

We hear that the knight’s animals have returned to their natural hunting instincts, no longer guarding or mourning their master. Like the crows they are unsentimental animals and have gone on with their lives.

The lady, who is supposed to symbolise fidelity and love, has instead shown that love is temporary. She has transferred her love to another. Again, the circumstances are unexplained. It is possible she had taken up with another man before the knight's death. Or has she moved on because her knight can no longer provide for or protect her?

Everyone in this poem sees the knight as transactional; they see him for what he can give to them.

The knight’s body is left where he fell, exposed to the elements and to predators. This lack of care for his body means that the crows can “make our dinner sweet.” This word choice indicates the pleasure the crows will take from this feast, made possible due to the neglect of those who were supposed to love and protect him.

The crows’ cold, practical attitude would be shocking to the reader who would, instead, have expected the knight to be treated with dignity:

‘Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane, hause-bane:
And I’ll pike out his bonny blue een;
Wi ae lock o his gowden hair
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare.

Eating the knight shows the natural cycle of life: the crows will carefully use all of his parts. His eyes will be eaten first, his blond hair will line the birds’ nest, and his collar bone/neck bone will be used as a perch.

Sentimental descriptions that humans would take from the “bonny blue een” and his “gowden hair” are used here only to show the luxury that this corpse brings to the crows. The plan to “pike” those eyes, suggesting a violent, spiking, poking action. The alliteration in “bonny blue” emphasises the knight’s beauty in life, in contrast to the violence of the bird’s plan. His hair being “gowden” creates the image of a crown, emphasising his nobility. But nobility and fine appearance mean nothing in death, or to the crows whose plans for the knight's body are purely practical.

It is likely, too, that the crow is telling its mate to sit sentry, watching for anyone coming to disturb the feast while the dominant crow eats:

Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane

“Ye’ll sit” creates a commanding tone from the dominant bird. It has planned out how this is going to go, suggesting this is a familiar situation and that the knight being eaten is inevitable. It also changes the status of the knight: far from being a noble warrior, perched on his steed, he is now a feeding station, with birds perching on him. This shows no respect to the knight. His bones are described, suggesting his body is already in the process of being stripped by predators. The word choice of “white” suggests a skeletal image: a stark image of the finality of death.

Thecrow is very matter-of-fact about the plans: the two crows must work together to create domestic safety and survival. They will “theek our nest” together when it “grows bare.” As winter brings about hardship and decay, this death will allow them to live. At heart, life is an ongoing process of survival.

The final stanza is the only place where a sense of emotion comes into the poem; the crow ends on a (literally) chilling note, stating that many will mourn for him, but they will never know what happened to him. The only thing that will know where he has gone is the wind that will blow over his white bones forever.

‘Mony an ane for him maks mane,
But nane sall ken where he is gane;
Oer his white banes, when they are bare,
The wind sall blaw for evermair.’

This is the first part of the poem where there is any suggestion that anyone in his life valued the knight. The word “mane” is repeated from the first stanza, this time referring to the “mony” who will cry for him.

Similarly, “nane sall ken” links back to “naebody ken,” emphasising the knight’s isolation and abandonment in death. Over time, the knight will decay, from someone who “lies there” to becoming someone who “is gane.” He will physically decay, and the memories those who survive him will also fade. Some readers may take "where he is gane" to suggest what happens after death. It could be taken to mean that no-one knows what happens to a person, or even the idea of a soul, after their body has died.

The final couplet returns to the idea of his “white banes” being left on display. This creates a stark image of a vulnerable “bare” body, which is left unprotected. This harsh, desolate setting is no comfort to the dead. The last line introduces the idea of the wind – a force of nature that is unstoppable and eternal, existing independently of humanity, its battles, or its problems.

This uncaring wind will “blaw for evermair’” over “his white banes.” This creates a stark image of his unloved, lonely body, kept cold and alone for all of eternity. However we have lived our lives, we will all die and remain that way forever.

This poem is famous for its callous, and cold tone. The crows are matter-of-fact about death and even often come across as gleeful about the fate of the knight. There is a strong sense of detachment from their point of view – there is nothing sentimental in this ballad. They see the discovery of a body as a routine, casual event.

The birds focus on the practicalities of their lives rather than suggesting any grief or emotion. They have no respect for honour or dignity. This emphasises the idea that death is a leveller – we all face it, and life goes on without us. It is further suggested that death (and therefore life too) has no meaning, and even the good and the great are forgotten.

There is also a tone of cynicism as the crows reflect on how little loyalty or grief is shown by the knight’s hawk, hound, or lady. There is nothing to suggest they mourn, that the knight’s death received justice or that he found any redemption. There is only decay and consumption.

Brush up on your knowledge of tone and how writers create it with this National 5 English revision video.

This ballad offers an entirely different view of heroism from many other ballads, as it satirises ideas of social status and rank. Instead of being a romantic celebration of chivalry, this ballad creates a sense of realism and a cold, dark tone. The knight doesn’t get an honourable burial in this poem; instead, he is food for the animals, taking his place in the natural cycle of life and death.

There is no romanticisation of his death, only a gruesome description of how the birds plan to eat him. His romantic qualities are only given mention as part of a delicious treat for them or a way to make their nest more comfortable. His heroism means nothing to these birds; their only instinct and imperative is to survive. The knight loses his social status and nobility in death and is now equal to any other animal. This knight’s reputation means nothing – it hasn’t protected his life or kept his companions loyal. He will be remembered by some who will mourn him, but no one will come looking for him.

The themes of heroism and reputation are also shown in the other poems:

In The Twa Corbies, injustice is suggested through the lack of loyalty shown to the knight by "his hawk, his hound, and his lady fair". For all the knight's chivalry and values, he is left unburied and without commemoration. His loyal animals and love abandon him for survival, illustrating that survival instincts outweigh loyalty and love, which appear fleeting and false.

Society expects mourning and honour, yet the knight is forgotten. His death only interests scavengers. This highlights the difference between human values and emotions and the unemotional practical reality of nature.

The themes of injustice, betrayal and defying social rules are also shown in:

Knights were crucial to the feudal system in medieval politics, serving as warriors, role models, and enforcers for kings and lords, especially in the Scottish Borders. They held land in exchange for service, committing their loyalty to specific leaders. Their marriages and alliances shaped politics, establishing power and trust.

In The Twa Corbies, the unnoticed death of a knight symbolises decline in noble power, hinting at the loss of established moral and social values. This reflects societal uncertainty: if knights can’t protect themselves, how can they protect others?

The poem can be seen as a criticism of the feudal system and social hierarchies, with received ideas of loyalty and honour seem empty. To ordinary people, represented by the crows, ideas of chivalry and nobility mean nothing.

The theme of politics is also shown in :

This ballad lacks traditional mourning, which makes it effective by depicting death with detachment and indifference.

The knight’s death is unacknowledged; his hawk, hound, and lady have moved on, suggesting societal shifts where death no longer prompts sorrow. The tone, delivered by the corbies, denies the knight dignity, emphasising survival over loss. In death, he loses his identity and status, becoming just another source of food for the birds. Through the hawk, hound and lady fair, there's a focus on replacing what's lost and moving on, reflecting a view of humans as lacking emotional connection.

The final stanza hints at some grief, with the crow noting many mourn but none know his whereabouts.

The themes of loss and mourning are also shown in:

Death is presented in a very unsentimental way, again, unlike the emotional tone of many other ballads: life is frail, and death reduces us all to nothing.

The body is left unburied and uncommemorated, left only to be food for the crows. Nature does not care – the birds see food, not any sense of tragedy. The cycle of life is represented here. We see, though, decay and death in a metaphorical sense: feudal values are decaying, and we see the death in traditional values.

The themes of death and decay are also shown in: