Ardbeg Corryvreckin

There are those whose courage show

Upon the fields of war

There are those whose determination grow

With every closing door

Some will try and prove their love

With presents, gold and flowers

And there was one that tried to show all 3

By tameing what was beyond their power

Oh what will happen to brave Breakan

Who came from Nordic land

To sail across the Corryvreckin

To win a maiden’s hand

It is only when a heart is filled

That it becomes so plain to see

Just how much pain and sorrow

Is in a heart that beats empty

So it was with King Breacken

When the Princess he saw

And first looked into her eyes

Upon that Scottish shore

The love grew fast between them

But her father was not impressed

To win her love, he insisted

That this Breacken he should test

There was no giant for him to fight

Nor dragon for him to slay

But the force of the Corryvreckin

To survive for just 3 day

And so Breacken travelled home

Wise counsel for to seek

So he could face this mighty challenge

And still his life to keep

The first wiseman did approach him

His beard both white and long

The best hemp we will gather

To make a rope both thick and strong

The second wiseman then came forward

I fear your safety to gain

No rope could ever be strong enough

We must forge a mighty chain

The third wiseman then rose to his feet

The wisest of them all

The answer he suggested

Did surprise them all

Be it hemp or be it metal

It will lead you to despair

The cord that will protect you

Must be of virgin’s hair

So all across the country

Sweet maidens shaved their heads

For they all loved King Breacken

And did not want him dead

Breacken returned to the water

With his anchors three

One tied with hemp, another chain

And one with purity

The whirlpool pulled relentless

But his anchors held him fast

Then, by the end of the first day

The hemp rope could not last

Breacken still had two more anchors

To keep him from the drink

But by the end of day two

The chain broke at its weakest link

Breacken stayed strong

His boat kept floating there

For he had every faith

In the cord from virgin’s hair

His faith was not well founded

The cord had a fatal flaw

One hair was from a liar

Who was not a virgin at all

So the cord was weakened

It frayed, it spun then broke

Breacken was thrown into Corryvreckin

And was drowned without a hope

His body would have been lost

If it were not for his hound

Who swam out and retrieved him

And brought him to by the sound

The princess deep in mourning

His body for to save

Buried him with affection

Within a nearby cave