A Tam Lin Invasion

Oh, I forbid you, maidens all
That wear gold on your hair,
To come or go by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam-Lin is there.

Project: Fairy Tale is a month-long blogging event hosted by Alison of The Cheap Reader that centers around original fairy tales and fables and their retellings. As a huge fairy tale/fable enthusiast, I was more than eager to participate in Project: Fairy Tale. As you might recall from my post back in October, the fable I chose to focus on is the Scottish ballad "Tam Lin." I've been doing a lot of reading and research since then and am eager to share my thoughts on here!

Now, on the eve of Project: Fairy Tale, I just wanted to let my readers know that my normal posts and reviews will be taking a one-month hiatus. They'll be replaced with tons of "Tam Lin" goodness. This month I plan on delving into the "original" story of the Scottish ballad "Tam Lin," its history (and explaining why it is difficult to pinpoint its origins), some of its themes, and much more analysis. Interspersed with those posts will be tons of book reviews on retellings and more general discussion posts (which I hope that you'll discuss with me). February's going to be an exciting month here, so I hope that you'll bear with me and learn a little in the process! If fairy tales and fables are not your thing, then never fear: my blog will be back to normal by March.

If you're interested in learning about other fairy tales and fables (I know I am!), I encourage you to check out Project: Fairy Tale's master post, where different bloggers have taken it upon themselves to focus on tales ranging from "Beauty and the Beast," "Rapunzel," "Snow White and Rose Red," "Aladdin," "The Six Swans," "Robin Hood," and so much more!

But up spoke her, fair Janet,
The fairest of all her kin;
I'll come and go to Carterhaugh,
And ask no leave of him.*

Until then!

*Taken from Jennifer Holm's version of "Tam Lin," found here.