Introduction – The Story of “Twa Sisters” A harrowing murder ballad in which an older sister shoves her younger sister in the water (and sometimes a musician makes an instrument from the drowned girl’s corpse) can be found all over Great Britain, North America, and Scandinavia. But where did it originally come from? And how … Read More
“The Death of Queen Jane” and its historical contexts Introduction – Investigating “The Death of Queen Jane” For a long time, “The Death of Queen Jane” has been considered a folk song that takes artistic liberties with the historic event of the birth of Edward VI to Jane Seymour in 1537. But is it possible … Read More
Long Lankin, the bogeyman of the Child Ballads Introduction – The History of Long Lankin Long Lankin is the bogeyman of the Child Ballads. A mysterious figure who lives in the moss (or the gorse, or the hay), he is known as a bloodthirsty murderer. But what’s the full story? The story has a lot … Read More
Songs about Highwaymen and an Exploration of “Cadgwith Anthem” (“Robbers’ Retreat”) Introduction – Songs about Highwaymen Robbers, bandits, highwaymen…there are a lot of English folk songs about outlaws. In this episode of Folk Files, we’ll look at why there are so many songs about criminals and what patterns exist in these ballads. Then, we’ll look … Read More
Investigating “The Butcher Boy” and other ballads where characters die for love Introduction – The Butcher Boy and Other Doomed Lovers This episode of Folk Files looks at a family of songs where the main character “dies for love.” In particular, I explore “The Butcher Boy,” a song with American, Irish, and English versions. The … Read More