Willie's Lady

Willie's Lady is Child ballad number 6. [Francis James Child, "English and Scottish Popular Ballads", [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch006.htm "Willie's Lady"] ]

ynopsis

Willie has married against his mother's will. She, being a rank witch, has bewitched his wife so that she can not be delivered of her child. He attempts to bribe her with gold, and she tells him his wife will die and he will marry elsewhere. The household sprite Billy Blind tells him to make up a wax dummy of a baby and invite his mother to the christening. The mother came to see and, on seeing the wax figure, burst into a rage, demanding to know who had undone each charm she had put. Willie hurried and undoes them himself, and his wife gives birth.

Commentary

This ballad is found in several Scandinavian variants, with various different charms laid by the witch; sometimes she could not enchant one location in the house, and when the woman in labor is moved there, the baby is born. The woman may be kept in labor for years by the magic; frequently, she dies, and her sons are born eight years old and swearing to avenge her. [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 83-4, Dover Publications, New York 1965]

In Greek mythology, the birth of Heracles was similarly delayed, by the goddess of childbirth keeping her hands folded. Galanthis, Alcmene's servant, told the goddess that Alcmene had given birth, and surprised her into unfolding her hands. [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 84, Dover Publications, New York 1965] This form of startling the mother-in-law into allowing the baby's birth is found in Italian fairy tales; usually it is done by announcing the birth, [Francis James Child, "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads", v 1, p 85, Dover Publications, New York 1965] but in "The King of Love", the baby's father feigns death, and his sisters mourn him, to the same effect.

Italian musician Angelo Branduardi played this tune to talk about Gulliver's Travels in his album Gulliver, La luna e Altri Disegni.

References