I forbid ye maidens all who let fly your lovely hair..

[elionwyr]

Tomorrow night is Halloween. And so I offer this, one of the most traditional of tunes.

Get ready...get ready, my fellow Janets, to pull your lovers down and hold on tight.

They changed him in her arms to all
the beasts and flames and hateful things,
but she did all that her lover bade
and young Tam Lin she won.

Up then spoke the Faery Queen
An angry queen was she.
'Woe betide the wretch who's ta'en
the best knight of Our company.

Janet tied her kirtle green
above her knee and not below
and she's off to Carterhaugh
as fast as love can go.


(Or listen and buy the studio track at http://music.sjtucker.com/track/tam-lin.)
(Conversely, my fav novel versions are Tam Lin by Pamela Dean and Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones.)

Comments

[celtic_maenad]

My favorite version (sans s00j), is by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club. It's the reel, played slowly at first, then faster until up to full sped, with a (Scottish-accent) recitation of the poem over it. I don't know if it's on iTunes, as I got it (free, legally) long ago from mp3.com. I could probably send you the file if you like. :)