Challenge The Celtic Song Challenge|All New Songs Now Claimed

Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds were a swellin’
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For the love of Barbriallen.


*


This idea had its beginnings years ago, when—let us say that it was as I was out roving on a walk--it occurred to me that Anakin and Padmé’s (justly or unjustly, depending on one’s point of view) much criticized relationship in the prequel trilogy would actually make a good deal more sense in the context of the old ballads and songs of the British Isles. They are filled with young men and their true loves who have more love than logic. And some of these young men are, quite sadly, kriffsliders who brutally attack the girls who love them, just as Anakin force-choked his wife—and, as the audience would have known without it being spelled out, the girls were pregnant.

And as for Padmé dying “of a broken heart:” it might not make sense in the real world, but in the world of the ballads, people die when their hearts break all the time.

(There is not a way that someone, somewhere, has not already written an A/P fanfiction heavily inspired by “I Am Stretched on Your Grave,” the poem written anonymously in Irish, and translated into English, and set to music. It is inevitable.)

Of course, there are many more stories in Star Wars--as many as the stars, and the variants of the traditional ballads--that can be told with the influence of these songs. But I thought I would start with one of the more obvious examples.

So: greetings, and welcome to the Celtic Song Challenge.


*

And slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she went to him
And all she said when she got there
“Young man, I think you’re dying.”


*

We have chosen twenty songs for this challenge. Obviously, this barely scratches the surface of Francis James Child’s five-volume 305 song strong The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, not to mention other sources; and it is, by necessity of a lifetime of random musical discovery, random. We have included songs from Scotland and Ireland, as well as crossing the Atlantic ocean for some North American variants, the songs of Scotch and Irish immigrants and their descendants. Most of them are traditional, the names of the writers lost to time; a few others are still credited to their lyricists, one of whom is W.B. Yeats. Fair warning: while they remain within the site TOS, these songs contain murder, bad behavior, poor logic, cruelty, jealousy, the choice between the rebellion and one's true love, a mind-scarring description of Caesarian delivery—and of course, a plethora of kriffsliders.

You can use these songs to write a re-telling, or as guides to entirely new stories. You can use the titles, or pieces of the lyrics, for your title. While we strongly discourage the writing of song fics (as that is not the point of this challenge), if you wish to write a traditional ballad from one of the worlds in that far, far away galaxy, you have our full approval.

Basically: keep to the TOS, but otherwise, have at it.

*

He turned his face up to the wall
He turned his back upon her
“Adieu, Adieu to all my friends
Be kind to Barbriallen.”

*

If you wish to play, here are the rules:

*Roll a twenty-sided dice for your number. Each song may only be claimed once, so in the event that you get a number that has already been chosen, you will need to roll again. If you don’t feel comfortable playing with the dice (and it can be tricky) just let us know, and we will pick a number for you.

ETA 10.30.2018: There is presently one song available for claiming.

*Once you have a number, and the associated song, we will post—publicly in the thread, so we can share with the rest of the boards--with links to both lyrics and several videos, depending on what youtube has to offer. Of course, considering the number of variants of many of these songs, we highly encourage you to research your song further on your own if you are so inclined.

*Once you have your story posted, please share a link to it here, and we shall add it to the index.

*You may, after you finish with your first song, roll for a second one. That is the limit though, and you may not have a third.

*If you are stuck with your song, you can release it back into the fold and try again with a second one.

*There is no deadline, and there will be no prizes. There is only (lyrical, murderous) fun.

*Oh, and last, but not least: Non Star Wars fandoms are more than welcome.

*

They buried Sweet Willie in the old churchyard
And Barbara in the new one
From Willie’s grave there grew a rose
From Barbara’s a green briar.

They grew and they grew on the old church wall
And could not grow no higher
And there they tied in a true love’s knot
The rose bush and the briar.

*

(Lyrics from “Barbriallen.” Traditional.)

Credit goes to Ewok Poet for coining the term “kriffslider.”

 

Oh my goodness, these would be EPIC in the GFFA

I have too much already, but I can't resist!


And I get "The Cruel Sister". Sibling rivalry and murder....awesome!

 

Raissa Baiard: Yes, I think these songs could be as epic as a metal cello solo (sorry--wrong genre) in that far, far away galaxy.

It sounds as though you're already familiar with your song, but for those reading this thread who are not: also known as "The Twa Sisters," it is indeed about sibling rivalry that ends in murder, and it gets weirder after that. Oh, and yes, these sisters--or one of them at least--are fighting it out over yet another Sweet William. Come on, ladies: he is totally not worth killing over.

And here are a few versions from the bounty of youtube. Everything is under the spoiler cut because that is how the code insists on going, and nothing I do will convince it otherwise.

Spoiler

First, here is Loreena McKennitt performing her version, under the title "The Bonny Swans":

This second version is by the Scottish folk group Old Blind Dogs (you can see the lyrics here):

 

I shouldn't... but I'm going to.

Rolling now.

 

Findswoman told me to do this, so I am doing it...

EDIT: Yay, I got the one I wanted.

 

Briannakin: And you have received "Tam Lin." All I will write for my opening about this song is: when the Faerie Queen rises, "and an angry woman was she," to speak the last words, it might indicate the ending isn't as happy as it previously looked.

The lyrics, with links to a trove of further information

I should admit here that I dislike the most popular versions of this song--obviously, it is just my subjective taste, but I find them to sound far too "modern"--but I will post them here.

Spoiler

First, this version by Fairport Convention:


And this one, by Steeleye Span:

 

Ewok Poet: You have received "The Twa Corbies." A touching tale to be sure--where after you leave this mortal coil, everyone abandons you save the scavengers. At least, in this colder, harsher version. In the English song "The Three Ravens," your hounds and hawk remain loyal, and your lover goes off to die as true love claims another victim.

My apologies--I think I just had a sass overload.

Here are the lyrics.

And a few versions from youtube:

Spoiler

Old Blind Dogs:


Steeleye Span:


The Corries:

 

Okay, I have got to do this!

 

Whoohoo! Terrible abusive parenting and everybody dies! (I love the Loreena McKennitt version.)

Edit: sorry for the double post, I wasn't sure if it would mess with the dice throw.

 

Findswoman: "The Knoxville Girl" (which I remembered incorrectly as "The Nashville Girl") is an American variant of a song known in the UK as "The Wexford Girl" or "The Oxford Girl." The basic story remains the same in all three versions: it is a classic murder ballad, featuring a classic kriffslider as its narrator.

And it is quite the bouncy tune too, considering the subject matter: it is (to quote Alex Bender writing on the Order of the Good Death blog) a "deceptively sunny-sounding tune; indeed, there's nary a minor chord in the entire song."

A version of the lyrics

And some videos:

Spoiler

"The Knoxville Girl":




"The Oxford Girl":

 

Kahara: Whoohoo! Terrible abusive parenting and everybody dies!

Oh yes: it does not get much better (and by better, I mean much more terrible) than this one.

Lyrics

And a few videos:

Spoiler

Loreena McKennitt:


Mary Black:

 

Now, I shall commit the sin of triple posting, because I never can resist an opportunity to throw the die.

And edited in: And I have No. 19--"Black is the Colour." I have done well with this throw.

Lyrics

And videos:

Spoiler

Christy Moore:


Gaelic Storm:

 

I used an online dice and got a 5. Does that count? Or is there another program?

Wait, just found the program and it gave me a three. I like 5 better. I know what to do with 5.

 

Pandora I was familiar with the Steeleye Span version, I like them. But I'm afraid that, as a non-native speaker who did not major in English (for the equivalent of minoring at my uni, we only did contemporary language), I'll be needing this "translation":
http://www.twocrows.co.uk/twa_corbies.html

 

Drinky crow, yo ho ho...

Got a three....need to roll again...

Well, that didn't work...I can try three. (I prefer "Down by the Sally Gardens" for the record).

 

Number 5 has not yet been chosen, and so it most definitely counts.

You have received "The Wind That Shakes the Barley." This ballad, unlike the older traditional ones, has a credited author--it was written by Irish poet and professor Robert Dwyer Joyce in the 19th Century, and is set during the 1798 Irish Rebellion. Let us just say that the Star Wars story possibilities are very strong with this one.

Lyrics

And a few videos:

Spoiler

Dead Can Dance:


Loreena McKennitt:

 

Ewok Poet: Thank you for linking to that "translation" of your song--to be honest, the archaic language of the original is probably incomprehensible to many native English speakers. (There was a time when I was considering studying late Elizabethan/Jacobean tragedy at a master's level, so I probably had an unconscious advantage there.)

leiamoody: You have received "She Moved Through the Fair." I can sum this song up with one sentence: Once again, true love has proven to be naught but true pain.

Lyrics

And an assortment of videos:

Spoiler

Van Morrison & the Chieftains:


Sinéad O'Connor:


Loreena McKennitt:

 

I shouldn't, I shouldn't... but since there's no deadline I might just as well sign up.

EDIT: Barbriallen it is!

 

Öh, I would have loved to participate, but I did not understand how to throw that computer dice! Can anyone please explain that to me very slooooooooowly, because I am just used to a dice in RL?!?

And am I still allowed to participate?

 

* has DarthUncle talking to her non-stop now, also laughing at her for being so clueless

So, I can chose between "14. Down in the Willow Garden" and "6. The Banks of Claudy" now, right?