Poetry Hut Blog
murder ballad

A lot of my Gran’s folks lived in Burke County, NC & around Morganton. For a few generations, the women in that part of my family never married, had kids by multiple partners, and also gave their own surname to their kids (instead of the man’s). So I haven’t had much luck with my genealogical research for that Whisnant line LOL. Anyway, speaking of Burke County, North Carolina…

there is an Appalachian murder ballad called “The Ballad of Frankie Silver(s)” — it isn’t as well-known as like “Omie Wise” or other murder ballads. The story is that Frankie allegedly took an axe to her husband and afterward she allegedly confessed via the ballad’s lyrics. (From the scaffold, even.)

There is a (great) documentary “The Ballad of Frankie Silver” at Folkstreams and you can watch it online. [warning: contains hillbilly music]

Frankie Silver got hanged on this day in 1833

This dreadful dark and dismal day,
Has swept my glories all away.
My sun goes down, my days are past,
And I must leave this world at last?

Oh! Lord, what will become of me?
I am condemned, you all now see,
To heaven or hell my soul must fly
All in a moment when I die. . . .

[the rest of her confession]