Of all the tributes to, and stories about, Lou Reed over the past week, this is one of the most fascinating - even though it doesn't directly concern Reed himself, but rather Herbie Flowers , the legendary British bass player who created the immortal bass line that opens Reed's massive solo hit, Walk On The Wild Side. When I first heard Walk On The Wild Side, it seemed the ultimate late night New York song: a transgender story (which apparently radio stations in the 1970s and since didn't even pick up on, despite the line, " Shaved his legs and then he was a she ") featuring characters from Andy Warhol's Factory , which sounded as if it had been recorded at about 1 am in some smoky lowdown basement hangout in the East Village. The video above reveals the immense influence of Herbie Flowers - who had worked with David Bowie , who produced Walk On The Wild Side and the Lou Reed album it came from, Transformer , on Bowie's own classic breakout s...
Yes, the Scottish folktales are rich with strong female characters, who are quite heroic! A favorite of mine is "The Lass Who Went out with the Cry of Dawn," which is richly told by storyteller Cynthia Restivo (cynthiarestivo.com). It is a story of a younger sister who rescues her older sister from an evil wizard. I've seen previews for "Brave," and I'm looking forward to seeing it with my grands!
ReplyDeleteThe Celts in general had very power female figures, both mystical and warriors. Boudica apparently drew inspiration from a Celtic goddess and there are various legendary Scottish and Irish women warriors. There is a circular stone structure on St Kilda's, one of the most remote Scottish islands, called Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, the "Amazon's House," which was the home and place of worship of a local female warrior.
ReplyDeleteBritain is full of amazing historical structures. One of my favorite places there is Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, an island by high tide but connected to the mainland by a causeway (and now a road) when the tide is low. There is an 11th Century monastery on the island that I think (linking one culture with another far away) was built around the same time as the Hopi Rock Dwellings in Arizona or New Mexico. The weaving and quilting of Lindisfarne also bears some similarities to Islamic art - although I don't know if any direct connection has been proven.
Back to Pixar - I think Brave will be a wonderful new departure for them. It's their 13th film and in itself seems a "brave" new direction to go in: a female protagonist, a rugged fairytale setting, a whole new world for them.
Bz, there's also an interesting book by Kathleen Ragan called Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World, available from Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Girls-Women-Beloved-Sisters/dp/0393320464
ReplyDelete