Episode 49: Childe Rowland

“Childe Rowland to the Dark Tower came”

This episode is a story featuring podcast favourites who haven’t been seen for a while – the Elves.

But more pertinently this is a tale of one boy’s bloody Tarantino-esque quest to get his ball back (and maybe get something back as well? I forget).

There’s also quite a lengthy discussion section of the origins of this tale which feels like it needs a bit of a guide to it itself. With arrows and diagrams and bits of red string tied to push pins on maps.

This might also be the first episode to feature football, but there are a decided lack of football references because of my ignorance in that whole area, and with the lack of Stephen King’s Dark Tower references, which I apologise for in the podcast, this even be mostly a straight telling of a story without any meta references! Possibly. Unless you spot any.

Fie Fi Fo Fum

As metioned in the discussion section there is a bit of a storied history behind this phrase, in all its many many varieties, and I was very amused to find out that almost the oldest version of it that is known now is basically saying: no one knows where this comes from.

If you’re interested a good full discussion is available here: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fie-fih-fo-fum.html.

Selected Sources

• Childe Rowland in Illustrations of Northern Antiquities – Jamieson’s original version
• Childe Rowland in English Fairy Tales – Joseph Jacobs version
• “Childe Rowland to the Dark Tower Came” – The poem unrelated to this story but which had to be mentioned
• Writing in the margins Childe Rowland – A very well writtien blog post covering much the same ground as my discussion section but in greater depth
  

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