SEDAYNE - LONG LANKIN

Northumbrian Storyteller & Singer of Traditional Ballads SEDAYNE (aka Sean Breadin) performs 'Long Lankin' in his childhood haunt of Holywell Dene in Northumberland, UK, accompanying himself on the Black Sea Fiddle (Kemence) on the afternoon of Friday September 8th 2006 - a film by Sabrina Eden.

Sedayne writes:

When we were kids, the story of Long Lankin became somehow mixed up with that of Starlight Castle, the romantic ruins of which stand along Hollywell Dene, in Seaton Sluice, Northumberland.

The story we were told (and would indeed tell) was that at some pont in the mid 1700s, the notorious Sir Francis Delaval needed a home for one of his many concubines and so made a wager with a local stone-mason that if could build him a castle overnight, he would be paid thrice over the odds, but, should the mason fail, he would get nothing. Seemingly the mason made his task easier by having large sections of the castle prefabricated, so all that remained was to assemble these overnight, hence the name Starlight Castle. Hearing of this, however, Sir Francis called him a cheat and refused payment. In revenge, the mason brutally murdered the subsequent incumbent of the castle (whose ghost is said to haunt the spot to this day) for which crime the mason, who is remembered as Curry, was hung in a gibbet at a place on the nearby coast known to this day as Curry's Point.

There is historical fact here, as anyone will find out who Googles Delaval Starlight Castle, but the rest would appear to come wholesale from the ballad of Long Lankin - apart from the detail of Curry, who did indeed hang in a gibbet at Curry's Point, but for the murder of a local landlord some years before the building of Starlight Castle.

I must add that I knew the story long before ever I heard the ballad, so in my mind Long Lankin is forever associated with Starlight Castle, and Curry's Point with the dastardly mason therein. This is further complicated by assuming Starlight Castle was the ruins as depicted in this film, which is why I suggested that as the location rather than the actual Starlight Castle which does't have the right vibe.

Sedayne - January 2008

For more on Sedayne:

http://www.myspace.com/sedayne
http://www.sedayne.co.uk/storytelling.html

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sedayne
• strange
• storytelling
• traditional
• folk
• song
• kemence
• ballad
• long
• lankin
• metgumbnerbone
• medieval
• fiddle
• autumn

[annlombardi1]

u suck-sincerely, dave swarbrick and martin carthy

[sabrinaeden]

How nice of you to drop by & share your thoughts with us.

[madouc1]

I'm sorry - but even if you had never heard the Steeleye Span version - you would still say that this is pretencious shite.

And it is.

[sabrinaeden]

Thanks, madouc1 - coming from such an obvious Steeleye Span fan we'll take that as a compliment!

Coming soon - Sedayne sings 700 Elves

[madouc1]

Now I feel rude - and rightly so - sorry. I couldn't do any better :)

[sabrinaeden]

Nonsense - all shades of opinion & gut reaction welcome (just see the Chester Cheese Rolling video); that's what we love about YouTube - we get all the sycophancy we can stomach over at myspace...

[milnoid]

Wow, where does the hostility come from? This is lovely, passionate music. Thanks for posting it.

[sopcara]

i'm quite shocked as to the negative comments left on a few of your videos, i can only put it down to the jealousy of narrow minds, in my opinion your music is one of the great undiscovered treasures of the British isle's, and steeleye span's middle of the road shite pales in comparison! also please put that "nut for nose" track up, the world needs to hear it!

[pootsnoot1000]

Utterly wonderful, dark and strange. How we neglect our true cultural heritage in this country. More power to your elbow. I only recently discovered Sedayne & Venereum Arvum on the Cold Spring label with the 'John Barleycorn Reborn' issues..and it has added a glorious new stratum of listening pleasure to my rather solitary life as an artist up in my studio, end of the garden.

I do keep glancing over my shoulder for the Green Man though......

[annlombardi1]

said me lord to me lady, as he went on his way, beware of long lankin, who lives in the hay

[annlombardi1]

@SacredHoopMagazine your parents must be SOOOO proud

[nolicnotrut]

This is REAL storytelling/balladeering the way I like it.

Thank you.

[wtimberman]

I heard a Matin Carthy version of Long Lankin. I'd heard the song, years before but never wondered what the strange lyrics were about. The trail stopped by here. Wonderful dark version of the song, like sparklers of sound emerging from the blackest night. This is very good and very original.

[SacredHoopMagazine]

What a great version!

I was researching the song a bit - having just come out of the studio where I have been recording a version of this song using nothing but medieval instruments and a Kemence (which I used on one part - but not played as well as you play it) and then found your video - and saw you used one too.. spooky :)