Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
February 5, 2025
MR. S. writes:
I just finished learning the Virginia version of “Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight.” Shelia Kay Adams wrote the introduction to the Cecil Sharp book on English folk songs and after a short intro here she sings the North Carolina version of this song.
She heartbreakingly describes her parents’ decision to purge their lives of the “love songs” they thought of as backwards.
The traditional ballads represented being stuck — not moving forward — and poverty. While bluegrass music (which comes from the minstrel circuit, i.e., professional entertainers) represented progress, middle class conveniences and status.
It’s amazing how fast authentic culture was wiped out. Even my Dad told me about the Welsh songs his uncle use to sing. But turning on the TV hits dopamine receptors!
I think this is a hugely important topic. People can’t live well, perhaps even survive (think drug abuses), without a past. America is defined now as a “people” with no past. Talk about a plate of lentils!
