"The Bonny Earl of Murray" is a popular Scottishballad, probably written as far back as the 17th century, and has been catalogued as Child Ballad No. 181. The ballad touches on a true story stemming from the rivalry of James Stewart, Earl of Murray (or Moray), and the Earl of Huntly, in 1592. The exact circumstances that led to Murray's murder by Huntly are not known for certain, but in his notes on the ballad Francis James Child relates how Huntly, eager to prove that Murray was plotting with the Earl of Bothwell against King James VI, received a commission to bring Murray to trial. In the attempt to apprehend Murray, a sheriff was killed and Murray's castle was set afire. He fled, but was hunted down and killed at Donibristle in Fife. Murray has one of the best last words ever recorded, according to the (probably apocryphal) story Huntly slashed him across the face with his sword, and as he lay dying Murray said "Ye hae spoilt a better face than yer ain" (You have spoiled a better face than your own). The killing was very widely condemned, a painting was made of Murray's dead body, showing his multiple wounds, with the words "God avenge my cause".
The king's reaction in the ballad does not condone Huntly's action:
"Now wae be to thee, Huntly!
And wherefore did you sae?
I bade you bring him wi you,
But forbade you him to slay."
Nevertheless, the king did not punish Huntly, and some believe the king was complicit in the murder. The ballad, which praises Murray as "a braw gallant", was most likely composed by his supporters. It is possible that the clear inclusion of the king's condemnation of Huntly's acts (whether they were expressed by the king or not) was an effort to keep the ballad from being seen as treasonous. However, we can discount the ballad's claims that Murray was the Queen's lover, or that he might have become king.
It is from the first verse of "The Bonny Earl of Murray" that the term mondegreen, meaning misheard lyric, has come into popular use.
Ye Highlands, and ye Lawlands
Oh where have you been?
They have slain the Earl of Murray,
And they layd him on the green.
The final two lines had been heard as "they have slain the Earl of Murray, and Lady Mondegreen."
The title was next given to George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly.
Furthermore, Lord Moray holds the title Baron Stuart, of Castle Stuart in the County of Inverness; since it is in the Peerage of Great Britain, it entitled the Earls of Moray to sit in the House of Lords until the passage of the Peerage Act 1963.
Perhaps the most well-known Earl of Moray was James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray, the husband of Elizabeth Stewart, 2nd Countess of Moray, who held the Earldom jure uxoris (by right of his wife), as he was the subject of a famous ballad, "The BonnyEarl of Murray" ("Murray" being a variant spelling of "Moray").
It was this Earl of Murray who was known as the "bonny"earl, and, according to some historians, had impressed the heart of Anne of Denmark, and excited the jealousy of her royal spouse.
As for the Earl of Huntly, he was summoned, at the instance of the Lord of St. Colme, brother of the deceased Earl of Murray, to stand trial.
The Earl of Huntly’s vanguard was composed of 300 gentlemen, led by the Earl of Errol, Sir Patrick Gordon of Auchindun, the laird of Gight, the laird of Bonnitoun, and Captain, afterwards Sir Thomas Carr.
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