This is the first of four posts on Child Ballad 243. The next three installments can be found here, here, and here. Well Met, Well Met What lengths will a singer go to in changing the songâs âfactsâ to keep … Continue reading →
When is a murder ballad high art? Certainly when filmmaker and musician Anthony Ladesich and his creative compatriots get hold of it. Ladesich was kind enough to speak with me at length about a wonderful film project that he brought … Continue reading →
My chosen song this week has as its origins an English fairy tale about a girl who loses a nice toy and is punished for it. It is a tale that grew in at least two major branches. Along one … Continue reading →
detail from Twa Sisters â quilt by Dan Willig So, as I introduced in my first post this week, Iâm trying to add some depth and variety to my first series of entries from six months ago on the ballad known as Child … Continue reading →
detail from Twa Sisters â quilt by Dan Willig Six months ago, my first post for this blog dealt with the ancient murder ballad âTwo Sistersâ, also known as âWind and Rainâ as well as several other names.  Iâm happy with the … Continue reading →
Study for âThere Were Three Maidens Puâd Flowerâ by Charles H. Mackie Death Before Dishonor?The themes in âBabylonâ pointed me back to reviewing Patâs excellent series of posts on âEdward,â (Child 13), particularly this one, which is a careful, reluctant, … Continue reading →
Thereby Hangs a (Folk) Tale In the last post, I suggested that there seemed to be a certain implausible, or perhaps contrived, quality, to the narrative of  âBabylon,â âThe Bonnie Banks oâ Fordie,â or âFair Flowers of the Valley,â … Continue reading →
âThe Bonnie Banks OâFordie,â by Charles Hodge Mackie (1892) Fair Flowers of the Valley While itâs not exactly our intention to ring the changes on the varieties of family-based murder ballads, weâll turn this week to Child Ballad 14, âBabylonâ … Continue reading →
 Cain Leadeth Abel to Death â Chromolithograph book plate, James Tissot, 1904 Note: This is Part 1 of a 4 part series â see also Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 This week weâre back in to the Child Ballads.  Itâs been … Continue reading →
The Lass of Loch Royal As Hamish Henderson noted in the link we discussed in the post that started this week with the deception May Margaretâs mother perpetrates on Willie matches that found in âLord Gregoryâ (lyrics) or âThe Lass of … Continue reading →
