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23 Jun 12 - 04:10 PM (#3367168) Subject: Origins: Two Sisters links at MBM From: GUEST,Pat Blackman Hey all- As "Binnorie" / "Two Sisters" / "Wind and Rain" / Child 10 seems to be a consistent thread of debate and discussion here (and yes, I read a bunch of it before I posted this), I thought I'd pass along our two weeks worth of musings on the ballad at Murder Ballad Monday 1. Two Sisters / Wind and Rain - A basic introduction to the ballad's historical context and three main variants (the two in the link title, plus "Binnorie". 2. I'll Be True Unto My Love - A way to think about the folk process and how it can create so many diverse variants of a ballad like Child 10 by exploring Eleanor Long-Wilgus' paradigm. 3. Bow and Balance to Me - My conclusions and personal reactions to the three variants, and some speculation about jealousy, flirtation, and the role of the refrains in the "Two Sisters" variant. 4. Two Sisters Redux - Part 1 - A sampler of excellent examples of variants I did not consider in my first posts, including "Cruel Sister", "The Bows of London", and various Scots examples such as "The Swan Swims so Bonny O". 5. Two Sisters Redux - Part 2 - A sampler of several excellent examples of the "Two Sisters" and "Wind and Rain" variants to extend the original discussion, and an interesting look at the possible origins of both that leaves many open questions. 6. Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam - A broad conclusion that tries to get the big picture. 7. "Two Sisters" - Addendum 1 A first look at the unique new recording of "Two Sisters" recently posted on YouTube by Sheila Kay Adams. Is this a missing link; a complete version of Child 10 preserved in Appalachia that could be a relative of the later, truncated American versions? |