"The Bonnie Earl O' Moray" is a popular Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

, probably written as far back as the 17th century, and has been catalogued under the name "Bonny Earl O'Murray" as Child Ballad No. 181. . Irish-American singer Robbie O'Connell has a version on his album Close to the Bone.

The ballad touches on a true story stemming from the rivalry of James Stewart

James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray

James Stewart , 2nd Earl of Moray was a Scottish nobleman, the son of James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune. The 2nd Earl was murdered by George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly, as the culmination of a vendetta...

, Earl of Moray

Earl of Moray

The title Earl of Moray has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.Prior to the formal establishment of the peerage, Earl of Moray, numerous individuals ruled the kingdom of Moray or Mormaer of Moray until 1130 when the kingdom was destroyed by David I of Scotland.-History of the...

 ' onMouseout='HidePop("57422")' href="/topics/Murray">Murray

Murray

-People with the name Murray:*Murray — see that page for a list of people with the surname.*Murray Ball, New Zealand cartoonist*Murray Deaker, New Zealand sports broadcaster*Murray Goldberg, Canadian eLearning pioneer...

), and the Earl of Huntly

George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly

George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...

, in 1592.