The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #141964   Message #3269386
Posted By: John Minear
06-Dec-11 - 02:10 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Demon Lover in New England?
Subject: Lyr Req: Demon Lover in New England?
I'm looking for versions of Child #243, "The Demon Lover"/"The House Carpenter" that have been found in the New England region. The "literature" suggests that this was a wide-spread and popular ballad, but I am not turning up very much at all. What am I missing? I am looking for as much detail as possible, so I'm interested in specific collections, particular versions (with singer identification, location and date), literary references, and recorded editions of this ballad, and of course, lyrics. I am aware that there are a number of Canadian collections, but I am limiting my search at this point to the U.S. I'm especially interested in finding a version from Massachusetts. I'm guessing that the documentation on this ballad for New England is not as extensive as one might imagine. Thanks for your help.