Death of Queen Jane

In my quest to find out some info on Jane Seymour I was led off track, but in a good/surprising way. I found an old folk song called "Death of Queen Jane" which tells the tale of how Jane gave birth to Edward and then died - except this follows the theory that she had a Cesarean Section. This is a popular myth that probably isn't true, but I thought it was cool none-the-less. I have found many different versions of the lyrics, but here were the most common ones I found.

"Queen Jane lay in labor, Full nine days or more, Till the women were so tired, They could stay no longer there.

"Good women, good women, Good women as ye be, Do open my right side, And find my baby."

"Oh no," said the women," That may never be; We will send for King Henry, And hear what he say."

King Henry was sent for, King Henry he did come;" What do ail you, my lady, Your eyes look so dim?"

"King Henry, King Henry, Will you do one thing for me? That's to open my right side, And find my baby."

"Oh no," said King Henry, "That's a thing I'll never do! If I lose the Flower of England, I shall lose the branch too."

Queen Jane she turned over, And she fell into a swoon, And her side was piercéd open, And the baby was found.

King Henry went mourning, And so did all his men --And so did the baby, For Queen Jane did die then.

How deep was the mourning, How black were all the bands, How yellow were the flamboys, They carried in their hands.

There was fiddling and dancing, On the day that the babe was born, But poor Queen Jane beloved, Lay cold as a stone."

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