| WOSAS : F1018 |
WOSAS/CD340/track1 R1090.wav |
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Thorn in the King's Foot,
The
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| Sound recording, story; reminiscence and The Thorn in the King's Foot, a wonder tale from the Scottish traveller tradition, told by Duncan Williamson, in a private performance for Ben Haggarty, in The Bothy at Kincraigie Farm, Strathmiglo, Scotland, 8th September 1988 | |
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| Jaws harp played by Duncan Williamson; introduction including reminiscence about his childhood, followed by story told by Duncan Williamson. When a King's wife gives birth to a hunch-backed son, the King sends one of his men into the woods with the baby to kill it. The baby is taken in and raised by an elderly women with a deformed face. The Queen dies, and the King's treatment of his people worsens. One day the King gets a thorn stuck in his foot, which, when no one can remove it, begins to sprout. The hunch-backed son grows up and discovers that if a King would touch the face of his adoptive mother's face, she will be cured. His adpotive mother tells him the story of his birth and the son vows to find his father. The hunch-backed son travels to the King, and agrees to removes the thorn in the King's foot in return for him curing his mother. He also demands that his father goes out amongst his people while he rules the kingdom in his place. The King discovers the suffering of his people, and returns to rule fairly. The King invites his son to rule beside him, but the hunch-backed son refuses and returns to his adpotive mother. | |
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| The story is followed by an explanation of how deformities are viewed in the Scottish traveller tradition. | |
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| This recording was transcribed by Linda Williamson and published in the book The Thorn in the King's Foot, by Penguin. | |
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| audience:- | storyteller: Ben Haggarty |
| recording quality | |
| condition:- | fair |
| completeness:- | complete |
| duration:- | 0 hours, 34 minutes, 33 seconds |
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| storytelling:- |
storyteller; singer; ballad singer: Duncan Williamson male / Scottish / traveller |
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| origin:- |
Scotland, Britain, Europe
traveller |
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| Label written by Duncan Williamson on the cover of the tape box which held the original cassette tape on which the material was recorded. | |
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| Click to enlarge images | |
| storytelling:- |
Strathmiglo, Scotland: Kincraigie Farm: The Bothy
08 Sep 1988 private performance |
| gift from:- |
storyteller: Ben Haggarty |
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