Shape of Water is what trad ballad?

Subject: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 12:15 PM

Fair Flower of Northumberland without the nasty bits?
Lord Bateman without the marriage?

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:13 PM

Any more info, Jon? Never heard of 'Shape of Water'. Plenty of Child Ballads that mention water though.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: RTim
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:36 PM

The "film" won an Oscar last night - so I assume Jon is talking about the story line as a Ballad..........

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:37 PM

It's a double Oscar-winning Hollywood blockbuster.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: RTim
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:38 PM

I just found the films - "Synopsis..."

Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab's classified secret -- a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank. As Elisa develops a unique bond with her new friend, she soon learns that its fate and very survival lies in the hands of a hostile government agent and a marine biologist.

Make something out of that if you can.....

Tim R

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:42 PM

Very reminiscent of Child number 577, 'The Unco Scaled Creature'.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:50 PM

You gotta love how people answer queries on Mudcat when they don't know what the heck the query is.
I figured the movie was an updated version of Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I haven't seen it.

I figure it might be close to Tam Lin, if the Queen of Fairy-land had turned him into the updated version of Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 04:52 PM

Maybe a Selkie/Silkie without the seal skin?

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 05:27 PM

Yes I was thinking selkie.
Giles Collins
Fair Annie in its Scandi forms.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 06:10 PM

Supposedly there is a Swedish tale of a much-put-upon merman . . .

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Hagman
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 06:44 PM

Sounds like a remake of "Creature From The Black Lagoon"....

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 05 Mar 18 - 09:04 PM

What I meant was...(structural analysis)

Fair Flower of Northumberland (Child #9)
He (the merman/Scottish knight) is a abused captive
She (the mute woman cleaner/the Fair Flower) releases him and they run away and (get married/drown?) - the nasty bit is that the knight sends her home (I willna hae ony such servants as thee...")

Lord Bateman (Young Beichan, Child #53)
He (the merman/Lord Bateman) is an abused captive
She (daughter of the Moor who captured him) releases him and he runs away and she follows after and finds him on his wedding day and she (instead of the intended) marries him

Are there any other ballads closer?

The film's fun to watch though it doesn't carry much weight

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Mar 18 - 12:39 PM

Ah I understand the analogy now. Love tryst between a captive alien and other, nothing to do with water creatures. How does the relationship pan out in SoW? 9 and 53 end very differently.

When I was referring to Fair Annie earlier I was really thinking of Agnete og Havmanden (Agnes and the Merman) Grundtvig 38 which was translated by Jamieson as 'The Merman Rosmer' but in this Rosmer is the captor and Agnete the captive.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: robomatic
Date: 06 Mar 18 - 12:52 PM

Just saw TSOW: Synopsis: "The Creature From the Black Lagoon Who Shagged Me."

Excellent Actors. Borrowed Characters. Attempt at Fantasy Interspecies Romance. Good atmosphere. Unoriginal plot. Runs just over two hours. I give it a 5 out of 10. Your mileage may vary.

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 05:33 AM

How about some Mississippi John Hurt?

Blues all on the ocean, blues all in the air
Can't stay here no longer, I have no steamship fare
When my earthly trials are over, carry my body out in the sea
Save all the undertaker bills, let the mermaids flirt with me

I do not work for pleasure, earthly peace I'll see no more
The only reason I work at all, is drive the world from my door
When my earthly trials are over, carry my body out in the sea
Save all the undertaker bills, let the mermaids flirt with me

My wife controls our happy home, a sweetheart I can not find
The only thing I can call my own, is a troubled and a worried mind
When my earthly trials are over, carry my body out in the sea
Save all the undertaker bills, let the mermaids flirt with me

Blues all in my body, my darling has forsaken me
If I ever see her face again, I have to swim across the sea
When my earthly trials are over, carry my body out in the sea
Save all the undertaker bills, let the mermaids flirt with me

Blues all on the ocean, blues all in the air
Can't stay here no longer, I have no steamship fare
When my earthly trials are over, carry my body out in the sea
Save all the undertaker bills, let the mermaids flirt with me

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 05:43 AM

I think, It's a double Oscar-winning Hollywood blockbuster

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Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 06:28 AM

Course, any song by Ethel Merman would be appropriate

Subject: RE: Shape of Water is what trad ballad?
From: robomatic
Date: 08 Mar 18 - 07:42 PM

"Take Me to the River"