"The Twa Magicians", "The Two Magicians", "The Lady and the Blacksmith", or "The Coal Black Smith" (Roud 1350, Child 44) is a British folk song. It first appears in print in 1828 in two sources,

Peter Buchan Peter Buchan (born 4 August 1790 in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire – 19 September 1854) was a Scottish editor, publisher, and collector of ballads and folktales. Biography Buchan apprenticed with a , and in 1814 produced his first book, a collecti ...

's ''Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland'' and John Wilson's '' Noctes Ambrosianae'' #40. It was later published as number 44 of

Francis James Child Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 – September 11, 1896) was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of English and Scottish ballads now known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of ...

's '' English and Scottish Popular Ballads''. During the 20th century, versions of it have been recorded by a number of

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

ians.

Synopsis

A blacksmith threatens to

deflower Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

(take the

virginity Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

of) a lady, who vows to keep herself a

maiden Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

. A transformation chase ensues, differing in several variants, but containing such things as she becomes a

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

, and he catches her as

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...

, she became a

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

and he became either a

water dog A water dog is a type of gundog bred to flush and retrieve game from water. Water dogs are considered the progenitors of most modern retriever dog breeds. Description Water dogs are usually medium-sized, active dogs; their most distinctive fe ...

or a drake. In the Child version of the ballad she does not escape, but in other common renderings, she does.

Motifs

In ballads, the man chasing the woman appears more often in conversation than in fact, when a woman says she will flee, and the man retorts he will chase her, through a variety of forms; these tales are often graceful teasing.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 1, p 399-400, Dover Publications, New York 1965

regarded it as derived from one of two

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

forms. In the first, a young man and woman flee an enemy by taking on new forms.Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 1, p 401, Dover Publications, New York 1965 This type is Aarne-Thompson type 313, the girl helps the hero flee; instances of it include "

Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter (french: La belle Eulalie) is a French fairy tale collected by Achille Millien. The fable is classed as Aarne-Thompson type 313 (A girl helps the hero to flee) and revolves about a transformat ...

", "

The Grateful Prince The Grateful Prince ( et, Tänulik Kuninga poeg) is an Estonian fairy tale. This fairy tale has been included in various collections of literature, such as Friedrich Kreutzwald in ''Eestirahwa Ennemuistesed jutud'', by W. F. Kirby in ''The Hero of ...

", "

Foundling-Bird "Foundling-Bird" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 51. It is Aarne–Thompson type 313A, the girl helps the hero flee,D.L. Ashliman,The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales) and revolve ...

", and "

The Two Kings' Children "The Two Kings' Children" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'', tale number 113.Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, ''Household Tales''"The Two Kings' Children"/ref> It is Aarne-Thompson type 313C, the girl help ...

". In the second, a young man, studying with a sorcerer, flees his master by taking on new forms, which his master counters by equivalent forms. This is Aarne-Thompson type 325, the magician and his pupil; instances include "

The Thief and His Master "The Thief and His Master" is a German fairy tale (original title: "De Gaudeif un sien Meester") collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' as tale number 68. In the first edition (published on 20 December 1812) there was another f ...

", "

Farmer Weathersky Farmer Weathersky ( no, Bonde Værskjegg) is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Chr. Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in ''Norske Folkeeventyr''. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Red Fairy Book'' as "Farmer Weatherbeard". It is Aarne–Thomps ...

", "

Master and Pupil "Master and Pupil" is a Danish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Pink Fairy Book''.Andrew Lang, ''The Pink Fairy Book''"Master and Pupil"/ref> It is Aarne-Thompson type 325, "The Magician and His Pupil". Synopsis A boy trying to get ...

", and "

Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in '' The Facetious Nights of Straparola''. This tale plays off a long tradition of conflict between apprentices and their maste ...

Versions

The Roud Folksong Index lists 33 examples. though some are duplicates. Apart from earlier Scottish versions there are eight versions collected in the 20th and 21st centuries, five from England, three from Scotland, and one from Kentucky. The earliest was collected by

Cecil Sharp Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was an English-born collector of folk songs, folk dances and instrumental music, as well as a lecturer, teacher, composer and musician. He was the pre-eminent activist in the development of t ...

in 1905.

Recordings

The song has been recorded (generally under the name "The Two Magicians") by a number of traditional

artists, including A. L. Lloyd,

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...

Martin Carthy Martin Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such as ...

Dave Swarbrick David Cyril Eric Swarbrick (5 April 1941 – 3 June 2016) was an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. His style has been copied or developed by almost every British and many world folk violin players who have followed him. He was ...

, and

John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as the 17th chief justice of the United States since 2005. Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including ''Nati ...

, as well as

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

and

folk jazz Folk jazz is a musical style that combines traditional folk music with elements of jazz, usually featuring richly texturized songs. Its origins can be traced back to the 1950s, when artists like Jimmy Giuffre and Tony Scott pursued distinct appro ...

artists such as Galley Beggar,

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...

Spriguns of Tolgus Spriguns of Tolgus (aka Spriguns) were a British folk rock group formed in 1972. They managed to obtain a record deal with a major label and the attention of some significant figures in the folk rock world. They produced four albums with growing ...

, Pentangle, and

Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical style ...

. It is also popular among

neofolk Neofolk, also known as apocalyptic folk, is a form of experimental music blending elements of folk and industrial music, which emerged in punk rock circles in the 1980s. Neofolk may either be solely acoustic or combine acoustic folk instrumenta ...

artists, and has been recorded by

Current 93 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet, who has been Current 93's only constant member. Background Tibet has been the only const ...

(under the name "Oh Coal Black Smith") and

Blood Axis Blood Axis are an American band, made up of journalist and author Michael Moynihan (journalist), Michael Moynihan, music producer Robert Ferbrache, and musician and author Annabel Lee.Liner notes of the ''Ultimacy'' compilation Overview Early B ...

. It was the inspiration for the first movement of Märchentänze by

Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), ''V ...

, composed in 2020.

References

External links

''The Two Magicians''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twa Magicians Child Ballads Fiction about shapeshifting Year of song unknown

Synopsis

Motifs

Versions

Recordings

See also

References

External links