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Author
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Comment
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beautifulstars
Unregistered User
(6/9/05 8:34 pm)
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tales of the devil, stealing souls and fiddles?
I'm sure I've heard certain versions of the 'devil tries to steal a soul' tales in which a fiddle was involved, or sometimes a girl with red shoes. I'm currently trying to write a short story with these elements, but can't seem to find the original tales. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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DawnReiser
Registered User
(6/10/05 11:22 am)
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fiddle
Fiddle reference might be from the old Charlie Daniel's Band song, 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'.
Because I'm slightly bored here are the lyrics:
"The Devil went down to Georgia,
He was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind,
He was willing to make a deal.
When he came across this young man
Sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot.
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said,
"Boy let me tell you what."
"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too,
And if you'd care to take a dare,
I'll make a bet with you."
"Now you play a pretty good fiddle,
Boy, but give the Devil his due.
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
'cause I think I'm better than you."
The boy said, "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret,
'cause I'm the best there's ever been."
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard,
'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards.
And if you win you'll get this shiny fiddle made of gold,
But if you lose, the Devil gets your soul!
The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in,
and it sounded something like this.
[fiddle solo]
When the Devil finished, Johnny said,
"Well you're pretty good old son.
But sit down in that chair right there
and let me show you how it's done!"
Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil's in the house of the risin sun.
Chicken in the breadpan picking out dough,
Granny does your dog bite, "No, child, no."
The Devil bowed his head cause' he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet.
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back
if you ever want to try again,
I done told you once, you son of a bitch
I'm the best there's ever been.
He played...
Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan picking out dough,
Granny will your dog bite, "No, child, no."
I have no clue if this is based on an actual tale but when you mentioned fiddle, devil and soul, I automatically thought of this.
The only tale I know regarding red shoes and a soul is, obviously, Anderson's 'The Red Shoes'. I don't recall the devil trying to steal the girl's soul. An angel was the one that cursed her but in the end she does go to heaven.
Hope this helps. It can't hurt anyway.
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aka
Greensleeves
Registered User
(6/10/05 12:17 pm)
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Re: fiddle
No red shoes or fiddles, but Child 278 ("The Farmer's Curst Wife") has the same motif (the devil hauls an old woman off to Hell, where she wreaks havoc). You can read the text here:
Child
Ballads
Or find a more approachable version by searching for "The Devil
and the Farmer's Wife" or "O Daddy Be Gay," two alternate
titles. Judy Collins has a marvellous recording on her first album
Maid of Constant Sorrow.
Good luck!
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Writerpatrick
Registered User
(6/10/05 1:40 pm)
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Re: fiddle
There's a French Canadian story called "The Flying Canoe" about the devil offering some lumberjacks a chance to ride in a flying canoe so they can go home to visit their loved ones and have a party.
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catja1
Registered User
(6/10/05 3:18 pm)
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Re: fiddle
There are a few stories about standing stones in Great Britain that have just that theme; Stanton Drew is probably the most famous.
Here's an article
on the "Devil at the Dance."
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beautifulstars
Unregistered User
(6/11/05 5:16 am)
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this is perfect
This is great info. Thanks guys! Muchly appreciated.
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EleriJilly
Registered User
(6/13/05 12:10 pm)
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Re: tales of the devil, stealing souls and fiddles?
I found this website by searching for more information on the roots
of Stravinsky's piece The History of the Soldier which is about
a soldier with a fiddle that tries to deal with the devil (composed
in 1918) . He apparently got his story from Alexander Afanasiev
collection of Russian Tales. I hope this link works Instrument
of the Devil
Edited by: EleriJilly at: 6/13/05 12:11 pm
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beautifulstars
Unregistered User
(6/13/05 12:40 pm)
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fiddles
This is a fascinating article. I think the tale I read which I am remembering must have been a French-Canadian tale, along the lines of someone selling his soul to the devil who happened, of course, to play the fiddle. I think it's this general idea that I will use for my story.
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Connie
Unregistered User
(6/15/05 8:30 am)
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devil at the crossroads
This reminds me of the legends around Blues musician, Robert Johnson. The story goes that he was just a normal poor, rural guy living in the South in the 20's. He left home for a month or so and when he came back he was an incredible guitar player. Of course he must have sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads.
Interestingly enough, he died very young. If I remember correctly, he was poisoned by the jilted husband of one of his lovers. We used to have a picture of him, hanging on our back door for some reason - can't remember why now. I don't know if he really sold his soul but that picture was quite creepy. This story actually inspired one of my boxes. "Crossroads."
www.connietoebe.com/crossroads.html
Connie
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Veronica
Schanoes
Registered User
(6/15/05 10:07 am)
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Re: devil at the crossroads
I love that story! I met a music-shop owner in Chicago once who told me that people came into his store who genuinely believed it, too. There's something powerful about the story, and it needs the crossroads element. It's not just that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in order to play blues like no-one had before. It's that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads. I can't work out why that makes so much a difference, but it truly makes the myth for me.
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aka
Greensleeves
Registered User
(6/15/05 2:22 pm)
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Re: devil at the crossroads
Connie, that's stunning! I want to know who she is, and how she came to that place.... Wow.
Veronica, absolutely! Without the crossroads, it couldn't travel into the realm of folklore. It needs to stand alongside all the other creepy happenings at crossroads (burials of suicides, witches, and criminals hanged with slightly-less-than-due-process.). They're liminal spaces: where you're going neither north nor south nor east nor west, but all--and none--at once. Like thresholds--neither inside nor outside, but both at once. That both-at-once concept opens to include our world and the Other world... which makes it a perfect doorway into our universe for the Devil. I personally love the old word, "crossways" to describe them.
There's actually a movie either about or inspired by that legend, called "Crossroads" and starring Ralph Maccio and Steve Vae.
There's also a wonderful liminal moment in "O Daddy be Gay:"
The devil, he hoisted her up on his back
O daddy be gay
The devil he hoisted her up on his back, and off to Hell with her he did pack
Daddy be gay if you can be
He set her down at the fork in the road
O daddy be gay
He set her down at the fork in the road, and said, "Old woman, you're a Hell of a load!"
Daddy be gay if you can be!
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beautifulstars
Unregistered User
(6/15/05 4:08 pm)
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cross-roads
Connie- as per usual, beautiful...something very haunting about those hands/arms.
I'm reminded of the many, many horror movies, or dramatic movies which take place-- if not at a literal crossroads, then certainly at the sort of place you might stumble upon in the middle of nowhere where very strange characters stop and abide awhile before continuing on their way. Specifically-- 'The Station Agent,' 'U-turn.' Virtually ever bad horror movie ever made.
aka Greensleeves, as you said there's something very creepy about those places. You never know who might be lurking there.
I know the fiddler Ashley MacIssac (from Cape Breton) I believe, has been portrayed as possibly devil-posessed in the press. Fiddlers are often seen as being otherwordly and devilish, even if not specifically tied to the devil. heh.
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Veronica
Schanoes
Registered User
(6/15/05 4:12 pm)
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Re: cross-roads
Connie, Greensleeves, and Beautiful Stars, I'm moderating a discussion board on Interstitial Arts and I'd really like to start a thread there on crossroads. It would be wonderful if I could copy and paste your thoughts to start that thread, but of course I wouldn't do that without your permission. What do you think?
The Interstitial Arts website is here.
The IAF Discussion boards are here.
Edited by: Veronica Schanoes at: 6/16/05 11:58 am
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aka
Greensleeves
Registered User
(6/15/05 5:03 pm)
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Re: cross-roads
Veronica--thanks for the links. I've emailed you.
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aka
Greensleeves
Registered User
(6/15/05 6:17 pm)
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Re: cross-roads
DH has just taken a peek at this thread, and has a few thoughts to add:
He said the idea of fiddles and devils immediately makes him think of Nero (and that he's always pictured him as a small devil in a toga playing the violin). Is this peculiar to my husband, or is there source material for this image?
It also calls to mind Faust,
in this link described as having conjured the devil at a crossroads.
Likewise, the movie "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (a
Faust retelling) is full of "screeching violin music."
So it all makes me wonder, what's the connection between violins and the devil? How far back does this go? Before the violin, was there another instrument associated with the devil?
DH also mentions that the roots of jazz as an unwritten and 'aurally' passed-on art form make jazz a natural progenitor of folklore. No deep thoughts here (or any concrete knowledge to offer); it just struck us.
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AliceCEB
Registered User
(6/15/05 6:55 pm)
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Re: cross-roads
This discussion of fiddles, the devil and crossroads conjured the following random thoughts:
Sherlock Holmes was a fiddler with preternatural thinking skills until he was addled by opium (or was it cocaine?). He certainly did not behave like human flesh and blood.
The Red Violin portrayed a violin whose tone was so exquisite,
that the owner of the violin seemed to be possessed by it. (Spoiler
here: ) The color of course came from the blood of a deceased person.
In Summerland, the
father of the hero is abducted by Coyote/Loki/Shaitan (although
"that Satan business is a bunch of bologna") who reveals
himself at a crossroads. As Coyote explains: "That's where
you always find Coyote."
Hmm. Off to ruminate on this some more.
Best,
Alice
Edited by: AliceCEB at: 6/15/05 6:56 pm
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AliceCEB
Registered User
(6/15/05 7:32 pm)
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Re: cross-roads
And, of course, Paganini was said to be possessed by the devil.
There's a brief biography here, www.paganini.com/nicolo/nicindex.htm,
that touches upon the story.
Best,
Alice
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Connie
Unregistered User
(6/15/05 8:46 pm)
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crossroads
Lots of interesting stuff. This makes me think I'm going to have to do more work in this vein. Of course you can use my thoughts on the Interstitial site. No problem. And thanks for all the compliments. (blush, blush)
My husband (a musician) went through a big Blues phase where we were listening to all these old songs that were rereleased on cd. This also inspired another rather creepy box "In the Pines". There will be a second version of this box out soon.
On a lighter note, my husband just told me that the reason his picture was on the back door (in our kitchen) was because of his song "In My Kitchen". Well duh.
Connie
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Crceres
Registered User
(6/15/05 9:51 pm)
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Re: devil at the crossroads
The version I've heard:
"Heavens, woman, you're a heck of a load..."
Which I always found interesting for the contrast; they're at a fork in the road when the devil names both heaven and hell.
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redtriskell
Registered User
(6/15/05 11:54 pm)
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devilish fiddles
Well, I have not a shred of evidence to back this up, but I always thought the fiddle connected to the devil because it sounds so much like an anguished human voice. As though the fiddle itself were possessed by the tormented soul of some long forgotten (but truly amazing) fiddle player who eventually had to pay for his virtuosity. I think I just gave myself the creeps with that notion... Anyway, on a slightly different but still relevent note, isn't there some English (or possibly Irish) folklore regarding the need for a human musician to play while the fey dance their tithe to the devil? Or am I cheerfully mixing up several ideas? I do that sometimes...
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AliceCEB
Registered User
(6/16/05 8:04 am)
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Re: devilish fiddles
This topic has stuck with me, and I did a brief Google search which brought up a recording by the violinist Rachel Barton entitled "Instrument of the Devil" already mentioned by EleriJilly, above. The link for the CD proper:
https://www.cedillerecords.org/041.html
EleriJilly's link to Barton's site brings you to a great review of the CD with historical information about connection between the devil and violins. Apparently the CD encloses an essay by a musicologist at Indiana Univ. From the advert. copy:
"An essay by musicologist Todd E. Sullivan of Indiana State University traces the origins of the violin's otherworldly associations back to ancient Greek religious cults, who identified musical instruments with deities and their ethical attributes. By the 1500s, violins were linked with dancing, an activity denounced by religious conservatives. Tales of demonically endowed fiddle players first emerged during the 17th century -- an image that endures in today's pop culture."
Thank you EleriJilly.
Best,
Alice
Edited by: AliceCEB at: 6/16/05 8:20 am
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