Who Killed…Cock Robin?
“I, said the Sparrow, with my bow and arrow” Introduction There are at least two things I’m not going to do in today’s post. There are at least two things I am going to do. The first thing I am … Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Jean Ritchie
A Cage of Beaten Gold – “False Sir John”
This is the second post concerning the ballad Child 4. See also Part 1. Introduction In my first post this week, I looked briefly at the history of the ballad Francis Child cataloged as his #4, known by many names; … Continue reading →
Who Weeps for the House Carpenter?
This is the second post on Child 243. Read the first post here. The short answer is “nobody.” Nobody weeps for the house carpenter. In our last post, we saw how artists through the years molded and shaped the original … Continue reading →
The price, my dear, is you.
In the last post on Led Zeppelin’s “Gallows Pole,” we looked at how a centuries-old English tale about a fair maiden who loses a golden ball evolved into two different stories – one with a fairy tale ending in which … Continue reading →
While travelling through Kentucky…
Introduction My first post this week introduced “Hiram Hubbard”, a Kentucky murder ballad from the era of the Civil War. The performance of Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson was our springboard. For the sake of avoiding multiple clicks across posts, … Continue reading →
Hiram Hubbard / Hiram Hubbert
“Come all you friends and neighbors…” Every spring, as I finish teaching my unit on the American Civil War, my thoughts turn towards that most terrible of American experiences. Me being who I am always makes that rather intense. This … Continue reading →
Edward / What Put the Blood? / The Blood on His Shirt Sleeve
Cain Leadeth Abel to Death – Chromolithograph book plate, James Tissot, 1904 Note: This is Part 1 of a 4 part series – see also Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 This week we’re back in to the Child Ballads. It’s been … Continue reading →
Matty Groves / Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
This is Part 1 of a three part series. See also Part 2, and Part 3. Introduction – “Twas on the high, high holy day…” This week we go back to Britain, to the old ballads. Yes, it’s one of … Continue reading →
Bow and Balance to Me
Ok, let’s bring this one on home. In the introductory post for the week, we learned that Child 10, the ballad commonly known as “Two Sisters“, is in fact quite old, with Scandinavian roots stretching back perhaps a thousand years. … Continue reading →
I’ll be true unto my love…
When I was linking the lyrics for Clannad’s version of “Two Sisters” for this week’s main post, I was stumped when I saw the refrain on several sites listed as “the boys are born for me”. I’d always heard it … Continue reading →