Analyses

A mysterious maiden dwells on alone in the wilderness, nourished by nature itself. Sounds like either, a Wickerman sequel or the latest Campaign by Greenpeace.

Written down in the 14th century but most likely from much earlier time, the meaning of the lyric is a mystery that has baffled readers since its discovery. Initially it was thought there may be a religious meaning, with the maiden being Mary, however this view has now been abandoned, as the source of the song is a book of secular and lewd songs.

Naturally being in a book of lewd songs, people have looked for ways to interpet the lyrics lewdly. The most popular suggestion today is she is a fertility goddess and the song mentions some kind of fertility ritual, which were common throughout the medieval era, with many people participating in them.

Another suggestion is the lyric has an otherworldly quality and the maiden may be part of fairy/elf-maiden tradition, especially as the number 7 is mentioned in the number  of nights she spends there, 7 being the number associated with the otherworld in most folklore. However the song does not mention magic, so arguing for a magical meaning may be the wrong direction.

The lyric follows a maiden, who goes and lives on a moor for a week and a day. In the second verse the song asks, what is her "mete", meaning what food will she eat, and the songs answers primroses and violets. The third verse asks what will she drink and answers cold water from a spring. The final verse asks where is her bed(bour) and answers she will sleep on red roses and lilies.

The choice of a moor is significant. Throughout English folklore, moorland occupies a place between civilisation and the dangerous unknown, a place inhabited by supernatural beings. 

Also in medieval verse flowers carried symbolism and were often to convey metaphor:

Primrose - spring, youth... Violet - modesty, woodland... Rose - beauty, love... Lily - purity.

In the lyric the maiden lives in complete harmony with the natural world. She neither farms nor hunts, owns no possessions, and relies entirely upon wild flowers and spring water. Such a life is difficult to reconcile with the medieval reality of a bonded serf, but fits comfortably within an idealised view of the landscape. The lyric also reflects a time when the natural world itself was viewed as sacred.

Also in Christian miracle stories, food is provided through divine intervention, not nature itself: whereas in this lyric, no miracle sustains this maiden, the earth itself provides her food, drink and shelter. Nature is not portrayed as hostile, as in many christian tales but as nurturing. God not being mentioned as being responsible for her food is also surprisingly unusual idea for a medieval lyric.

That the song never explains itself is its greatest strength. Unlike most medieval songs, there is no story, no narrative, no parable, no romance and no ending. Instead, it paints a single image of a maiden living in harmony with the natural world. Whether listeners imagined her as a fertility spirit, a fairy or supernatural being, the virgin Mary or simply an idealised country girl, the song has preserved its mystery for over six hundred years.